How to Cover up Cracked Floor Tiles

Lead Image for How to Cover up Cracked Floor Tiles
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
  • 1-1,500
What You'll Need
Tile poultice, cement fillings, or wax sealers
Wooden block
Sander
Color powder
Potted plant
Throw rug
Furniture
What You'll Need
Tile poultice, cement fillings, or wax sealers
Wooden block
Sander
Color powder
Potted plant
Throw rug
Furniture

A cracked floor tile is not a good sight to behold especially if it is very noticeable. When floor tiles crack, they create a gap that can become filled with dirt and dust easily and may even become a breeding ground for bacteria and other nasty microorganisms. When a cracked floor tile damages the outward appearance of the floor, there are some steps that can be followed to cover it up instead of replacing it with a new one. Read on for instructions.

Vacuum the Cracks

Use a vacuum cleaner to suck out all dust and dirt trapped inside the cracks as these may get in the way when filling the cracks with sealers or fillers. If there are larger particles or debris inside the cracks that cannot be vacuumed, use a stick, metal wire, or any other stiff object thin enough to penetrate the cracks and get rid of the trapped debris. Make sure that the floor is thoroughly cleaned before proceeding with the next steps.

Fill the Cracks

Use any of the following to fill in the cracks: cement filling, wax sealer, or tile poultice. Mix a sufficient amount of tile poultice or cement filler. Carefully fill every crack with the filler making sure that the material does not get in contact with the tile surface as much as possible to avoid more cleaning up to do. Use a wooden block to press the filler inside the cracks thoroughly. When air spaces are left inside the cracks, it may cause the filler to create a bulge during the drying process. Remove any excess material that oozes out of the cracks and allow it to dry.

Sand and the Dried Filler

Sand the filler thoroughly until smooth. Make sure that the surface is level with the tile as well. Sand any protruding surfaces until every surface is even.

Apply Color Powder

Use a color powder that matches the exact hue or at least nearly the exact hue of the tile in order to cover up the cracks nicely. Use your hands to apply the color powder. Apply an even amount and make sure it covers the filler completely.

Try Other Alternatives

There are also other much simpler ways to cover the cracked floor tile, especially when it is very hard to conceal. Try covering the tile with a throw rug, a potted plant, or any furniture if the tile is found in an ideal location.

Pro Tips:

If the tile cannot be covered up with fillers, it may be best to replace it with a new one instead. Floor tiles are sometimes best to remove when they are damaged to a certain extent that covering them up does not work. If such is the case, read a DIY guide on how to replace cracked floor tiles, an easy DIY project, instead of hiring an expensive home improvement expert to do the job. Even if you should decide to hire someone else to do the job for you and there are many valid reasons why capable men and women cannot do some things for themselves that relate to time management but you should at the very least know what the project entails.