Nowadays, ceramic uses in a variety of things. We use ceramics in pottery, hand watches, and tiles, as ceramics are not metals. It is a non-metal and brittle material. It breaks easily on applying a large amount of force. Ceramic paint is quite popular. We paint ceramic on almost every piece of pottery to make it shine and give it super strength. Let’s see the methods of how to repair hairline cracks in ceramic floor tile?
Similarly, ceramic tiles are used on walls and over floors. They give a hilarious look to the interior of the home. It is a nice hard surface we can install on the interior. Moreover, ceramic tiles are durable and cost a little, so they are a good option for furnishing the home interior.
Why ceramic tiles floor get hairline cracks?
Ceramic tiles are hard material; any hard material can break if you apply force more than it can bear. For example, if you drop something on the floor weighing 30 kg, definitely chances to break the ceramic tile.
So, like any material, ceramic could be damage to some extent. Despite applying forces, they can damage if we use them prolong. Over the period, their strength declines as molecular bonds weaken, resulting in damage or cracks in ceramic tiles. Read more, ceramic sink repair.
What if the hairline crack in the tile is not repaired?
It is an even worse idea not to repair or replace the ceramic tile. It has a lot of disadvantages like; it gives a shitty look to the floor. Not repairing your tiles for a long time allows water to penetrate the flour. The surface beneath the floor deepens, and the whole structure can be endangered.
How to repair hairline cracks in ceramic floor tile?
There are some simple steps given below to repair hairlines in the ceramic tile. Details have been provided in the whole section, and till you reach the bottom of the article, there will be no ambiguity left. Follow the step-by-step procedure given below to get desired results. There are two simple steps to repair your cracked ceramic tile.
Repairing a piece of hairline cracked ceramic tile
The technique of repairing the tile is used depending upon the damage to the ceramic tile. The first step is to determine the extent of the damage. Hairline cracks find them as good candidates for this approach.
We have to remember two things while repairing the cracks in tiles. The first is that we want to seal the broken area so well that no moisture can cross it in the future. The second is that we have to strengthen the area so that it shouldn’t be broken or cracked on applying a little pressure in the future. After all, we will use this surface for a walk. Check here; how to repair ceramic tiles?
Epoxy to the rescue
The next step is to use epoxy for sealing the tiles. Hence, for this purpose, we use epoxy made from good quality material. Choose epoxy, which is specially made to attach the stones. Now, we will use filler to fill up the tile. Fillers are not extra compounds we buy. We mix the epoxy and part epoxy to make a glue-like material. This is called “filler.” This “filler” has great adhesive qualities.
Many people recommend different products use as epoxy. But, we must use “GraniTile360” glue. This product has amazing results, and it endures a large amount of weight without getting crack. It can even repair the most visible crack on the tile surface. Now is time to fill the area with the filler we just made. There are simple steps given below. Related article, how to lay ceramic tiles over the concrete floor?
- Clean the area
- Making the glue
- Give it some time to stand
- Tinting
Let us start with the first step.
Clean the ceramic tiles hairline cracked area
First of all, you clean the area thoroughly. Cleaning is important, as it is the base of joining the tiles once again. If there is any debris leftover among tiles, it would be difficult to repair the tiles with effectiveness. The adhesion process will be affected greatly. You can use alcohol or phenols to clean the area. Hence you can use “methanol” or “acetone”. Both are great for cleaning.
Making the glue for cracked hairline ceramic tile
The second step is about making the adhesive material that will bind the tiles together. We have already discussed the method of making ceramic glue. We make glue by mixing equal parts from both bottles.
At this time, it is a crucial process of applying glue in between the cracks of tiles. This step should perform carefully, and try not to waste extra glue from any side of the tile. It is a better idea to use a chopstick to apply glue among the tiles. The wooden chopstick or a pop cycle is an even better option to perform the task.
As we have already informed, the sealing and strengthening process. We use “glue” for sealing purposes, and for strengthening, we use “hardening material.” Moreover, don’t extract material from both bottles with a single chopstick.
Use different sticks for both bottles, as many people don’t do this. Apply resins on the top of ceramic tiles as well, and it is better to apply a bit more on the top. It is necessary to this because we want to make sure that there is no deficiency left in joining the tiles together.
Allow it to dry properly
Once you have applied all the resins, give it a little time to stand. We usually give 7-10 minutes to it.
After 10 minutes, wipe away the excess resin from the surface. For this, you can use a rubber or a razor blade.
Tinting the glued ceramic tile
When you finished removing the hairline cracks, you will notice the unusual color or resin looks different from the rest of the tiles. So, we wish to have the same color all over the floor. For this purpose, we will tint our newly repaired tiles. It depends upon the size of the crack, as small sizes cracks aren’t bad in look. But, if the crack is considerably bigger, then we go coloring it.
Mixing the pigments which closely match the floor is what many people do. We generally use two kinds of tints, one being “powder tint,” and the other is “liquid tint.” Both tints are equally important in use.
They are used with the same idea as we used for resins. We mix both the colorants together and keep mixing until it gives the color that matches the color of the tiles. We hope how to repair hairline cracks in ceramic floor tile article will help you a lot.
