Replace a cracked wall tile

Chip out the cracked tile, check what's behind the wall, then fit and grout a replacement safely.

RT-01Protect the area and gather your toolsLay a dust sheet over the floor and any worktop below the tile. Take off anything fixed nearby that you can, like a soap dish or towel rail, rather than working around it. Have a bucket for debris ready, since old grout and adhesive chip off sharply.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Bucket

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RT-02Work out what's behind the tileTap the tile and the ones around it — a dull, hollow sound usually means plasterboard, a solid dead sound usually means brick or block. Run a small magnet over a line of screw heads if you can see the wall edge nearby: it sticks hard to metal stud screws but only grips gently on timber-stud screws. On newer external or party walls, patches that sound solid next to patches that sound hollow point to dot-and-dab plasterboard stuck to the masonry with adhesive dabs. In houses built before about 1930, a slightly springy, hollow sound often means lath and plaster — thin timber strips under the plaster, which crack easily.

1 each · Small magnet or compass

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RT-03Check for cables and pipes before you cut into anythingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a tiled wall, especially near sockets, showers or a boiler. Use a cable and pipe detector, but still assume something is there until you have proved otherwise — detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed board, or hidden by a metal stud frame. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you start chiselling.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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RT-04Remove the grout around the cracked tileUse a grout rake or the corner of a flat-head screwdriver to scrape out the grout on all four sides of the tile, right down to the wall. Work slowly and keep the blade angled towards the cracked tile so you don't chip the good tiles next to it.

1 each · Grout rake

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RT-05Break out the cracked tileTap the centre of the tile with a hammer and cold chisel to crack it further, then work outward towards the edges, prising pieces away as you go. On solid brick or block you can chisel firmly. On plasterboard — whether on timber studs, metal studs, or dot-and-dab — tap gently and stop as soon as the tile lifts, since punching through cracks the board behind. On lath and plaster, go extra carefully: the laths are thin and brittle, and a hard knock can bring down a whole section of wall.

RULES

1 each · Cold chisel

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1 each · Club hammer

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KNOW THE RULES

If your home was tiled before 2000, old tile adhesive or backing board can contain asbestos. Don't dry-sand or use power tools on it. If you're unsure, stop and get a sample checked before continuing (Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012).

RT-06Clean out the recessChip away the old adhesive until you reach a flat, sound surface, and vacuum out the dust and debris. On plasterboard, don't dig past the board thickness, usually 12.5mm — if you've cracked it, cut out the damaged piece and screw in a matching offcut patch, using an ordinary wood screw into a timber stud or a self-drilling metal-stud screw into a metal stud (a plain screw strips straight through 0.5mm steel). On lath and plaster, press gently on any loose lath and screw it back to the timber behind before you go further.

1 each · Plasterboard offcut patch

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4 each · Metal-stud screws

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RT-07Dry-fit and cut the replacement tilePlace the new tile into the gap dry, without adhesive, to check it fits. If it needs trimming, mark the line and cut it with a tile cutter or tile snips, then run a sanding block lightly over the cut edge to take off any sharpness.

1 each · Replacement tile

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1 each · Tile cutter

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RT-08Apply adhesive and fix the tile in placeSpread tile adhesive onto the back of the tile with a notched trowel, covering it evenly. Press the tile into the recess and give it a slight twist to bed it in, then push in tile spacers on each side to match the surrounding grout lines. Check it sits flush with a spirit level before the adhesive starts to firm up.

1 tub · Tile adhesive

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1 pack · Tile spacers

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1 each · Notched trowel

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1 each · Spirit level

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RT-09Leave to cure, then groutLeave the adhesive to cure fully before grouting — check the pack for the exact time, but allow at least 24 hours. Remove the spacers, then push grout into the joints with a grout float, working it in at an angle. Wipe off the excess with a damp sponge before it dries hard.

1 tub · Grout

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1 each · Grout float

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1 each · Sponge

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RT-10Clean up and finishOnce the grout haze has dried, buff the tile with a dry cloth to bring back the shine. If the tile is near a bath, shower or sink, run a bead of sanitary silicone along the edge where tile meets tile or worktop, since grout alone won't stay waterproof there. Bag up the old tile and rubble and put it in your general waste, not recycling.

1 tube · Sanitary silicone

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1 each · Cloth

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