Can Floor Tile Be Reglazed?

Associated Costs

• The costs are one of the biggest reasons to look at reglazing your tile floors. While the exact percentages vary depending on things like your local cost of living as well as the square footage and extra work required, as a general rule you can expect to spend 60 to 80 percent less on a reglazing project than you would for a full-on new tile installation. This does not take into account demolition, which costs extra.

The Reality of Reglazing

• Understand that tile reglazing is a whole-area process. You cannot simply reglaze an individual tile, as that is not how the system operates. Professional reglazers come in and completely fill in the old tile installation and resurface the whole area for a completely new look and feel. If you are looking to replace just a couple of tiles you can manually remove them, because otherwise you have to do the whole floor at once.

Short-Term Investment

• The life expectancy of a good reglazing job is anywhere from 10 to 20 years. While this is far less than what you would expect of a professionally installed tile floor that can last for 50 years and beyond, it is usually sufficient given the lessened cost of the process. If you cannot afford a new tile installation, reglazing might be your best bet, although the lowered price tag comes with a shorter life span.

Hands of a Pro

• Installation realities are often hard to deal with if you are someone who likes to do everything yourself, but understand that tile reglazing requires specialty equipment and training that do-it-yourselfers lack. If you need your tile floor reglazed you have no other option than to hire a professional to do the work for you, because you cannot undertake this task on your own.