Tile work in shower

[mater]

The tile soap dish came loose in my shower and needs replacing. Has anyone done this as I am not a tile person? I need some tips. Thanks

[Hellrazor]

I think they are just set in place with thinset.

[JR]

I think they are just set in place with thinset.

That's right. You might chip a litttle of the old thinset, to make room for the new bed of mud. Dampen the area with a sponge before aplying the thinset. Try not to put so much mud in there that it oozes out the sides. If that does happen, try to clean it out of the gap between the soap dish and the surruounding tiles.

Then you'll need a matching grout. I've had good luck buying the tubes of pre-mixed grout. Just work it in the gaps, cleaning up a with a damp sponge.

It's an easy fix. Go for it.
JR

[JimD]

You will want to use latex modified thinset. It is much stickier. Thinset with the latex added dry is alot cheaper than thinset plus separate liquid latex. Grout may not match exactly regardless of what you do. Trying some first would be a good idea if a small mis-match will bug you. The color will be different dry than it is wet. You have to attach the tile - or soap dish in this case - one day and grout the next. If the grout is white, you can also just use silicone caulk instead of grout but it won't match exactly.

It also matters what is behind the tile. If it is wall board - green is a bit better than white but only a bit - you want to seal everything REALLY well and still I would expect the tile to fail. Tile should always be set on concrete board in wet areas but it doesn't always happen. Eventually a little water gets past the grout and the wall board starts to break apart.

Jim

[mater]

Thanks for the info guys. I got in on and after it dries I will grout it.