Repair a Broken Soap Holder in the Shower

[Bulli]

A couple of years' ago, one of my kids (4 or 5 at the time) was swinging on the ceramic soap dish in the shower. Of course, it snapped off.

I've since:

(a) tried to fix it with 2 part araldite (didn't work),

and then

(b) ignored it, putting one of those stainless caddys that hang from the shower rose fitting.

Ignoring it has worked remarkably well, but as I'm in the middle of a bit of a laundry/toilet renovation, I'm thinking I should fix a couple of things up in the shower up as well.

The soap dish is one of those things that is attached at the time of tiling, and takes up about 50% of one tile space, that is, the base attached to the wall is flush with the surrounding tiles, and the break is lateral, across the line of the drain hole.

My question is, is there a product that will work well on this fitting and appropriate for a wet space? I'd rather repair than replace if it's possible. The closest thing I've seen is Bostik 2 part epoxy called Titan Bond (http://www.bostik.com.au/pdf/datasheet/bostik_titan_bond.pdf).

I suspect though that after such a long time, water may have well and truly penetrated into the dish.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers,

Bulli

[DPB]

My daughter had the same problem in a shower stall in her house and asked me to fix it.

I carefully removed the existing broken dish and replaced it with a new one. It was not as easy as this sounds. I had to remove all of the grout surrounding the soap dish. I did this with a Dremel and grout removing wheel. I then deliberately broke the remaining portion of the dish with a few carefully aimed hammer blows. Then I struggled with various tools to break the bond of the tile adhesive. Unfortunately this tended to remove the top paper layer of the wall-board to which the dish was glued. This worried me a little, but I think my fix will last. I cut a piece of plastic bag a Little larger than the area of the board that lost the top layer.This I glue with water-proof glue as a patch. After this dried (that took 24 hours, as the plastic formed a barrier keeping the air away), I covered the whole opening with tile adhesive and inserted the new dish. Then I re-grouted the dish.

That was about size months ago. I checked it out the other day, and it seems to be a permanent fix.

[Trav]

Bulli

I agree with DPB. You're better off replacing the whole thing.

Carefully scrape out the grout, remove the old fixture, check to make sure waterproofing is OK and then glue in the new soap holder. Once it is dry, re-grout. Too easy.

Just make sure that the wall behind the tiles isn't asbestos. It is in a lot of canberra homes.

Trav

[zenwood]

A couple of years' ago, one of my kids (4 or 5 at the time) was swinging on the ceramic soap dish in the shower. Of course, it snapped off.

I've since:

(a) tried to fix it with 2 part araldite (didn't work),

and then

(b) ignored it, putting one of those stainless caddys that hang from the shower rose fitting.

Ignoring it has worked remarkably well...
I've followed exactly that path, and am where you were at the end of the quote. Think I'll stay there for a while though. Be interested to know how you get on.

[Robert WA]

If the claims it makes are true, Pratley new formula 123 quickset may be worth a try.
According to its blurb, it will stick just about anything to anything else, "permanently". At $6 a pack you have little to lose.
On instructions from LOML I bought a pack from my local hardware shop. I haven't used it yet, am still waiting to be told what I bought it for.

Rob

[mic-d]

Yep, replace the tile as others have said, just scrape out the grout and knock the tile out with a cold chisel.
To DPB, you have plasterboard behind the tiles in the shower?... Scary...:)
CHeers
Michael

[Jacksin]

I have replaced soap holders by, very carefully making several small cuts in it with an angle grinder with a diamond blade (one without the serrations). Dust everywhere, shut the door open the windows.

Starting from the centre chip out the soap holder using a sharp small cold chisel, or an old screwdriver, carefully breaking out small pieces at a time, cutting and chipping, working out to the edges. Then clean out the grout.

If you start at the outer edges cleaning out grout etc you stand more chance of chipping neighboring tiles.

This is not a job for impatient, heavy handed, amateurs but it can be done.

[johnc]

I would definately replace, however Selleys have a porcelein repair product that works OK on this stuff. It acts as a gap filler as well and can be sanded and cut with a sharp chisel or knife blade. Comes in white only and to be honest you would always be looking at an avarage repair job. The araldite may make bonding difficult and would need to be cut back. The later does not have the ability to expand and contract enough to withstand movement in a number of applications.

John.

[scooter]

Bulli, no advice for you, but...

You know you're getting old when the real reason for the soap holder in the shower breaking is the kids swinging on it ;)


Cheers mate.................Sean, ah, the old days :)

[Fat Pat]

G'day,

many years ago I had to actually effect this self same repair job. At the time I was advised to use an adhesive called "Unifix". Well actually I was told to "Use the glue with the BULLDOG on the can", as it was in response to my enquiry to an ABC radio home repair program.

This stuff, if it is still available has "Body" to it, so that when you glue the new dish into the space, it can stand proud of the wall a little (after you have scraped all of the former adhesive/cement out of the hole). Worked exactly as advertised, and 5 years later it was still hanging on, no problems at all. I've moved since, but the new owner has never mentioned that it has fallen off, so it must be OK.

Trickiest part is matching the new dish colour with the existing tiles, and getting the exact shade of grout.

Oh, and a small and sharp cold chisel + very patient/careful operator helps too!

[trafalgargirl]

So I was cleaning my exboyfriends shower yesterday and I think the mold was actually holding the soap dish in the wall. He wants me to fix it - which normally would be no problem for me -- but would love some advice.

The tile area is around it is undamaged - but when the dish fell the top cracked (it seems to be a clean break so I'm thinking crazy glue).

Are there any specific steps that I need to take?

Thanks

sherri

[ivanavitch]

sherri
He wants WHAT??? He must be an EX boyfriend because of the car accident that left him a quadraplegic, and he wants you to get on with your life.

otherwise
Buy some KY jelly (on his creditcard.. buy some new tools for yourself while you are at it) and leave explicit instructions on how soap holders can be mounted in alternate places.

Get a new boyfriend.

[Trav]

Hi Sherri - welcome.

But if you absolutely have to fix it, use a two part epoxy to fix it together. Or, better still, buy a new soap holder and fix it in, then regrout the area.

Trav

[julianx]

I've replace a few of these with very good results. Like jacksin said cut with a grinder first then chip it out. Make sure you wear safty glasses though, broken tiles are sharp.

[lnt9000]

If the soap dish is glued to villa board then remove grout and apply heat to the dish with heat-gun and peel off(no mess), however if its glued to plasterboard or they have used a cement based adhesive this won't work.