How do you replace one broken tile on a bathroom wall?

Question

This tile looks to have been a soap holder that broke off - now I have this black tile with a big piece broken off. The tile work was probably done in the 1950's. Is there any way to remove that one tile and replace it?? IF so, how would I go about doing that?
Thanks -

Answer 1

This is tricky.
I am willing to bet that tile is not available anymore. So, here is what you do.

Remove the grout, chisel off the tiles in other places as well so that it is a random pattern. Then use plain white tile to place it in the area. Apply tile glue first. Give it a day to dry and grout it.

In old installations, especially in the shower, when you try to remove one, there is a possibility that the tiles will just start to come off like unzipping the clothes. So be careful.

Answer 2

take a hammer and a screw driver and bust the old tile and clean up the area. Go to a home shopping store and buy a new white soap dish and some carpenters glue , then glue the soap dish in the void left by the old tile(some soap dishes are a little bigger now so check the back of the soap dish and make sure that it only takes 1 tile space to set your soap dish) make sure you get enough glue behind the soap dish and stick it on, next get some duct tape and tape the soap dish in place really good(if you don't the soap dish will fall off the wall before the glue sets and when the soap dish falls it will knock the finish off of your bath tub and that will be worse than a broken soap dish) tape it in all directions and give it about 12 hours to dry then you can grout the soap dish in.(You could probably just caulk it in with caulk no more area than it is and the caulk will just fine anyway, or another place the grout may be loose!) Good Luck you'll do just fine!

Answer 3

Grab a grout removing tool, they're about $5-$8. Dig out the grout. Be careful, and work slowly. You don't want to damage the tiles surrounding the area you're working on. Once the grout is out, it's a bit easier to remove the tile. Slowly tap on the tile with a chisel. It will break into pieces, so be careful. Be sure to cover your drain, as you don't want tile pieces to mess up your drain. Once the tile is out, take it as a sample to a local hardware store. I recommend Home Depot or Lowe's. Try to get the closest tile that will match. If there's nothing there, you may want to contact Dal Tile. They're a huge distributor. I know they have an office in the San Fernando Valley in CA. Once you have your tile you'll need an adhesive. The easiest is the premixed tile adhesive. Put the adhesive on the tile, stick it in place and let it dry. Overnight will be fine. You can also use the premixed grout. Since it's in a bathroom, the grout spaces will be small and the premixed grout will work fine. Smooth it over and let it dry for a day or two and you're all done.

Answer 4

The first thing is to see if you can find a matching tile of similar shape and color. If the tile is broken, use a grout saw to clean out the grout around the tile and then use a small chisel and hammer to carefully break out the remaining pieces ( put a drop cloth in the tub to catch the pieces, they are abrasive and can scratch the tub). After the area is cleaned, apply a wall tile adhesive to the back of the tile using a notched trowel (get one with the adhesive) and center the tile into the area. You will then need to mix a small amount of grout and apply it to fill in around the tile. After it sets a few minutes, wipe the excess off with a damp sponge, rinsing it often in clear water. Let the tile set. If you must use the tub, cover the area with a piece of plastic wrap overlapping the tile by 2-3 inches and taping the wrap in place. It's better to not use the tub/shower until the grout is dry, if possible. After the grout is dry, usually 24-48 hours, apply a sealer to the grout lines to protect them.

Answer 5

I've done this before. Very gently chip away the grouting around the tile with a trowel or spatula and then try to get the trowel or spatula under the remaining portion of the tile to pry it off the wall. Use protective lenses and gloves before attempting this. After you have done this measure the vacant spot and go to your nearest DIY home center and get either a decorative tile or soap holder to replace the broken tile. You should ask the salesperson for the correct mortar and grout to use for the replacement tile.

Answer 6

Remove the grout around the tile. A Dremel tool works well for this. You will probably need to break the tile to get it off without breaking tiles around it. Be careful as tiles can shatter and pieces are very sharp. Pry the pieces off the wall. Find a replacement tile and use adhesive to install it. When the adhesive is dry, regrout.

Answer 7

scrape the old grout from around the tile then take a hammer and tap on the tile until it breaks , but be careful because it is very sharp like glass. get some adhesive put it on the back of the new tile and apply the tile to the wall.let the adhesive dry over night and then apply the grout in the groves ,but do not let the grout dry on the tile itself, wipe it off with a wet sponge.you will have a haze on the tile which you can simply wipe off with an old rag.

Answer 8

Really, This is true, Take a hammer and a small punch, like a nail set. Just tap around and slowly shatter the old soap dish. don't strike it too much in one place. this is quite dangerous and messy, so WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES, AND GLOVES. This is the way use pros do it.

Answer 9

get small chisel and hammer and Cut out tile carefully and replace with new