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How to fill gaps around replacement vanity?

Hello,

I was hoping to get some guidance. I have recently done a superficial renovation to my bathroom. The vanity that my wife purchased is just slightly too small for the area created for the previous vanity. I wonder what kind of products that i can use to fill in the gaps of the wall and floor. The wall tiles sit about 10mm from the back concrete wall, the two sections on the wall measure 55mm and about 40mm. The floor section is about 20mm deep and has a gap of 35mm.

I do have the original tiles at the house but it would require them to be primed and painted that same natural white colour which seems like a big job for all the size of the gap so i would like to avoid this if possible.
Really keen to hear what the very helpful community here could advise. Thanks guys

Stephen

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EricL

Hello @slennon

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your vanity installation.

The only material that comes to mind that can withstand the heavy moisture in the bathroom is Easy Mix 20kg White M4 Mortar combined with NatureScape 20kg Aussie White Construction Sand. The technique I am proposing is to use the https://www.bunnings.com.au/james-hardie-2-88m-villaboard-lining-2400-x-1200-x-6mm_p0714174 and divide the sheet into 4 sections and use three of those pieces as a filler/footing for the vanity.

Trim the sheet so that it is just roughly big enough to support the vanity bottom. Join them together using Liquid Nails. Fill the flooring gap with the Easy Mix White. Please note that the white finish of the mortar will not match the finish of your tile. I recommend using the same technique for the side gap. I propose using 1 of the cut sheets and then use the mortar to fill the gap.

Let me call on our experienced members @Nailbag, @Dave-1 and @Noyade for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Nailbag

Hi @slennon

It comes down to what you are willing to accept interns of finish. If your looming g for a patch job, then. what @EricL would be a good solution. Personally, I would spend the time and finish the job properly as I don't see it as that big of a job compared to the mucking about and expense of what might appear top be a quicker easier solution.

Nailbag

Dave-1

Good Evening @slennon

@Nailbag has it, I think the effort involved with a patch job will actually be more then fixing properly. Either that or look for a slightly larger cabinet :/ In fact the more I look at the cabinet and the spacings the more I head towards a larger cabinet to cover the areas.

Dave

slennon

Hello folks,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The bathroom in question will be a low traffic area mainly for the kids. I would be leaning towards more of a decent patch job so i can avoid having to get a tiler in to help.
Yes getting a new larger cabinet would have been great but unfortunately i trusted my wife’s measurements and cracked on with drill hole sawing the cabinet into place so will be unable to return it at this stage.
Is there a wooden wedge that i could maybe silicon into the gap of the floor? I do like the idea of sticking that suggested sheet onto the wall. Could the edge of that be siliconed to the tiles or how would I get that edge to match nicely? Thanks again folks.

MitchellMc

I’d strongly recommend stepping away from the idea of trying to “patch” this with timber or filler, @slennon. In theory, it sounds like a quick fix, but in practice, it almost always ends up looking obvious and unfinished, and it can create a much harder problem to undo later.

If you start introducing a wooden wedge, filler, or trying to silicone a sheet or edge into the tiles, you’ll end up with a mixed-material finish that won’t properly match either surface and more importantly, it makes it significantly more difficult to ever return the area back to a clean tiled finish in the future. It essentially locks you into a workaround rather than a proper repair.

Realistically, the cleanest and most durable solution is to have a tiler come in and reinstate the tiles properly. For a small area, a professional tiler could usually sort it in a day, and it would look like nothing ever happened once it’s done. In fact, even re-tiling that section yourself would be far less frustrating and more forgiving than trying to fabricate a hybrid patch between materials.

So while I understand the desire to avoid bringing someone in, in this case, I’d strongly lean toward a proper tile repair rather than trying to build a workaround, as it will actually save you time, effort, and compromise in the long run.

Mitchell

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @slennon

I was just thinking of a plastic edge like copping but @MitchellMc's words are true. Then I thought "ok will have a look" and all of a suddern I thought of another solution.

Bring the cabinet forward by 50mm (about 10mm past the edge of the tiles. You will need to support under the cabinet and also create a waterproof backing to the top behind the cabinet but it would be far easier then any edging to do.

We all make mistakes measuing :) My caroenter mate asked me for a length of 1100mm and I said sure, dropsawed a piecs and he looks at it, looks at where it goes and looks at it again…. by this point I knew something was up…. yep, 100mm exactly too short…. hahahahha It happens :)

Dave

slennon

Hey Dave,

yes that could work for the bottom on right hand side. Although would that then create a gap at the back with probably the same unfinished tile finish as it would have been on the other side? Haha yes it happens to the best of us.
Thanks for the response Mitch, I may have to bite the bullet and get it sorted fully. Had done the majority of it myself and was hoping to finish it that way but i may have to admit defeat.

R4addZ

@slennon

This isn't as hard a tiling job as it first seems. When a house is being built, the cupboards go in first and the tiler has to cut round them. In your case, simply move the cabinet out of the way, remove any cut tiles then replace them with full tiles (also extending where full tiles don't go far enough and also under where the vanity will sit so it stands level) then put it back and silicone round it to seal it. You don't have to do all the space under the vanity, just where it will contact the floor, so any offcuts you may have or even non maching tiles (must be the same thickness) will do.

MitchellMc

I definitely wouldn’t see it as defeat at all @slennon, as it’s actually the smart call. Going down the proper tiling route will give you the best result both visually and in terms of water resistance, and it ensures the finish matches the quality of your new vanity. Anything short of re-tiling at least the visible areas is a pretty big compromise.

As @R4addZ pointed out, it’s also not as difficult a job as it might first appear. In fact, trying to patch the gaps is often more fiddly and frustrating and you end up dealing with inconsistent joins, different material thicknesses, and trying to make everything look intentional when it isn’t. Tiling, on the other hand, is much more straightforward: adhesive, tiles down, then grout.

If you were keen to do most of the renovation yourself, this is still very much within reach, and I’d encourage you to give it a go. You might find it’s actually simpler (and far more satisfying) than trying to engineer a workaround. Here are a couple of helpful guides: How to lay floor tiles and How to tile a wall.

Mitchell

slennon

Thanks guys for the advice. I might just give it a craic myself and see what happens, my wife will be thrilled with that. Haha

A wise man once said:

Don’t be afraid of a 6 month home renovation. Those 12 months will be the most fulfilling 2 years of your life.

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