| Ceramic tile
often cracks where it's been cut to fit, like around bathroom
fixtures. But you can fix it!
First, check your supplies for leftover tiles. If you
don't have any, go to your tile store.  Even
if your design has been discontinued, you may be able
to find something very similar. If you can’t, don't
despair--be creative. Perhaps now is the time to add
pizzazz by working contrasting tiles into a pattern.
You'll also need fresh grout that matches the color
of the grout in your bathroom, a grout saw or bottle
opener, safety glasses, a chisel, a hammer, a screwdriver
and tile nippers.
Begin by removing the tub spout. Loosen the old broken
grout around the tile with the grout saw. You can buy
one for about $5, or use the bottle opener, which will
work about as well.
Then, put on safety glasses and use a sharp cold chisel
and hammer to tap on the tile lightly, cracking an "X"
pattern in the broken tile.
Gently break out the pieces with the chisel, working
from the center toward the edges. Clean it up and you're
ready for the fun part.
Use tile nippers to shape your new tile to fit. You
can buy these from your tile store or you can rent them.
Mark the part you want to cut away and start chipping.
Don't knock off too much at once because the tile will
break in the wrong place. Be patient. Before you succeed,
you may break a few tiles, so have several extras on
hand.
Next, apply standard waterproof tile adhesive to the
new tile. Press it in place so it's exactly flush with
the other tiles. Remove any adhesive that squeezes out
with a thin screwdriver.
Re-grouting is next. Smooth the grout into the joints
with your fingers. Make the width of your grout line
match that of the old tile. Wipe away excess with a
damp sponge. Later, when it's dried about 24 hours,
seal the grout and replace the tub spout.
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