Soap Dish Repair advice needed - Ceramic Tile Advice Forums

meower70 · 12-09-2006, 11:00 AM

I bought a 70 year old house and the soap dish fell out - looked like someone tried to repair it before and did a poor job 'cuz the mortar/adhesive was all powdery.

I cleaned away the adhesive (or whatever they used) and found a hole in the backing (attached picture). In fact, the backing appears to be a wire mesh with mortar hand-troweled over it, then some sort of cementious backing board over that. I guess the brown spots are water damage?

Terrbile draft coming through the hole, too, so I guess the fiberglass behind there is not doing it's job very well.

How do I approach this repair and reinstall the dish and tile?

Jaz · 12-09-2006, 12:31 PM

Hi,

If you had white thinset mortar I would have recommended that to set the dish. But, you probably don't? The following will work great and it is a one step process.

First of all try to shove some insulation in there with a screwdriver or something. Get some white unsanded grout powder, no pre-mixed. Mix nice and stiff, apply several bogs to back of fixture and push into place. Take more grout and finish the edges, wipe off excess after 10-15 min. Do not disturb overnight or longer. When using grout to adhere, you usually don't even have to tape it up until it dries.

Jaz

tilelayer · 12-09-2006, 01:43 PM

jaz, looks like you and me are the only ones that use this method to install fixtures on this board.

Jaz · 12-09-2006, 01:59 PM

Derrick,

I don't know why hardly anyone is aware that unsanded grout has good stickin power? When I do walls, I only install corner dishes while installing the tiles. I install soap dishes and towel bars after grouting, if I'm using unsanded grout that is.

Jaz

Davy · 12-09-2006, 02:37 PM

I realize thousands have been stuck with grout and held up fine but I use thinset to stick soap dishes and towel bars, alot better sticking power than grout. I've seen too many fall out that was bonded with grout. I'll never forget the job I subbed out, the soap dish fell off and chipped the bathtub, you got it, he stuck it with grout.

I did have one fall off that was stuck with thinset, the painter stood on it and it pulled the mud and all off the lath, kinda like the picher shows. Grout won't hold that good.

Jaz · 12-09-2006, 02:51 PM

Maybe so Davy? But I've set hundreds with grout since the mid-80's and have yet to hear of one failing. Most lately are set with thinset 'cause sanded grout was being used. I first dampen the back of the fixture, I usually also drill or punch a few holes in the backup to form an anchor. There is no way that sucker is coming off.

In the old days most fixtures were mudded into the wall instead of being adhered onto them. Sometimes plaster of paris or other fast setting fillers were used.

Jaz