Our bathroom floor has those little 4x4 ceramic tiles—unglazed, grayish blue with years of mop water in the cracks—and one finally cracked all the way through right in front of the sink. Super doesn't have spares, obviously. I refuse to retile the whole floor for one broken tile, but I also don't want to live with a little crater collecting toothbrush drips.

Do any tile stores around here sell a single lousy tile, or do I need to bring a chisel and hope a neighbor is renovating? I know there are places in the 20s near 10th Ave but I'm not trying to open a trade account or drop a minimum. If you've ever matched an old 4x4, I'd rather hear "yeah, you're screwed" than waste a Saturday.

I had a similar thing in my bathroom in Queens! Is your tile flat on top or kinda ridged? I didn't know they made unglazed 4x4s until I tried to replace one. Home Depot sells singles but they were all glazed and too white. A local hardware store told me to google "ceramic tile single no minimum" so that wasn't helpful. Have you checked if your building has a janitor's closet with old spares? Our super lets me peek sometimes. Sorry not real advice, just following.

Following too, because my co-op bathroom has the exact same issue, but two tiles are cracked near the tub. I found a loose one in the back of the coat closet when I moved in, but it was the wrong thickness by like a quarter inch. Do you actually have to match thickness, or can you just butter it up with extra mastic? I tried a place on Flatbush and they said they'd sell me an open box, but the girl showed me something that was way more white-gray than my bluish tile. So now I have a sample that's part of my kitchen junk drawer.

firstwinter, basement here is locked, but I got a look once—no tile, just old paint cans and a dead mop.

big_city_beth, yeah thickness matters if it's not lippage you want; you can build it up a little with mortar but a quarter inch might be pushing it. Unglazed 4x4s are usually pretty uniform thickness though.

My own update: I went to a tile place on 10th Ave around 24th after work. They didn't blink at "I need one." They pulled out a broken box and two samples. One was too gray, one was too teal. The color matching is the real hustle. Bring the cracked piece or a piece that popped off. They told me to look at the edges too—old ones sometimes have worn edges, new ones are too crisp.

Wait, they actually let you into the broken box pile? That's huge. I asked at my local hardware store and the guy looked at me like I was asking for a left-handed paintbrush. So do you just show up with the broken piece in a ziplock? Did they care that you don't have an account? Also EastHarlem_E, was the place called something obvious or just one of those storefronts with tile samples in the window? I might try it this weekend.

@firstwinter right? The small store experience is either "sure, take one from the extra box" or "we don't sell to the public." There is no middle. I ended up cleaning up the broken pieces and keeping the best one in my bag for comparison. I learned the hard way not to just say "it's blue." You have to wave it around in daylight. EastHarlem_E, did they recommend any mortar? I have a tube of something but I'm scared it'll stain the edges. Also, is it supposed to look slightly proud of the old tile until it settles?

firstwinter, yes—just walk in with a bag. They're glad to offload a single tile; it's not like they can sell a broken box full. Don't be too proud to say you're a tenant and you need one tile. If they're busy, wait. I'd avoid calling because they'll tell you "come in with the sample."

big_city_beth, use unsanded grout around it if the joints are tight. Don't use a big tube of construction adhesive unless you want it to squeeze up. I set mine with tile adhesive and pushed it down with a folded towel and three heavy books overnight. It's not perfect but it's not the crater in front of the sink anymore. The one I got is like one shade darker, but honestly once the bathroom light is off, nobody knows.

Ok I took a sample from under the sink (there was a little 1x1 piece loose!) and went to the tile place. The guy held it up to the wall, handed me a 4x4 from an open box, and charged me basically nothing. I installed it with some pre-mixed adhesive from a tub. It looked too mint under the bright bathroom light but the next morning with the warm bulb it matched closer. Thank you EastHarlem_E. I'm already eyeing a cracked one by the tub now. Does anyone know if you can dye grout or do you just pretend not to see it?

Found one too. There's a salvage place near the Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border that keeps bins of loose old tile in the back. They weren't organized at all, so bring gloves and a ruler. I got two 4x4s that are maybe slightly too thick, but I used a medium bed mortar and it's fine. My only warning: don't try to scrub the new tile with the same rough sponge as the old ones at first. I took a little color off the edge and now it looks more antique, which I'm calling character.

EastHarlem_E, thanks for the unsanded grout call—made a huge difference. New problem: the old grout is beige and mine is light gray. Do I just wait for it to get dirty?