How to Fix Chipped Tile?

Deciding which job you have

That last row matters. Cracks appearing in a straight run across several tiles usually mean the substrate is moving or a joist is flexing, and repairing the surface won't stop it recurring.

Repairing a small chip

1. Clean the chip. Remove loose fragments with a small brush, then wipe with rubbing alcohol and let it dry completely. Any dust and the filler won't bond.
2. Mask around it with painter's tape to protect the surrounding glaze.
3. Mix the filler. A two-part clear epoxy works well, as do purpose-made tile and porcelain repair kits, which come with tints.
4. Colour-match. Add pigment a little at a time and test on paper. Match to the tile in daylight, not under a bulb, and aim slightly lighter, since filler tends to dry darker.
5. Fill slightly proud. Apply with a toothpick or small palette knife, leaving it a touch above the surface, since most fillers shrink a little.
6. Level it. Scrape flush with a razor blade held flat once it's partly set — usually 10 to 20 minutes in.
7. Cure fully. Follow the product's time, typically 24 hours. Keep it dry.
8. Optional gloss. A dab of clear glaze or gloss sealer helps the repair match a shiny tile, since cured filler is often flatter than the surrounding glaze.

Filler options

• Two-part epoxy — strongest and most durable, best for floors
• Tile repair kit — includes tints and matching guidance, easiest for beginners
• Porcelain touch-up paint — good for tiny glaze chips only
• Colour-matched caulk — only for chips at edges and corners, not flat surfaces
• Nail polish — a genuine short-term fix for a tiny white chip on white tile, but it yellows and won't last

Replacing a tile entirely

1. Rake out the grout around the tile with a grout saw or oscillating tool.
2. Break the tile from the centre outwards. Drill a few holes in the middle, then work from the middle to the edges with a cold chisel so you don't damage neighbours.
3. Scrape out the old adhesive until the bed is flat.
4. Test-fit the new tile and check it sits level with the others.
5. Butter the back with thinset or tile adhesive and press it in, using spacers to keep the joint even.
6. Let it set for 24 hours.
7. Grout the joints, wipe off the haze, and let the grout cure before getting it wet.

The hardest part of replacing a tile is finding a match. Tiles vary between production runs, so even the same product bought later can differ in shade. This is why the standard advice when tiling is to keep a box of spares from the original batch. If you have none, check the back of a removed tile for a manufacturer code, try the original supplier, or look for a tile from a less visible area — inside a cupboard, behind an appliance — and move that one into the visible spot, putting the mismatched replacement where it won't be seen.

Chipped edges and corners near doorways or bath edges are best filled with a colour-matched epoxy and then protected with a trim or edging strip if they keep getting knocked.

When to call a professional: cracks spreading across multiple tiles, tiles sounding hollow over a large area, movement in the floor, or damage in a wet area like a shower where a failed repair risks water getting behind the tiles. Those are structural or waterproofing issues rather than cosmetic ones.

Preventing the next one: the usual cause is something heavy dropped, so mats in kitchens and felt pads under furniture help. Keeping spare tiles from the original box is the single most useful thing you can do.

The closest sibling pages are How Can You Get Insurance to Pay for Roof Replacement? and How to Install Cabinet Handles?.

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