Your Homeowner's Guide to Frisco Tile Repair

A glorious backsplash in your kitchen, or stunning floor in your bathroom is a truly spectacular addition to any Frisco home. It adds the perfect touch of texture and color to any space. Not to mention, it's a perfectly practical way to stop liquids from staining your walls or causing water damage. Keeping that area maintained is easiest with the help of Frisco tile repair pros.

When your tile backsplash, countertop or floor is damaged, it's both an eyesore and a safety hazard. Broken, scratched and dented surfaces are unsightly, making your otherwise lovely home look dilapidated and unkempt. And, when porcelain, stone or ceramic materials are damaged, the edges are very sharp—and could possibly injure you, a family member, or your pet. Our Frisco tile repair experts are here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Also, as we mentioned earlier, tile's primary role is to keep liquids away from your walls and floors. This includes splashes of tomato sauce, but most importantly, it keeps water away from your drywall and subfloor. Moisture can cause serious problems in your Frisco home, such as enabling mold and wood rot to develop.

As soon as you see damaged pieces, it's important to make an appointment for Frisco tile repair right away. This keeps your house safe from water damage, your family safe from getting injured, and maintains your home's aesthetic appeal. To learn more about Frisco tile repair, our Frisco handyman team put together this helpful guide.

What Causes Damaged Tile?

There are numerous issues that can cause damage to a bathroom floor or kitchen backsplash in Frisco. Some of these are obvious, but others can be more difficult to diagnose without help from a tile repair professional. Without knowing what caused the damage, you won't know how to properly approach your tile repair.

Blunt Force from Heavy Objects

This is likely the most obvious source of damage. Although most materials, like porcelain, can withstand up to 250 pounds of pressure, it's still possible they might dent or crack from the weight of heavy objects. For instance, if you're reorganizing your living room and accidentally drop the sofa down too hard, or if you drop a cast iron pot in your kitchen.

Also, keep in mind that sometimes what seems like a hairline crack or tiny chip might turn into a much bigger problem. Once weakened, the more people, pets, and furniture that put weight on the surface, the more likely cracks and chips will worsen.

Subfloor Cracking

If you haven't dropped anything heavy recently, or moved furniture around, and you notice a crack going along multiple tiles, then the issue could actually be further down in your floor. Your floor consists of many different layers. Often, this includes a layer of concrete. As any professional Frisco builder knows, concrete is prone to cracking. This is completely natural, and most builders prepare for this by using control joints to ensure it cracks in a straight line.

Sometimes, a builder in Frisco might not be very experienced or may have made a mistake and laid your top-floor along one of these control joints. In that event, when the concrete cracks so will the floor above—requiring significant repairs.

Improperly Installed Joists

Even below your concrete subfloor, there is a layer that could cause problems with your top-floor. Have you noticed the floor looks like it's sagging? You might shake it off as your imagination playing tricks on you. But you might be right.

At the very bottom of your floor lay joists. These are supports that carry the weight of everything that goes on top of them—including concrete, insulation, flooring, furniture, people, and pets. Joists have to be laid at a specific distance apart from each other. If they're built too far apart, your flooring will have nothing underneath to support it. This will cause it to bend, and eventually, crack.

How Do You Know When to Hire Frisco Tile Repair or Replacement Services?

While fixing damaged pieces as soon as possible is key for the well-being and safety of your home, it’s important that you take the time to consider the details too. There are a few considerations for knowing when to hire Frisco tile repair services:

How Bad is the Damage?

Is there one tiny chip, or a crack damaging multiple sections? While a small chip may be fast and easy to repair, a larger crack and more widespread damage may mean you need to replace an entire section. In either case, our Frisco tile repair professionals will be able to help.

Do You Have Spare Tiles from When They Were Originally Installed?

It's a good idea to keep spare tiles that match your flooring or backsplash somewhere safe. The tone and color of each batch—even from the same make and design—fluctuate because ceramic and porcelain tiles are fired from clay. It's impossible to be sure that a new batch will match an old one. If you're planning a Frisco home renovation or moving into a new house with tile floors, ask your contractor or the previous homeowner if they have spare pieces. Then, if you need Frisco tile repair or replacement service down the line, the process will be easier.

How Comfortable are You with DIY Tasks?

Tile repair requires the correct tools, materials, and time to correctly fix any damage. Not to mention, you only get one chance to make the repair. Likewise, replacement jobs are laborious and require a degree of experience to be done correctly. Perhaps you are confident DIYing around your home, or maybe you’d prefer to let our experts handle your Frisco tile repair needs.

When Did I Last Renovate?

If you’ve noticed damage to a surface that was just laid, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a replacement from the same manufacturer if you act quickly. It’s also definitely not worthwhile to replace your entire floor or backsplash because of a small chip if the renovation is brand-new.

