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How do i get these screws out of the tiled wall?

Hi team

How can I remove these screws (possibly wall anchors) from the tiled wall?
This is in a shower and there was previously a soap holder there which broke.
I cannot make them budge with a screw driver. I have tried using a drill but it also doesn’t move them - when I drill one of them, the other one also moves and the drill slips/skips. As it is a wet area I assume it has rusted/corroded behind the tiles.

any ideas on how to can get these out without damaging the tiles?

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karinas

These are the screws I took out of another wall in the same bathroom (these were outside the shower so not rusty). Assuming they could be the same thing. These were easy to remove as not rusted. No plug that I could see in the wall - just a washer.

MitchellMc

Hi @karinas,

If a screwdriver and drill aren’t able to move the screws, it’s likely they’ve seized due to rust or corrosion behind the tiles, especially in a wet area like a shower. At this point, I’d suggest using a pair of locking pliers, such as Vise-Grips, to grip the exposed part of the screw. Make sure to clamp onto the actual screw head rather than the small brass finial, as that brass piece may just spin freely and won’t help with removal. Once the pliers are locked on tightly, try turning the screw out.

Locking pliers give you much more torque than a screwdriver or drill, which can often break the screw free from the rust. If the screw won’t budge and ends up snapping off, that’s still progress. You should then be able to remove the washer and finial, and use a rotary tool like a Dremel or a metal file to carefully cut the remaining screw shaft flush with the tile. Just take care not to damage the tile surface in the process. Once it’s flush, you can decide whether to cover it, patch it, or mount a new fitting over the area.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

karinas

Hi Mitchell

thanks for your reply.
unfortunately the screw head is very much inside the finial and I can’t grab just the screw head.
The screw head does move with the finial when I move the finial but it doesn’t actually unscrew out of the wall at all. It moves a little bit in an anticlockwise direction but gets to a point where it stops and if I release my grip, it springs back to the position it was originally in (like how elastic springs back, and when I do turn it, it feels like there is something elastic causing resistance).

MitchellMc

Can you force it past the point where it stops, potentially snapping it, @karinas? That's the only thing I can think of that might get us further. Alternatively, you could cut the end of the head/finial off, which should allow you to slide the finial off and then cut through the screw thread close to the wall. Ideally it would be best to try and back the screw out.

Any chance you might be able to capture a slightly higher quality image for us? The original is quite fuzzy.

Mitchell

karinas

MitchellMc

Thanks for that, @karinas.

I'd cut the head off just behind where the brass section slims with a hacksaw. Slip the brass section off, exposing the screw thread. Clamp on a set of Vice Grips and give it a real good turn anti-clockwise. It's either going to snap the screw or turn it in the fitting allowing it to back out.

Let me tag @Dave-1 and @Noyade for their thoughts.

Mitchell

Dave-1

Good Evening @karinas

@MitchellMc has you on the right track, and your description of how it turns up to a point and then wants to snap back reminds me of trying to screw into a wall that has insulation within it. The screw gets wrapped around the insulation and it acts like an elastic band, sounds eerily like your description.

@MitchellMc suggestion of hacksawing the screw off is also how I would go, but I wouldnt be trying to remove it, I would be then using a centerpop or a Pin tool Craftright 3 Piece Nail Set Punch to push it into the wall, If there is insulation trying to pull it out with the shaft wrapped around will still be problematic plus the butterfly part of the screw may still be attached (Just a guess, with the springiness I dont expect the screw to be into solid wood)

Just a note of caution with the centrepop around tiles, make sure the centerpop is only on the shaft of the bolt/screw.

Dave

Nailbag

Hi @karinas

Basically what @MitchellMc is suggesting is to use this hand-held vice grips on there outer rings and then use a hacksaw to cut through the middle section. Its not going to be easy going buy worth the effort. Hopefully once cut through your can use something like a centre punch to push the internal remaining bolt in to the wall cavity .

Nailbag

Screenshot 2025-05-31 at 9.32.05 pm.png

The above gentlemen are a hell of a lot smarter than me @karinas.

It took me a while to figure out we're talking about expansion toggles.

Being somewhat lazy - I'd go with a pair of bolt-cutters - and cut that middle section of brass. The remaining brass and washer will just come away. Using a pin punch push the remaining bolt into the wall cavity.

Please let us know how you get on.

Cheers.

Nailbag

Hi @karinas

I just re-read your initial post noting they spring back in when you try to undo them. So, I suspect that they are a combination nylon expansion fastener with an internal nut at the end, which is either cross-threaded hence why they don't come out and instead spring back again.

The issue with using a hacksaw is potentially the bolt is simply going to roll back'n fourth with the blade, especially if you try and cut it between the fixture and the tile. My other concern is that you will damage/scratch the tile in the process. But its probably the best place to make the cut as per @MitchellMc first suggestion.

I would use this type of hacksaw but put a bend at the point it extends past the handle. It only needs enough so you can operate the saw without the handle and your hands in the way. The blade won't break as it's bi-metal and allows a reasonable amount of bend.

Failing this, you might need a friend or local handyman competent with an angle grinder.

Nailbag

Screenshot 2025-06-01 at 5.12.09 pm.png

Dave-1

Good Morning @karinas

Just a note of caution if you try bending teh screw shaft, the tile may not handle it to well and crack oryou could cut yourself 😕 Been there and done the second lol The bend would nake it easier to cut for sure. The hacksaw blade removed from the hacksaw ia what I am talking about with a rag wrapped over the hand end (make sure you have the teeth going the right way) I am hoping there will be enough play in the gap between the brass and the tile to fit the hacksaw blade.

Dave

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