UnME HOME-UPKEEP DIY: Replacing a piece of Dislodged ceramic floor tile.

This triangular piece of floor tile was broken and dislodged from the floor

Use an A4 paper to mark and cut a template

Mark the shape of the piece of tile
to cut and replace.

One piece of ceramic tile dislodged from the floor. What is your immediate reaction? Call your “friendly” contractor to fix it. Sounds simple for this simple job. Right? But in reality it is very tough. You may have to call your contractor umpteen times and he still does not show up. Each time his PR response is “ I will call you a day before I come”. The expected visit from him is like waiting to win a lottery. And if he finally comes, his first suggestion will be “Change all the tiles ah h?” If your response is “one only” He would hesitate and sounds very disappointed. “One only ah h! How much to charge you for this one?” he asked. If the dislodged tile is broken, there will be more problems.

Cut the paper to form the template.

If the contractor is willing to do the small job, the fact remains that he can never get back the same tile, in term of colour and tone. Tile manufacturers can never produce the tile of the same colour and shade for every batch. Even if one goes back to the same manufacturer with the same product code, one can never get a piece of replacement tile of same colour shade. This is the fact one must accept.

Check the template fitting

The contractor has to make a few trips. First trip is to examine the damage and to assess the availability of that particular piece of tile. On the next trip, he has to run to a few shops to source for the tile. If he is lucky, his third trip is to bring his worker to do the job.

Use the template to mark on the tile for cutting.

So, how much do you think he should charge you for that miserable piece of tile replacement?

For that reason, most contractors are reluctant to do tile replacement job, unless one willing to change the entire floor tiles. Moreover, there are many fussy housewives who do not understand and accept this fact. They will complain and argue with the contractor over the different colour tone and shade.

The replacement tile with marking ready for cutting

A DIY buff will keep all the left over materials from construction or repair jobs. I stored them in the water gutter of the roof. After so many years, I appreciated my own effort. I have the same tile of the original colour tone/shade to replace the dislodged and broken piece.

Replacing the dislodged tile by DIY can be done quite easily provided you have the right tools and correct cement mixture.

Tile cutting tool and goggle(for eye protection)

I borrowed a tile-cutting tool from my brother.

Firstly, I marked the shape of the tile to replace, using a piece of A4 paper to cut a template. With the paper template, the cutting line is mark on the tile, to facilitate the precise cutting requirement.

Use a masonry chisel or drill to remove
the old cement plaster.

Next, I remove the old cement plaster from the floor where the tile was dislodged with a masonry (concrete) chisel. Then, I wash and drain out the debris

After Chiseling and wash up

Cut the tile on ground with grass
to avoid damage tot he cutting disc.

Finally, mix 3/4 portion of cement with 1/4 portion of white lime and a small amount of water. Mix them thoroughly until a sticky paste is achieved. Apply the mixture on the tile and on the floor. Ensure the required amount of cement mixture is applied to achieve the levelling with the surrounding tiles. The use of a levelling tool, if necessary to check this. Use a small piece of wood to do the levelling.

Never use a hammer. You may break the tile.

Mixing the cement into a sticky paste

See the completed job. This is done in two hours. Let the cement mixture to cure and dry for 24 hours before stepping on the replaced tile. Keep the tile cool and moist during the curing process by sprinkling some water over the replaced tile after 4 hours.