Tile repair in Ocala & Belleview.

Tile repair, and when it’s enough.

The process

A repair starts with working out why it happened. For a cracked tile or a loose spot, the first question is whether it’s only the tile or whether something underneath has moved or gotten wet. Tapping across the area finds loose tile by sound. Single tiles can often be taken out, the area cleaned up and a new tile set and grouted. Shower leaks take more digging, since the water isn’t always coming from where the stain shows.

Materials

With small repairs the goal is a close match. A spare tile left over from the original job is the best option. If there isn’t one, the nearest match is used, and the colour or size won’t always be exact. Grout can be matched to the existing lines. Old, cracked or missing caulk at corners and around tubs is cut out and replaced with fresh flexible caulk.

Common problems

The usual ones are a cracked tile, a patch that sounds hollow, crumbling grout and corners that leak because the caulk has failed. A small fix is often enough. Not always: if water has been getting in behind a wall or under a pan, swapping a few tiles only hides it, and a bigger repair is the honest answer. The same goes for cracks spreading across a wide area from movement below.