If you want durability, easy maintenance, all in a beautiful package, its hard not to look at tiling for your floors. However, like all flooring choices, it does have its breaking point. What do you do with cracked tile?

Your first step is to locate the cause of the crack. If you attempt to replace the tile or repair the crack without finding the underlying problem, your repair may be temporary and easily crack again, only in some cases much worse.

Typically there are three reasons a tile will crack.

1. A heavy or blunt object was dropped on the floor, causing a crack on impact. If this is the case, replacing the tile will solve the situation.

2. A problem exists with the subflooring. The screw heads may have come up, bumping against the tile. Or the subfloor may have risen in spots, possibly from glue that didn’t set properly. In either case, the subflooring needs to be fixed and leveled before fixing the cracked tile.

3. Pressure or temperature changes could impact the tile. Depending on the type of tile installed, tile can be made of a very porous material. If water gets into the tile, then freezes, it can expand and contract again and again, eventually cracking. The key is to install the right tile for the circumstances.

When installing your tile, make sure you keep several extra tiles on hand. You may even consider keeping extra grout, or at least the manufacturer and the color for future use as well. By having both tile and grout that match your current floor, your repair won’t look conspicuous after the repair.

Preventing cracks is a job that should occur at the time of installation. If you are installing tile over concrete, add steel reinforcing bars to the concrete slab, which will prevent cracks in the slab from forming cracks in the tile. If you are tiling over wood subfloors, make sure the wood is level, and won’t sag or bend. Even the strongest of tile will crack when walked on if the floor underneath isn’t level.

If you have any further questions about cracked tile, give us a call. We can help you determine why your tile is cracking, and inform you of your best options.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.