I had a ceramic tile floor installed in my Flagstaff, Arizona kitchen 10 years ago by contractors who may not have leveled the floor properly. It is beginning to crack in high traffic areas, such as near the sink and stove. Should I have the whole floor pulled out, leveled, and redone, or can individual tiles be replaced?
Abby C. ~ Flagstaff, Arizona
If you can find an exact match to the tiles you used ten years ago, sure you can replace the tiles on the floor, but chances are it is going to re-crack the tiles and or the grout joints. If the floor was poorly prepped for tile you are going to get reoccurring problems in certain areas, usually the high traffic areas. For a lasting fix on the floor I would suggest tearing out the old flooring, and beginning the new floor installation on a flat floor surface with a properly installed underlayment/crack isolation membrane. If it is done properly, it should be the last floor you will ever have to install.
