Not best practice: temporary fix for broken and missing floor tiles
March 25, 2018 4:44 AM Subscribe
We have a terracotta tiled kitchen floor with a couple broken floor tiles and a couple that are so broken that there are pieces missing. The eventual goal (within the next few months) is to repair the substrate and replace the floor.
I'm also tired of tripping over them and will be having a bunch of people over this coming Friday.
I'm seeking temporary fix ideas that won't interfere with future actual fixes.
The floor tiles are somewhat like this example. The missing pieces are about the size of my hand.
I've jokingly suggested using hotglue to glue the broken pieces in. I've also suggested using quikcrete or something like that.
Please understand that I'm looking for a temporary solution. When I say that we will be repairing the substrate and replacing the floor in the next few months, I really mean it.
Note: despite the UK-based example, I'm located in the US, so don't feel the need to tailor product recs for the UK.
The floor tiles are somewhat like this example. The missing pieces are about the size of my hand.
I've jokingly suggested using hotglue to glue the broken pieces in. I've also suggested using quikcrete or something like that.
Please understand that I'm looking for a temporary solution. When I say that we will be repairing the substrate and replacing the floor in the next few months, I really mean it.
Note: despite the UK-based example, I'm located in the US, so don't feel the need to tailor product recs for the UK.
Response by poster: Rugs have already been deployed.
Rugs do not solve the problem of the holes left by missing pieces of tile the size of my hand.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:55 AM on March 25, 2018
Rugs do not solve the problem of the holes left by missing pieces of tile the size of my hand.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:55 AM on March 25, 2018
I've jokingly suggested using hotglue to glue the broken pieces in.
Have you considered a few judicious blobs of actual tile glue, such as you'd use for sticking porcelain tiles to a bathroom wall?
Just don't use too much glue (use small blobs at the broken corners rather than anything even vaguely resembling complete surface coverage) and you should find that the broken pieces will stay in place for your guests while still being possible to lever out when you need to.
Also, thoroughly cleaning out the holes with a vacuum cleaner's crevice tool before you start should be enough to stop grit from mucking up your works.
Tile glue is ever so slightly flexible when set, so it should cope with a little bit of movement in the floor.
In fact it's about as flexible as hot glue, which would probably also work provided you clean up thoroughly before you start and get both the holes and the pieces stinking hot before applying the glue. That way, the fairly extreme thermal mass of your floor and your tiles won't be turning the hot snot into hard little pea size lumps as soon as it escapes from the tip of the gun.
posted by flabdablet at 5:02 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Have you considered a few judicious blobs of actual tile glue, such as you'd use for sticking porcelain tiles to a bathroom wall?
Just don't use too much glue (use small blobs at the broken corners rather than anything even vaguely resembling complete surface coverage) and you should find that the broken pieces will stay in place for your guests while still being possible to lever out when you need to.
Also, thoroughly cleaning out the holes with a vacuum cleaner's crevice tool before you start should be enough to stop grit from mucking up your works.
Tile glue is ever so slightly flexible when set, so it should cope with a little bit of movement in the floor.
In fact it's about as flexible as hot glue, which would probably also work provided you clean up thoroughly before you start and get both the holes and the pieces stinking hot before applying the glue. That way, the fairly extreme thermal mass of your floor and your tiles won't be turning the hot snot into hard little pea size lumps as soon as it escapes from the tip of the gun.
posted by flabdablet at 5:02 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've seen people "fix" this by simply filling the gap with a glob of grout and smoothing it level. It's not pretty and it's not a long term solution, but it should get you through to your real fix.
You could also go kintsugi-style, and use some small pieces of contrasting tiles to fill the holes with mosaic (kind of like patching a pair of pants with a contrasting fabric).
posted by ourobouros at 5:37 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
You could also go kintsugi-style, and use some small pieces of contrasting tiles to fill the holes with mosaic (kind of like patching a pair of pants with a contrasting fabric).
posted by ourobouros at 5:37 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Get a bag of grout from Home Depot (or wherever). Vacuum the shit out of the missing tile areas. Mix up enough grout to schmear in the gaps and make a bed for the tile pieces. Let the grout start to set up. Set what pieces you still have,GENTLY into the thickening grout. Tap the pieces down to level with the rest of the tile.
Let it dry. No, longer.
