Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Jan 26, 2010 6:51 pm I accidentally broke 2 tiles in the kids shower when removing the shower screen frame. I saved the two large broken pieces and they fit back nicely with just smallish gaps (plus the grout line gap) so I am hoping they can just be glued back on and the cracks filled and sealed somehow? Can anyone advise on the correct products? I don't have any of the same tiles to replace them with and do plan on retiling eventually but just not yet so will be happy with a temporary solution to avoid cut fingers for now, am not too worried about the finished appearance either. Photo of damage: http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u25/wmp1982/brokentiles.jpg That pic makes the chips looks huge but its just a very close up. The two saved pieces of tile corners I have are about 2cm long for the bottom tile and just over 1cm for the top tile, to give a better idea of the size. I just have the corners, the tapered off bits smashed to dust on the ground and couldn't be saved so would need some kind of waterproof filler? Re: repairing broken tiles? 3Feb 26, 2010 9:14 am Hi Elly Just simply use a little silicone behind the tile. Don't make it too thick tho, the thinner the better. The just smear a little over the joint in the cracked pieces. Dip ur finger in soapy water before smearing a little over the crack joint, that way the silicone will not stick to your fingers. Wipe off any excess. For a simple temp fix, silicone will do the job - oh get the clear one. Cheers Re: repairing broken tiles? 4Mar 02, 2010 6:25 pm i usually buy a combination tile adhesive/ grout for small jobs. you can buy it from bunnings etc. its in a tube and you just squirt out globs onto the back of the tile and the wall and push it on.you use the same stuff as the grout and it will work as a filler. i couldnt see your pics, but why dont you buy some new tiles to replace the broken ones. im not sure where you are, but its possible to match old old tiles. in sydney, santa maria tiles opposite the catholic church in randwick, stock old tiles and redundant tiles. Re: repairing broken tiles? 6Mar 05, 2010 8:18 am I am interested to hear your grounds regarding the silicone coming loose......? Penetrate into what? Do check your pre mixed adhesives.....not all are to be used in wet areas and secondly mostly are not guaranteed to adhere to non Permeable ...ie waterproof membranes - even this case you are more than likely to bond to any exisitng adhesive. Cheers Re: repairing broken tiles? 7Mar 05, 2010 9:02 am Quote: I am interested to hear your grounds regarding the silicone coming loose......? 30 years experience in working in bathrooms has taught me that there is a correct way and an incorrect way to repair things. using silicone to refix tiles in a wet area isnt the correct way of doing things. Quote: Penetrate into what? in a shower recess water will penetrate behind tiles if they havent been adhered correctly to a surface. strangely enough wall tile adhesive and grout seems to work, wheras silicone doesnt. ive seen many examples of tiles being stuck back on with silicone. they become drummy and eventually loose. why use something thats not designed for a job, when there are plenty of products out there that are designed for a job, by manufacturers who use lots of resourses testing their products? silicon isnt designed to be a tile adhesive. its as simple as that. im a plumber. i often repair leaks behind walls and have to remove tiles. if i replace them, i use a tile adhesive and grout. there is a product made by sellys that is both a tile adhesive and grout. for small repair jobs its perfect.. if i dont replace them and i get my tiler to replace them, he uses tile adhesive and grout. if he used silicone, he wouldnt be a tiler. Re: repairing broken tiles? 8Mar 11, 2010 9:15 am We are talking about one or two tiles here. Silicone can be used for full water submersion and will not break down. Maybe you should be looking at the substrate you are adhering to. With tile now on the market having almost zero perosity ie porcelian biscut with under 0.15% perosity you must be carfull what "tile" adhesives you use. For a simple repair where the substarte is clean and secure the silicone is fine. If the substrate is prepared correctly there will be no issue. The only reason silicone is not use on mass is due to the cost. For a small repair it works fine. I have been running a tile shop for 14yrs and have cotacts for that long with tile adhesive maunufacturers. I only recommend what will work - and for such a small patch up there is not need to go and specifically buy that product in a unit which will do 1 or 2 sqm when you need to stick down 1 tile. PS Water always penetrates behind a tile with adhesive and griout - thats why we waterproof. Cheers Re: repairing broken tiles? 9Mar 12, 2010 1:52 pm Sorry, but using silicone in the manner you describe is just plain silly. Its not designed for that. I operate a business contracting to real estate property managers and see on an almost daily basis instances where tiles have been replaced with silicone. After a period of time they become drummy and loose. Silicone will work as an adhesive, but not where water is involved. After a period of time silicon looses its adhesion where water is involved. Especially in the photograph above, where there is a gap that needs to be filled. Youd fill that with silicone? yeah, right, that would look great and give even greater possibility for water penetration. If the building in question is more than twenty years old, more than likely there is no waterproofing. And if there is,and the tiles come off cleanly, then the waterproofing wont be compromised. Re: repairing broken tiles? 10Mar 12, 2010 2:58 pm Do you have a fish tank? Do you use silicone in gutters? Do you use silicone in pool light surrounds? Silicone will not break down in water..... When use in a very thin layer it will not shear and has great strenght. i even silicone tiles face to face- glaze to glaze and to seperate them u need to smash the tiles. Used correctly it is fine. I guess we must agree to disagree. cheers Re: repairing broken tiles? 11Mar 12, 2010 3:00 pm Oh and if you read above they have the two pieces so you will not need to fill it all in with silicone....I'm not that silly to suggest that. Re: repairing broken tiles? 13Mar 13, 2010 9:18 am Quote: Do you have a fish tank? Do you use silicone in gutters? Do you use silicone in pool light surrounds? Fishtanks have a frame which locks the silicone into place. Gutter joints need rivets to hold the siliconed joints together. Without the rivets, the two lengths of gutter will eventually pull apart as the water penetrates through the silicone, much like the tiles in a bathroom. Pool lights have securing screws, which lock down the frame of the light surround to the light frame. If silicone were used alone it would loosen and water would penetrate the silicone. Without something to hold two objects in place ie. rivets or screws, silicone would lift due to water penetration. Re: repairing broken tiles? 14Mar 16, 2010 10:33 am Your argument is based on the silicone breaking down in full emersion. Well it does not in none of the reasons you have given above. It is not being used in a load bearing application - but in a shear application (not thick) silicone has immense bonding strength. It is holding two small pieces of tile on a wall. You state "silicone will not work as an adhesive when water is based" - in the applications you have noted above is the silicone not still adhering to a base? - and then subject to water. I agree it is not load or pressure bearing. Cheers Re: repairing broken tiles? 15Mar 16, 2010 6:33 pm Silicone doesnt need to be immersed in water to fail. But exposure to water, like in a shower will eventually penetrate cause the tiles to become drummy and loose. I see it often, where people have tried to use it in showers etc. to fasten tiles. Silicone used to seal around baths and shower screens eventually fails and begins to loosen and peel. I have an investment property and tenants moved out recently. 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