Now it’s easy to say goodbye to those ugly cracks and chips in damaged tile surfaces without going to the trouble and the expense of replacing individual tiles.

In the past, the two main ways to repair tile damage were to replace the tile or use a porous filler product that didn’t adhere to the tile very well so repairs often fell out. Not only that, the color often didn’t match so the repaired area was highly noticeable.

Traditionally, when repairing anything, one of the biggest challenges is getting the repair to blend in with the surrounding area so it isn’t noticeable.

There are three factors that determine how invisible the repair looks:

1. The color of the repair
2. The way in which it is levelled
3. How well the gloss levels match between the filler and sealant and the tile.

Let’s take a look at each of the points in detail …

 

• Color Matching Your Tiles Made Easy

 

As you can imagine, there are an endless number of different tile colors on the market so it would be impossible to buy an off-the-shelf tile repair product that is a perfect color match for every tile.

That’s why some sellers not only offer the most popular colors for sale individually, they also offer a Starter Kit. This enables you to create a color match for almost any of the most popular tile colors.

All you need to do is mix together your preferred colors on the zip lock back provided in the kit or on clear plastic wrap on top of the tile’s surface so you can see the tile color showing through the plastic. Keep blending the colors until you achieve the right color match.

For example:

• To achieve a light grey, add a toothpick tip of black to the white.
• To achieve a dark grey, use a toothpick tip of white to the black.
• For a lighter shade of beige, mix together white and light beige
• And for a darker beige, mix together chocolate brown with beige or white.

If your tiles are an unusual, bright color like red or green, you can use sealants that are available in wider variety of bright colors that are mostly available on Amazon. Just make sure that they are completely compatible by using the same brand so you can mix and match.

 

• A Perfectly Levelled Tile Repair

 

Creating a smooth, level finish is THE most important factor that determines whether or not the repair is noticeable.

For instance, a roughly levelled repair using a color matched repair  product will stand out much more than a smoothly levelled repair with a slightly unmatched color.

It all has to do with the reflection of light. Rough surfaces reflect light and therefore catch the eye whereas smooth surfaces don’t.

 

• Achieving a Matched Gloss or Matte Look

 

The other factor to look at is the gloss levels. Different tiles come with different levels of gloss so you want to be sure that the gloss level of the repair product matches the gloss level of the damaged tile.

Some products are high gloss so if your tiles are high gloss, simply apply the product then let it dry. If, on the other hand, your tiles are semi-gloss or matte, here’s what you do.

Once the product has started to dry, with a glove on, just tap the repair using the tiniest amount of pressure until the repair matches the matte level of the tile.