Fixing Tiles

by: Agnes celina

It doesn’t have to be the case all the time that a tile has been damaged to such an extent that it is beyond repair. Usually, dropping something heavy can chip or crack the tile bad enough that it can’t go unnoticeable. For such instances, it is not wise to replace a tile, wasting time and money, when it can be mended fairly enough. So, all you need are the right products, a little bit of skill plus decent hand-eye coordination and may be a bit of patience as well.Repairing a tile means you will have to do some shopping and follow some very easy procedures. These procedures can eventually fool everyone and they won’t ever realize it until you especially draw their attention towards the exact position of the crack or the chip.

You would have to buy some high gloss oil paint- matching the color or tone of the tile that needs to be repaired, special oil based primer and a syringe of clear two-part marine epoxy. Now, you are supposed to clean the damaged area very thoroughly. It would be favorable if you used soap and then rinsed it with clean water. To dry the tile you might use a hair dryer so that it is not even slightly wet. If you don’t want to do so, leave the tile for a while or turn on the fan. Even when you believe the tile is absolutely dry, still be cautious and keep on blowing hot air on it for at least quarter of an hour. This is done with so much care and caution because the tile is damaged meaning that it is exposed to seep in as much water as is available. Working with a wet tile area could lead to improper repairing which wouldn’t last long and your effort would go to waste.

After the tile has dried completely, take a tiny brush and apply a little primer to the crack or the chip in the tile. The brush should be very small so that the primer doesn’t spread to the areas near the chip or crack on the tile. Be very careful as applying it to other parts might damage the outlook of the tile. Using little is significant as you do not want a pool of paint inside the crack. Now comes the resting part. Wait for at least two hours. When the waiting period comes to an end, apply the finish paint in exactly the same way as went about applying the primer. Remember, not to get the paint on any other surrounding area.

The next step depends on the outcome of the finish paint application. If just one coat is enough to match the color and make the crack look invisible, then it’s time to move on to the last step. However, if it doesn’t, then reapply the finish paint but don’t be hasty and leave the first coat for at least a day.

The final step involves mixing of the two part epoxy. After that, you are to fill in the crack with epoxy by using a toothpick so as to avoid applying it anywhere else. The purpose is to bring the cracked area to the level of the rest of the glazed tile. After an hour, the epoxy would settle, finishing the repair task. Do not buy an epoxy that does not scream at you that it is water proof!

In the end, you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself looking for the crack as it would be no longer be visible or would become light enough to be ignored without effort.