LESLIE: Alright, our next caller needs some help patching up I guess a damaged ceramic tile floor. Now we’ve got Lynn in Texas. How can we help you?
LYNN: I have the ceramic tile and it seemed like there was a blister on one of the tiles and it popped.
TOM: (overlapping voices) OK.
LESLIE: Hmm.
LYNN: It’s been down about three years but it left an open place; a little hole that’s about 1/2-inch in diameter, just about a 1/16-inch deep. I’m afraid that it’s going to get very stained because it doesn’t look good, so is there anything I can do to fill it and seal the surface?
TOM: What color is the ceramic tile?
LYNN: It’s so – oh, kind of about a brick color; it’s dark.
TOM: Well, actually, that could work for you because what you’re going to want to do is get a touchup paint. Now, there are a couple of different ways you can go here. You can use a touchup paint that’s used for cars. You can go to an auto body store like a Pep Boys or a place like that. You can get a car touchup paint – which is a very durable, usually epoxy-based paint – and you can touch it up with that.
You could also – because it’s dark-colored I don’t know if you’ll be able to find this but they have an epoxy paint for kitchen appliances, too, but I doubt you’re going to find it in a dark color. So you may want to stick with the auto body idea first or the auto parts store first because I think you’ll find touchup paints in wide varieties of colors there. And if you can’t – if it’s sort of motley, go darker and lighter and sort of dab them on together side by side to create the pattern.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Mm-hmm, mix them together.
LYNN: Oh, OK.
TOM: And that’ll seal the place where the glazing broke off so you won’t get dirt in there. And you know what? If you do a good job, it may be completely invisible.
LYNN: I hope so. Thank you.
TOM: (overlapping voices) Alright, well give it a shot. You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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