How to fill holes in tile?

[SelinaKyle]

 

 

I bought new bathroom fittings to replace the old ones before I sell. But when I started removing the old fittings I found holes like this. 

I have read that using an epoxy putty is best, so that I can drill a new hole to mount the new fittings. Using a putty seems impractical since the hole is 1cm at the widest point and I can’t fit my fingers in to push the putty into all the areas. 

how am I best to go about this and what products would you recommend to get the job done?

[JacobZ]

Hi @SelinaKyle,

Where exactly in the bathroom are these holes? Are they in a direct wet area, such as your shower enclosure or in a splashback behind a vanity?

If they are in a wet area, then it would not be a simple case of filling the hole, as the waterproofing membrane would have been damaged. I'm guessing they aren't, but I thought I'd double-check just in case.

Unfortunately, there is not going to be a fantastic way to fill these holes, as there is a full-height cavity behind the hole. In normal situations, you would widen the hole so you can add a backing material. With tiles, this isn't really an option.

It's not a perfect solution, but you could use Builder's Bog, which is a two-part filler that sets as hard as timber. Mix it up and push it into the hole using a Pro Renovator 38mm Plastic Scraper. As there is no backing, you will have to push it sideways into the side of the tile and the fibre cement sheet behind it.

Once dry, you can sand it flush with the tile, then drill a pilot hole through it to install a Hollow Wall Anchor. 

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[SelinaKyle]

Thank you for your response JacobZ. 

You are correct this one is a not in a wet area. It is the towel ring for a hand towel above/beside the toilet sink. 

There are two fittings out of 12 that are in a wet area. The soap dishes in each shower. I have only taken the one fitting off so far so I have no idea if the soap dishes were installed differently to the rest. 

I will have a look at the product you recommended for those that aren’t in wet areas. Do you have any knowledge of PC-11 White Epoxy Paste? Would that work if I have the same problem in the wet areas?

[JacobZ]

Hi @SelinaKyle,

Realistically, you shouldn't be using a filler product in a wet area at all, but I suppose the PC-11 56g White Epoxy Paste would be about the best you can do.

The problem I have with both the PC-11 and Builder's Bog is that you can't apply any considerable amount of tensile strength to them, so when you tighten an anchor, they may crack and fail.

Having had another look and a good think, I think your best option might be to fill the hole and install Green Wall Plugs while the bog is still wet so that the bog sets hard around the plug. You can then drive the screw into the green plug to hold the fixtures in place.

As I mentioned before, it is not a perfect solution, but it is about the best you could do without removing the tile and replacing it.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[SelinaKyle]

Thank you very much for your help

[SelinaKyle]

Just thought I would update on how this repair went. 

I chose to use PC-11 marine epoxy paste for the repair because it is water resistant. 

I firstly sealed the back of the hole of the cement board with silicone. After that dried, I poked a hole with a pick and pushed in a wall plug that my screws would eventually go in. 

Next I mixed up the PC-11 epoxy paste and loaded it into a syringe. I squeezed the epoxy into the holes and smoothed it over with a plastic paddle pop stick. Then cleaned up any epoxy with alcohol wipes. 

I let that dry for two days and the cut off any ends of the wall plug protruding from the wall and sanded down the epoxy. 

Lastly I was able to mount the new bathroom fittings. For the two that are in showers, I converted the area with wet area silicone before screwing in the wall plate for the fittings. Then covered the wall plate with more silicone and put some inside the fittings before attaching the fitting. Then cleaned up any silicone that squeezed out on the wall. I did this to make sure there was little to no chance of water getting into the wall and also to stop the screws and plate from rusting like the old fitting.