The next day, mix up some more grout. Fill in the gaps and missing pieces. Very gently, wipe the excess once it's almost dry.
posted by notsnot at 6:33 AM on March 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Let it dry. No, longer.
The next day, mix up some more grout. Fill in the gaps and missing pieces. Very gently, wipe the excess once it's almost dry.
posted by notsnot at 6:33 AM on March 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
OK, it's beyond rugs.
Well, one thread down I suggested using epoxy putty to repair a failed strain relief on a pair of headphones… but I have also successfully used epoxy putty to stick down shards of broken tile. Roll up a blob of it and just squoosh the tile into place. Step on it so that it's level again. Don't take any special steps to help it bond, except maybe cleaning out the hole if it's really cruddy.
It held up for several months in my case; until I moved out of that apartment, anyway. It would probably hold up much longer, especially if you carefully cleaned the surfaces it needed to adhere to.
Whoever replaces your tile is going to go to town on your subfloor with a floor scraper to get off the old thinset and prepare the surface for the new tile. Pretty much whatever you use to reattach your tiles, including epoxy putty, will be removed by this process. So don't worry too much on that account.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:42 AM on March 25, 2018
Well, one thread down I suggested using epoxy putty to repair a failed strain relief on a pair of headphones… but I have also successfully used epoxy putty to stick down shards of broken tile. Roll up a blob of it and just squoosh the tile into place. Step on it so that it's level again. Don't take any special steps to help it bond, except maybe cleaning out the hole if it's really cruddy.
It held up for several months in my case; until I moved out of that apartment, anyway. It would probably hold up much longer, especially if you carefully cleaned the surfaces it needed to adhere to.
Whoever replaces your tile is going to go to town on your subfloor with a floor scraper to get off the old thinset and prepare the surface for the new tile. Pretty much whatever you use to reattach your tiles, including epoxy putty, will be removed by this process. So don't worry too much on that account.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:42 AM on March 25, 2018
Oh, and if the missing pieces are missing as in you no longer have them, I'd probably just go get some terracotta tiles from the local home improvement big box (or go get out that box of spare tiles that's been sitting in the basement forever, if you have one) and break off some pieces that are roughly the right shape and use those. You could grout the gaps if you wanted. Use a sanded grout, it fills gaps better than unsanded.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:49 AM on March 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:49 AM on March 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'd use something like Henry Feather Finish or a similar thinset. It's very easy to use and durable. (I used it to make my kitchen counter tops.)
posted by The Deej at 7:24 AM on March 25, 2018
posted by The Deej at 7:24 AM on March 25, 2018
This is one of the many things my mother, who is both crafty and handy, would use epoxy for, probably the putty in this case. Epoxy is her duct tape.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Lyn Never at 8:43 AM on March 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Google ‘concrete caulk’ and you’ll come up with products like QuikCrete Repair. Less messy than mixing up thinset or whatever. If you have the pieces of tile, put down a gob of the repair caulk and push the tile into it, wiping off any excess above level. You’re not looking for perfect, just good enough that your guests don’t trip and fall.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:30 PM on March 25, 2018
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:30 PM on March 25, 2018
Best answer: ourobouros: "I've seen people "fix" this by simply filling the gap with a glob of grout and smoothing it level. It's not pretty and it's not a long term solution, but it should get you through to your real fix."
This is what I'd do for a few month repair. Actually I'd go even easier and mix up some self leveling concrete. 10 minutes work; ready to walk on in 6 hours.
posted by Mitheral at 11:33 PM on March 25, 2018
This is what I'd do for a few month repair. Actually I'd go even easier and mix up some self leveling concrete. 10 minutes work; ready to walk on in 6 hours.
posted by Mitheral at 11:33 PM on March 25, 2018
I'd cut a few pieces of cardboard to the right size (stack them 3-4 pieces deep) and then top those with a thin piece of plastic or wood (that someone's stiletto heel won't puncture) and then put duct tape all over that shit. Walk on it for a few days and add another layer wherever it needs it. Cover with a rug. Boom, done.
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:14 AM on March 26, 2018
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:14 AM on March 26, 2018
Response by poster: We ended up using grout. It seems to be working reasonably after one round. We are planning on applying another layer in the next couple of days.
posted by sciencegeek at 6:05 PM on March 26, 2018
posted by sciencegeek at 6:05 PM on March 26, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:50 AM on March 25, 2018