How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

We just recently bought a house here in Florida with ceramic tile
floors in parts of the house. There are a few "hairline" cracks across
perhaps 6 or 7 of the tiles, several of which are fairly noticeable
because they are in an area near the kitchen that we walk over every
day. Unfortunately, the tiles are not "through-body color porcelain
tiles," so chips and cracks are more obvious because of the color
difference.

It seems to me that there ought to be some sort of "filler" that could
be used to fill a crack ... perhaps glue-based that could be colored
to match the color of the tile. It would need to be extremely liquid,
so that it would flow into even a hairline crack. Ideally, once cured,
the filler would be somewhat pliable so that it could stretch slightly
if the crack continued to widen.

Anyone know of such a product? (I really don't expect a perfect answer
to my question, but I had to ask it anyway!) Maybe there's an ingenius
inventor out there somewhere that could concoct such a product,
assuming one doesn't exist already.

Anybody tried watering down fingernail polish with acetone?

How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

"John" wrote in message
om...
We just recently bought a house here in Florida with ceramic tile
floors in parts of the house. There are a few "hairline" cracks across
perhaps 6 or 7 of the tiles, several of which are fairly noticeable
because they are in an area near the kitchen that we walk over every
day. Unfortunately, the tiles are not "through-body color porcelain
tiles," so chips and cracks are more obvious because of the color
difference.

It seems to me that there ought to be some sort of "filler" that could
be used to fill a crack ... perhaps glue-based that could be colored
to match the color of the tile. It would need to be extremely liquid,
so that it would flow into even a hairline crack. Ideally, once cured,
the filler would be somewhat pliable so that it could stretch slightly
if the crack continued to widen.

Anyone know of such a product? (I really don't expect a perfect answer
to my question, but I had to ask it anyway!) Maybe there's an ingenius
inventor out there somewhere that could concoct such a product,
assuming one doesn't exist already.

Anybody tried watering down fingernail polish with acetone?

no. the right way is to take up the tiles, fix the problem under the tiles
(and there is a cause of the problem), replace with new tiles and regrout.

How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

John writes:

We just recently bought a house here in Florida with ceramic tile
floors in parts of the house. There are a few "hairline" cracks across
perhaps 6 or 7 of the tiles, several of which are fairly noticeable
because they are in an area near the kitchen that we walk over every
day. Unfortunately, the tiles are not "through-body color porcelain
tiles," so chips and cracks are more obvious because of the color
difference.

You have cheap tile with a cheap installation. Nothing is going to improve
that or fully repair the problem.

"Chase" the cracks and then fill with epoxy or grout. You can experiment
with blends of colored grouts to get somewhat of a match for color. Nobody
is going to sell you a color match. But you're always going to see the
cracks. Latex paint will fill truly hairline cracks, if you only want
cosmetic improvement.

How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

Richard J Kinch wrote:

John writes:


We just recently bought a house here in Florida with ceramic tile
floors in parts of the house. There are a few "hairline" cracks across
perhaps 6 or 7 of the tiles, several of which are fairly noticeable
because they are in an area near the kitchen that we walk over every
day. Unfortunately, the tiles are not "through-body color porcelain
tiles," so chips and cracks are more obvious because of the color
difference.


You have cheap tile with a cheap installation. Nothing is going to improve
that or fully repair the problem.

Well there's useless, overbroad and wrong info.

I'd say $TheAbove, or you have old tile. Or some failing underneath it.
Or settling of the house. or about a billion other things.

"Chase" the cracks and then fill with epoxy or grout. You can experiment
with blends of colored grouts to get somewhat of a match for color. Nobody
is going to sell you a color match. But you're always going to see the
cracks. Latex paint will fill truly hairline cracks, if you only want
cosmetic improvement.

Replacing the tiles is the BEST bet. Doing so after figuring out if the
underfloor ahs an issue will avoid repeats.

One thing you might consider is the fill thing, but swap tiles (if you
don't have/can't get a replacement).

I had some cracked tiles in a bathroom in the middle. Switched them
with tiles that were behind the toilet. It was a rental and the tile
was from the 50s and impossible to match. I didn't want to retile.

How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

Chuck Yerkes writes:

Well there's useless, overbroad and wrong info.

Thanks for your analysis.

Replacing the tiles is the BEST bet.

The OP asked for repair techniques. "Replace it" is not an answer to that
question.

How to Fill a Crack in Ceramic Tile?
 

Richard J Kinch wrote in
:

Chuck Yerkes writes:

Well there's useless, overbroad and wrong info.

Thanks for your analysis.

Replacing the tiles is the BEST bet.

The OP asked for repair techniques. "Replace it" is not an answer to
that question.


We once moved into a house that had an almond-colored ceramic tile floor
in the kitchen that had several hairline cracks and numerous tiny chips
that revealed the color below the surface of the tile. The best solution
we found for the cracks was an almond-color elastomer-type caulk forced
into the crack, then quickly wiped off the surface of the tile. For all
the little dings, we used one or more applications of almond-colored
appliance touch-up enamel. These repairs were almost undetectable unless
you were very close to the floor. The repairs never needed to be re-done
in the seven years we lived there.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.