As you can see, the plumbing was run and fixing the tile was to be accomplished at a later time when resources would allow. "Resources" can take many forms like, money, time, materials, or even know how. (click on photos to enlarge)
I was tasked to make this repair and the initial plan was to remove the entire tile and fit it by cutting the tile down the middle but carving out just enough tile around the piping although I always have discretion to do what I think is best and most efficient.
The escussions were rusted and needed replacing so I cut them off. I then cut a piece of paper and with a pair of scissors cut the paper to fit about 1/2 over the size of the hole. A soft lead pencil was then used to trace the hole to make a template. You can use a sewing needle to then punch holes in the line of the pattern about every 1/4 inch around the template. Place the template on a piece of tile you plan to use in the repair. Use a black "Sharpie" and scrub it over the lines and the sewing pin holes. Hold the template firmly but lift it from time to time to be sure the Sharpie ink is making your repair design on the surface of the tile.
Now you can cut out the basic shape with a wet saw or a diamond angle grinder. I was able to do all of this with a 4 inch angle grinder with a diamond blade including shaping it into the part to fit almost exactly. I added a slight concave to lessen the visible cut lines of the tile repair.
After grout, although this was from my inferior cell phone camera, you cannot easily see the repair. You would have to know it was there to find it.
When you have a damaged tile all is not lost, there are ways and means to fix things.
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