Replacing a broken tile near the baseboard

In general, a tile floor is designed as a single flooring structure which depends on solid tiles and grouting. If there happens to be a single broken tile to have breakage, grout decomposition and contamination of water and dirt, it may lead to more extensive damage if not repaired as soon as spotted. The replacing process for the edge tiles along a baseboard is simple and easy to do, depending on how you see it. If you find the task difficult then you should just have a handyman come over and repair the damage. If you like to get your hands dirty and don’t mind learning along the way then this is it for you. There is also no need to remove the baseboard or other trim; here are the steps on how to do it.

You will need:

  1. Broom or brush
  2. Vacuum
  3. Putty knife
  4. Tile grout
  5. Pick or awl
  6. Scraper
  7. Acrylic tile adhesive
  8. Clean rag
  9. Sponge

Baseboard

Steps:

  1. First, take out the broken ceramic tile pieces before using an awl or ice pick to remove the perimeter grouting. During removal, the cured grout will normally chip easily into small pieces.
  2. Clear the space of debris with a small broom or brush. Make sure that there is no grouting under the baseboard.
  3. Use a putty knife or putty knife to clear the old tile adhesive or thin set mortar from the floor surface where the tile specifically was removed.
  4. Follow that by using acrylic tile adhesive and you can apply them thinly to the back side of the replacement tile with a putty knife. Press the tile into the cleared tile space; make sure that the position of the tile’s surface is leveled with the adjacent tiles.
  5. You can remove the excess tile adhesive that may squeeze from the beneath tile with a clean rag or damp sponge. Leave the tile to set off for at least 24 hours to give the acrylic adhesive a curing time to grout the tile.
  6. Next, make a mix of the tile grout in an amount that you need. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and apply it to the grout joint around the new replaced tiles.
  7. Firmly press the grout mixture into the joint space, and then use a damp sponge to clear any excess grouting mixture. It will take 48 hours or according to the manufacturer’s specifications to let the grout cure. Apply a grout sealer afterward if necessary and needed. And this is how you replace a broken tile that is located near the baseboard.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Architectural Trim: Ideas, Inspiration and Practical Advice for Adding Wainscoting, Mantels, Built-Ins, Baseboards, Cornices, Castings and Columns to your Home (Home Design Details)