How to hide old drill holes in ceramic tiles

Many homeowners never try to hide drill holes in ceramic tiles because they don't know what to fill the holes with. Common household repair products such as paintable caulk or drywall mud are unsuitable because of their tendency to shrink. A two-part auto body putty will effectively fill holes in ceramic tiles without shrinking. Matching paint hides the putty by blending it in with the surrounding tile colour.

Blow all loose debris out of the holes in the tile with your mouth. Wipe the tile clean with a wet dish rag.

Dig a golf ball-sized portion of two-part auto body putty out of the can. Place it on top of a paper plate and squeeze a 3/4-inch line of hardener onto it. Mix the two substances together with a putty knife until the mixture is a salmon-pink colour.

Press the putty into the holes in the ceramic tiles with the broad side of the putty knife. You may have to apply several coats until the holes are full. Allow the putty to overlay the surface area surrounding the holes by 1 inch.

Allow the putty to set up to a rubbery consistency, and then scrape the excess putty off the tile with a razor blade. Scrape at a 45-degree angle. Avoid gouging the putty out of the holes.

Wet a piece of 600-grit sandpaper and sand the puttied holes smooth. Dry the tile with a paper towel.

Follow the colour-matching instructions that came with the ceramic touch-up kit, available at home improvement stores, to mix up a colour that matches your ceramic tile. When you find the best match, paint over the puttied holes with the kit's applicator brush. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.