How to remove soap holder and replace with a tile?

[diy_vvv]

 

I’m looking to remove this soap holder and the small rectangle of tile beneath it and replace it with a spare tile I have. 

Is this possible?

How would I go about it?

Thanks!

[Jason]

Hi @diy_vvv,

Apologies for the slow reply. Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts are all in transit at the moment so there will be a further delay before one can assist. 

In the meantime, let me tag a few experienced members to see how they would tackle this tiling job: @Jewelleryrescue, @Nailbag, @Dave-1, @homeinmelbourne.

Jason

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @diy_vvv 

Now this is a harder one the you would expect 😕

As soon as you start cutting into the grout to remove the tile you are putting a hole into your waterproofing and all the associated problems that can come from that. However having something on the wall thats going to cause head knocks/catches or just be a pain is also not great.

Removing the tile without damaging the board behind and the surrounding wall....

Hesitating as I can see a larger issue being created 😕 by cracking the surrounding tiles or damaging the waterproofing membrane.

Using a sharp knife, score the grout out from between the tiles, try not to cut too deep but you probarlly will. 

The next part is going to be time consuming, you need to somehow remove the tile /soapdish without using too much force. Id suggest to remove the small tile first, maybe even tapping the tile with a pointed hammer or center pop so it cracks (after you have removed the grout from the edges) Then gradually remove the cracke pieces by levering with a small hard flat head screw driver. Once the small tile has been removed then id use a fine hacksaw blade (width wise more so then teeth wise) and gradually work it up under the soap dish sawing as you go. Patience is what this step will be. The more patient the less chance of damaging the surround wall more so.

Safety specs are a must, thicker gloves also as you will be handling broken tiles and believe me they are sharp!

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @diy_vvv 

Thanks for sharing your question about removing your soap dish from your wall. It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1. Technically you'll need to break the soap dish into small pieces in order to remove it from the wall. A classic tiler's technique is to wrap the soap dish in a thick towel and use a hammer to break the lip of the soap dish. Once you have the lip broken off put the broken pieces into the bin and put the towel back onto the front of the remaining soap dish tile. 

Using short tapping strokes aim for the body of the soap dish going in a circular direction. When the body cracks use a flat head screwdriver to lift the broken pieces off the wall. You then apply the same technique to the small half tile at the bottom of the soap dish. Just remember to keep focused on the tiles you need to remove and to avoid hitting the surrounding tiles.  

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your project. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @diy_vvv 

I have had to perform this task a few times and as @Dave-1 mentioned it's not as easy as it appears. The first step is to remove the grout around the dish, so that when you break it, there is no outward pressure to potentially damage adjacent tiles.

With an old bath towel on the floor, next step is to simply break the dish with a hammer and nail-punch. Just gentle taps is all thats required to crack and break off smaller controlled pieces of larger ones. I have a cheapo sacrificial chisel I use, which can then help to lift and remove the pieces off the wall. Ideally you want to just remove the dish first and slowly make your way through the old adhesive stopping before it reaches the waterproofing. Just take your time in the process.

Nailbag