apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's a fairly simple job to handle, but it does require the right tools including: replacement tile, safety glasses, carbide-tipped scoring tool, painter's tape, drill with ceramic bit, trowel, thinset mortar, and grout.

Step 1: While wearing safety glasses, remove the grout around the tile with a carbide-tipped scoring tool.

Step 2: Adhere painter's tape to the edges around the tile. Loosen it using a drill with a ceramic bit.

Step 3: Chisel out the broken tile pieces. You can use a screwdriver if you don't have a chisel.

Step 4: Use a trowel to spread a layer of thinset mortar in the empty space and another thin layer on the back side of the tile. Set the tile and wait 2 hours for the mortar to cure.

Step 5: Fill the joints with grout, wait for the grout to set a little, and wipe the tiles clean with a sponge.

Step 6: Don't walk on the tile for one day, giving it time to set.

Click here for the illustrated step-by-step with detailed instructions.

Photo: William A. Boyd for This Old House