How to Repair Damaged Flooring
Of all the types of floor/covering, tiled finishes can be the easiest to repair, since individual tiles can often be lifted and replaced. The way you do it depends on whether the tile is hard or soft and on how it has been secured to the floor. Even damaged carpet can be patched effectively, but care needs to be taken to avoid further damage to surrounding areas.
Ceramic and quarry tiles
These are among the most difficult tiles to replace, as first you will have to chip out the old tile. Drill a few holes in the tile with the biggest masonry drill you own, then use a club (spalling) hammer and cold chisel to chip out the tile, making sure you do not damage the surrounding tiles. Chip out all old adhesive or mortar from under the tile and grout from the edges.
Lay some new tile adhesive for ceramic tiles or mortar for quarry tiles and push the replacement tile gently into place. If it is not flush with its neighbours, lift it quickly and add or remove adhesive or mortar as necessary. Clean any excess mortar or adhesive off the face of the tile and leave to set before making good the gaps around the tile with grout for ceramic tiles or more mortar for quarry tiles. If re-laying several tiles, it helps if you make up some small spacers.
Mosaic timber tiles
There are two ways to replace these tiles. One is to lift the whole tile, which consists of four groups of timber strips, and replace with a new one. First drill or chisel out one strip and then lever the rest of the tile from the floor. The second method is to remove just the damaged strip or strips and glue in replacements taken from a spare tile, pressing them into place with a block of wood.
Carpet tiles
These are designed to be replaceable, so if you stain, burn or damage one in some other way, you have not ruined a whole carpet. Sometimes, the tile can simply be lifted and a new one put in its place, but some carpet tiles may be held down with double-sided adhesive tape, which will need replacing with the new tile – do not try to reuse any old tape.
Soft floor tiles
Most soft floor tiles – vinyl, cork, lino and rubber – are replaced in the same way. First you have to soften the adhesive holding the tile in place, which is best done with a hot-air gun, starting at one corner and gradually peeling the tile back. This becomes easier once you can direct the hot-air gun beneath the tile. An old chisel can be used to remove any remaining adhesive. Check that the replacement tile is an exact fit.
Some soft tiles are self-adhesive, requiring only the removal of backing paper, while others require a separate adhesive. Always add the adhesive to the back of a replacement tile to avoid staining the other tiles. With the adhesive in place, or the backing paper removed, hold the tile against the edge of one of the surrounding tiles and lower it into place. You may only get one attempt at this, so take care to get it right.