Tile floors are getting more and more popular. In Panama, just about every building, home or office contains tile floors. This popularity is due to both tiles looks and durability.

However, tile floors are not indestructible. And sooner or later, if you have tile, you may have to deal with a crack.

Fortunately, tile can be repaired, but only if you can find a matching tile. So, it pays to have your contractor leave you a few extra if at all possible.

If you can't find an exact match, you are going to have no choice but find one that is as close as possible. Your other option would be to replace several tiles and try to make an interesting pattern.

But, either way, the fix is essentially the same.

The first thing you need to do is determine the cause of the crack. Obviously, if you dropped something on the tile, that will be easy to determine. However, if a crack appeared on its own, the cause may be a little less obvious.

It could be due to settling of the house or foundation. Or it could have been caused by a disturbance that you were not aware of. Either way, you need to find and fix that first.

Next, you have to remove the grout that is surrounding any of the damaged tiles. Make sure that you look closely at any tiles near the obvious damage, since they may be cracked as well.

Remove all of the grout using a grout removal tool.

Next, using a hammer and chisel, chip out the damaged tiles. Be very careful not to damage any of the surrounding tile.

After the tile is removed, scrape out all of the adhesive to make a nice smooth finish. If any of this is left over, your new tile will sit higher than the surrounding tile and look very obvious.

Do a "test fit" of your new tile. It should sit level, and slightly lower than the rest of the tiles around it.

Once it is test fitted, it is time to apply the adhesive. Using a technique called back buttering, spread a thin coat of adhesive on the back of the tile. Then, apply a dot more in the center and on each corner.

Press the tile into place making sure that it is centered, level and at the same height as the surrounding tiles. Clean up any "extra" adhesive and allow to dry.

After the repair has dried fully, you can apply the grout. Use your wrist to push the grout tightly into the spaces between the tiles. After applying the grout, go over the tiles with a damp (not wet) sponge to remove excess grout. You will probably have to wipe the tiles about 3 times to get them clean.

Repairing a single cracked tile is a fairly straight forward procedure if you have matching tiles. The most difficult part is determining the cause of the crack, if you weren't around at the time.

You just need to follow the steps of removing the old tile, and inserting a new one.

However, repairing a cracked tile can be difficult if you don't have a matching tile, so you should always try to be prepared with a few spare if possible.

There is no need to live with a cracked tile. It can be repaired quickly and easily either yourself, or by a trained contractor.