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Noticing a chipped or cracked tile day in and day out can be hugely irritating. Getting it fixed up is a week-end’s work, whereafter calm may set in at last.
Hopefully you kept a few back-up tiles for such an occasion. The grout colour is the tricky part, as the old grout will have discoloured by now and matching it is best done by your friendly DIY shop. Their advice will be invaluable through the whole process. Consider scraping a chunk of old grout from a hidden corner behind a door. Take this sample to a dedicated tile supplier so they can advise.
Gather your safety gear, tools and grout to renovate that space. It would be smart to have a drill and an oscillating multi-tool, but at the very least you should have a grinder, hammer and some chisels in a variety of sizes, together with a mason’s trowel and mixing tools for the adhesive and the grout.
Whether it is a wall or floor tile, the method is the same: Remove the grout, then chip the middle of the tile, breaking bits of tile out from the middle towards the edges. Don’t start from the edges because you could wreck another tile in the process. Once you have lifted out all the fragments, ensure that you also remove the adhesive right down to the base. This needs to be good and clean before the fresh adhesive is applied evenly.
The back of the new tile needs a good layer of adhesive too (that process is called back-buttering and, like a sandwich, the crusts must not be neglected!). Position the new tile, making sure that it is the same height as the others around it. Wiggle it into position and let it be for 12 to 24 hours.
Next comes the grouting, the colour of which hopefully matches the neighbouring tiles. Don’t be alarmed when the new grout seems darker: allow days for it to dry completely before doubting your colour-matching skills. You want to liberally cover the inter-tile spaces and push quite hard to fill the slits with the gooey stuff. When cleaning up, do it repeatedly with a clean sponge until the white haze is cleared completely.
Remember: Safety first! To protect yourself against sharp debris, wear long sleeves and eye protection. Best to also protect the ears against noise and mask the mouth and nose to avoid inhaling the dust. Vacuum the fine material away while grinding out the grout, as this aids visibility as well. You don’t want to damage the tiles alongside the culprit. Knee protectors, if working on the floor, are also a sensible option.
Colour Sample Kit
Add good layer of adhesive
Clean with sponge
Gather your safety gear
Position new tile
Remember: Safety first!