A cracked portion of bathroom tiles could give way for many tiles if they are not fixed. This could then in return either lower the expected price if you are attempting to sell your own home, as many private home sales end up to be disappointing when issues aren’t fixed within the home and your real estate agent may hold it against you. Fixing your damaged bathroom tiles is a critical step in improving the quality of your property and helping you to potentially sell or rent it out in the future.
Gradually, the broken tile might affect the shower base of your shower. That is how a broken tile creates moist drywalls, and increase the cost of renovations. Normally, a stitch in time saves nine when you learn to do-it-yourself or DIY. You can follow these steps to repair shower tiles, and save some money when they are broken. An added bonus or a silver-lining when dealing with cracked bathroom tiles is that it gives you an opportunity to assess other issues within your bathroom or home. Maybe you have been putting off calling out a blocked drain plumber to help you deal with that underused blocked bathroom drain or maybe you now have the chance to add another coat of fresh paint to cover over those damaged walls.
Assess the Damaged Tile
Generally, ceramic tiles are durable and resistant to stains. The first step in fixing tiles is to assess its smooth surface with your fingertips. You might find some hard-to-notice cracks on the adjoining tiles. A crack tends to spread, and allow your bath water to soak your bathroom wall. Depending on how your bathroom tiles were installed, vibration might increase the impact along the crack lines. So, it is much easier to remove broken pieces of tiles with a chisel.
Take Out the Grout
Be careful when removing sharp pieces of tiles. This process might require the use of force because of the adhesive (non-cement-based) or cement under these tiles. Wear a pair of hand gloves, and use a grout knife or flat pry bar to remove damaged tiles. You can also use a utility knife to remove a soft grout. Also, do not spill grout on other tiles while scraping old grout. During the renovation, you can reuse a stained or unbroken tile after washing-off the drywall residue from the tiles with warm water.
Removing Saturated Drywalls
Sometimes, the extent of damage might affect drywall and cause to be saturated with water. You might need to cut out the drywall or drill several holes through the tile to repair the affected portion. After making a series of cuts through the tile, it will be easy to remove all fasteners and drywall residue. However, you can avoid damages to waterproof membranes, conduit pipes, and insulations in a wall by not drilling too deep into it. To install new drywall, you must inspect the portion for moisture, or molds. Scrape any residue and apply some bleach reagents before installing new drywall.
Prepping the Wall for New Tiles
You’ll need to install cement board on the cut-out of your wall after cleaning the adhesive, and grout residue from old tiles. Usually, masons create a 1/8-inch space to reduce adhesion issues during installation of new tiles. Then test a new tile with the bare spot to see if it aligns well before gluing it. However, if this new tile fails to fit the joint; scrape off the with a putty knife adhesive and let it sits evenly. As flat surfaces for the new or broken tiles, apply thinset adhesives to the drywall and cement board.
It is Time to Install the Replacement Tiles
After you have allowed the thin-set to dry; apply more thin-set with a trowel and align the grout joints of the replacement tile into the thin-set. When applying thin-set adhesive, don’t make them closer to the edge by less than 1/2 inches. Additionally, you wiggle the replacement tiles back and forth before leaving it in a permanent position. Also, ensure that bottom rows of your replacement tiles are not grouted. Apply plenty of water with a sponge to clear excess grout if necessary. Then, allow this installation to cure.
Chalk Your Tile Joint
Use silicone caulk to seal the space between the tile joints. A good waterproof sealant for bathroom tiles can close any joints that are not well grouted. Instead of applying latex or acrylic products, use pure silicone caulk because of its durability.
Once you have finished with repairing those damn cracked bathroom tiles and any other issues in your bathroom, you are ready to feel comfortable with that room once again. Whether you are selling your home or just wanting to fix an issue you have ignored, it is very important to stay on top of issues that occur in your home. Some issues can be considered dangerous to your health or financial status if left unattended for quite some time, don’t prolong dealing with an issue and get on top of it right away.
