How to fix cracked tile in shower?

[ennoh]

My son has a cracked tile in his shower - the tiles are beige in colour.  I read another post and all the answers given by Bunnings staff and the solutions given were either white epoxy pastes or CPC Shower Plug.    Do the epoxy pastes come in clear versions?  White on beige would look pretty sad.    Shower Plug, which is clear, got a good rap but its 3 times the price.   If one of these products is far better than the other, then I would recommend the better one.

[ennoh]

here's a pic

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ennoh,

This is one of those situations where it helps to separate a cosmetic fix from a proper repair.

With a cracked tile in a shower, the correct long-term solution is to replace the tile. The risk is not the appearance of the crack itself, but water getting through it and into the substrate and waterproofing membrane underneath. Once moisture gets past the tile layer, it can lead to swelling, mould, or failure of the waterproofing over time. Tile replacement can be more involved because removing the tile can disturb the membrane, which is why people often look for seal-over options instead.

In terms of the products you mentioned, epoxy repair pastes do not come in clear. They are generally white or grey, so on beige tiles they will always be noticeable. They can physically fill a crack, but they are not a perfect colour match and they are not designed to make a cracked tile disappear visually.

Shower Plug is clear and does look better on coloured tiles, but it is important to understand its purpose. It is designed to seal grout and tile surfaces and can bridge very fine, hairline cracks. It is not designed to structurally repair a cracked tile. If the crack is wide enough for water to penetrate, Shower Plug on its own is not a guaranteed solution, even with multiple coats. It is more of a surface sealer than a filler.

As a temporary approach, you could fill the crack with a suitable repair product first, accepting that it will be visible, and then seal the entire area with Shower Plug to help reduce water ingress. This is still a temporary solution and not something that can be guaranteed long-term. The epoxy and Shower Plug options are really best seen as short-term or stop-gap measures rather than a true fix.

Please let me know if you hvae any questions.

Mitchell

[ennoh]

My son has only recently bought his house and had envisaged doing a bathroom reno in a few years.    If cosmetic considerations is disregarded, would the epoxy pastes be OK until he renovates the bathroom?    

[MitchellMc]

It's a bit hard to give you a definitive answer, @ennoh. The epoxy pastes are not specifically designed to withstand the rigours of use in a humid, wet area such as a shower. It might last 3 years, or you might have to repair it again within that time frame.

Mitchell