Cracked Porcelain Floor Tiles

Whatever the cause you can remedy the cracks yourself without having to hire a professional.

Cracked porcelain floor tiles. Ceramic floor tiles especially larger tiles need an even distribution of mortar underneath them. Perhaps you dropped something heavy on the tile such as a cast iron skillet. If 1 or more of your floor or counter tiles have cracked whether from regular wear and tear or from having a heavy object dropped on them you don t necessarily need to replace the cracked tile. While most types of tile can handle a lot of abuse they are not indestructible and hairline cracks may occur.

Or if your ceramic tile was installed over newly laid concrete the tile may crack as the concrete settles. Voids in the mortar under the tile allow the tile to flex and crack. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are particularly weak under compression and susceptible to cracks from dropped items such as kitchenware. To confirm that a heavy impact cracked the tile you should inspect the crack s shape.

If replacing a tile isn t in your budget or if the tile isn t badly damaged you can repair the tile. Tiles provide a durable covering for floors walls and backsplashes. Cracks isolated to one tile often result from impact damage. In far more instances the crack was caused by anomalies under or around the tile.

As a general rule tiles larger than 12x12 inches should have mortar applied to the back of the tile as well as the floor to help ensure adequate coverage.