However, if you’ve been in your home for a while, or have never renovated, damage to your tiling could be a sign it's time for a change. Chips, cracks, or even worn and dirty grout all take away from your home’s aesthetic. Laying a fresh style could not only make your home’s interior more enjoyable to look at, but also boost its resale value in Frisco.

Grout Maintenance

Grout is a very important part of any Frisco tile repair. It not only contributes to a backsplash or floor’s aesthetic appeal, but also secures each piece in place. When it gets dirty, damaged, or shows signs of wear, it can result in ugly looking grout—or possibly, grout that needs to be repaired before further damage occurs. There are many reasons to ensure you stay on top of grout maintenance, including:

• Maintain the life of your tiled surfaces. By keeping grout clean, you help promote your floor, backsplash, or countertop's longevity. Dirt, grime, and stains can deteriorate grout over time. Not to mention, mold and mildew can make a home in grout lines if not cleaned properly.
• You protect your investment. You spent time and money on your ceramic floors or glass backsplash. Prevent damage to it by taking care of the grout.
• You prevent health hazards. Dirty grout is a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. That's why it's critical you keep it clean—thus preventing mold spores and grime from spreading throughout your home.

How to Fix the Damage?

There are two primary ways to fix damaged floors, backsplashes, and countertops. There is a plethora of information on YouTube about DIY tile repair, and if you're a handy person then you may be able to follow along and fix it yourself.

Keep in mind, tile repair methods require a lot of specialty tools and materials, including grout, a notched trowel, a grout saw, epoxy, and more. Be sure you know how to use these repair tools and materials before trying your DIY project, or you might just end up wasting a lot of time and money on those repairs.

How to Repair Chips and Small Cracks:

1. Clean up the area. Using tile cleaner, dish soap, or bleach, ensure the damaged piece and surrounding grout is cleaned thoroughly. Let it dry completely before proceeding to the next step.
2. Mix your epoxy. Choose clear or white epoxy and mix according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Avoid grout lines. Take care not to get epoxy on the grout surrounding the chipped or cracked sections.
4. Apply epoxy. Using a toothpick or craft stick, apply epoxy to the chip in thin layers over a period of 30 minutes.
5. Paint epoxy. With a paint that matches your material's color, use a small brush to apply two coats of paint over the epoxy.
6. Let the paint cure. Depending on your paint, this process could take a few hours or a few days.
7. Seal with urethane. Using a water-based urethane, cover the paint patch with three coats and let dry completely.

Only One Chance

We've mentioned it before, but it's worth reiterating again. As you decide whether to get professional Frisco tile repairs or do it yourself, bear in mind that you will only have one chance to properly fix the chip or crack. We recommend practicing with a spare you may have lying around the house to get a feel for tile repair.

How to Replace Damaged Tiles:

1. Clean the area. Using bleach, tile cleaner, or dish soap, carefully clean the damaged area.
2. Remove all grout. Put on safety goggles and use a grout saw to remove the grout.
3. Apply painter’s tape. Frame the damaged area with painter’s tape to protect the surrounding area.
4. Loosen damaged pieces. Drill four holes into the broken tile. This will loosen it and make it easier to chisel out the pieces.
5. Chisel out the pieces. Use a hammer and chisel and work your way from the center out to remove all the pieces.
6. Clean out old adhesive. Use a chisel to remove any old adhesive to make a smooth surface for the new adhesive.
7. Apply thin set mortar. With a trowel, apply the adhesive to both the newly cleaned surface and the back of the new piece.
8. Place the new tile. Gently place the new piece into position. Ensure the spacing is even on all sides.
9. Let it cure. Wait at least two hours for the new piece to set, then mix up your grout.
10. Apply fresh grout. Swipe the grout using a rubber float at a 45-degree angle into the cracks around the new tile.
11. Wipe away excess grout. Once the grout no longer feels tacky, wipe away any excess using a damp sponge.
12. Let the grout dry. Do not apply any pressure to the new tile, such as walking on it, for 24 hours.

Hire Us for Your Frisco Tile Repair Needs!

When it comes to getting the repair job done right the first time, that's something you don't have to worry about when you hire the pros at Mr. Handyman of Frisco. Although some experienced homeowners might want to try a DIY solution, by far the most efficient and thorough Frisco tile repair team are our skilled technicians.

Each of our service technicians has years of experience completing a range of repairs—including tile repair and installation. We've helped homeowners throughout the Frisco area, including in Little Elm, Celina, and nearby communities. We're highly versatile, skilled, and hardworking. Our team can complete tile repair for many materials, including:

• Porcelain and ceramic
• Natural stone (limestone, granite, and marble)
• Luxury materials like glass

Not to mention, our team is known throughout Frisco and the surrounding areas for our outstanding customer service. We always prioritize our clients and work hard to ensure their satisfaction with every job.

Whether you need help with a small, one-time repair project or a large Frisco home improvement project, our team is up to the task. To book an appointment today, or ask questions about our Frisco tile installation and repair service, give us a call. We look forward to helping with your future Frisco home improvement projects!