Ceramic Tile Restoration

[DK]

A couple of questions regarding restoration of historic ceramic tile (I want to preserve the existing tile, not remove and replace). I've got some chips and screw sized holes (presumably where towel rods etc. were placed previously) in my ceramic subway tile. I've researched how to best make repairs without a lot of success. I saw suggestions to fill the holes with epoxy putty or tile adhesive and marble powder and paint with either finger nail polish, model airplane paint or automotive touchup paint and then possibly coapt with an epoxy spray? Any other creative solutions??

Also, I have some hex tile that were originally set in thinset, that have popped loose. What is the best way to readhere to the original mortar bed base? Can I simply apply an adhesive to the tile or is it better to grind down the mortar bed and apply more thinset? If so how do I get original mortar to bond with new thinset? And how can I effectively grind single tile size area---Dremel??

Specific products and/or tool suggestions would be appreciated.

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[BathRenewal.com]

When I repair holes and chips in tile I use Bondo. Just clean the area real good to make sure there is nothing to keep your Bondo from "sticking" to the repaired tile. You can over fill your repair a bit and then use a random orbital sander with some 150-220 grit sand paper to sand you repair and taper it to match the existing surface. Clean the surface real good with denatured alcohol and a lint free rag. Then you can use an epoxy primer and top coat to match your existing color.

I use my Fein tool to remove thin set and other such material from tile and wall. There is another thread on here that gives a less expensive alternative to the Fein tool.

Good luck!

[doitright]

Hi DK, Welcome! :)

I've had a lot of success using polyester or acrylic epoxies (such as Akemi) with a tint kit. Knife grade is usually best for these types of repair. I recently was able to successfully repair even a tub chip with this method. The toughest part is knowing which color base to start with. There are several to choose from (water clear, transparent, white, buff, travertine, etc.). Those are the choices before you even select the tints to add.

If you have white tile, the white knife grade will work, and probably just add a touch of black to get the right shade of white. If you're good at mixing colors this will be a snap, if not... :eek: :D

Regarding the hex tile repairs... I'm presuming these are the small porcelain 1" hex tiles. If so, one of the small two part epoxy tubes would allow the replacement of the tiles without having to remove any additional materials. Prior to adhering make sure the tile is oriented to the correct position prior to dropping it in. If there was a thinset transfer, I'd probably get the tile clean prior to install.