REPLACE A BROKEN TILE

There’s an option between living with a cracked floor tile and replacing the whole floor. If you have leftover tile or can find new tile to match your old, you can make your floor look as good as new in a couple days.

1 CUT THE GROUT

Using an angle grinder with a masonry wheel, cut through the grout down to the subfloor all around the tile. Cutting the grout avoids chisel and hammer work that could crack adjoining grout lines.

2 REMOVE THE OLD TILE

Poke a screwdriver tip into the crack and pry up the damaged tile. Don’t pry against a good tile; you risk damaging it, too. Chip out any remaining pieces of tile and mortar. A cheap wood chisel is perfect for this. I also use one to trim out any remaining grout up to the edges of the good tile.

3 SET THE NEW TILE

Mix up a small batch of mortar and spread it in the tile area with a notched trowel of the correct size. For this large-format tile, I used a 1/4-in. x 3/8-in. notch. Set the new tile in place, pressing it into the mortar so it’s level with the surrounding tiles. Allow the mortar to set for 24 hours.

4 GROUT THE NEW TILE

After the mortar has set, grout the joints with a grout float. If you’re lucky enough to know the exact grout used originally, you’ll get a close match. But even then, it may not be quite the same color as the surrounding grout that’s had foot traffic since the original installation.

5 CLEAN UP THE EXCESS

Using a damp sponge, wipe off any excess grout. Wring out the sponge in clean water frequently. Wipe down the grout lines, applying enough pressure to make them the same level as the surrounding grout lines. Let the grout set for 24 hours before walking on it.