How to Replace a Porcelain Soap Dish
Porcelain soap dishes are commonly installed in tiled showers and tub walls. The soap dish is installed right along with the tile and is sized to fit a 4-by-4-inch tile pattern. Because these soap dishes usually protrude into the shower or tub area, instead of being recessed, they can get broken easily. These soap dishes also have a wash cloth bar at their tops, but some people use that bar as a hand hold and break the soap dish. Fortunately, these dishes are easily replaced. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bathtub protection product
- Grout cutter
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Putty knife
- Tile mastic
- ¼ inch notched trowel
- Replacement soap dish
- Painter's tape
- Bucket
- Grout
- Water
- Paint stirrer
- Sponge
Instructions
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1
Install a bathtub protection product according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively you can lay a blanket or other padded material over the tub and place plywood pieces on top of it to protect the tub.
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2
Cut the grout all around the soap dish with the grout cutter. The grout is the material in the lines between the soap dish and the adjoining tiles. Be careful not to chip or damage the surrounding tiles while doing this.
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3
Chip the old soap dish off the wall by putting a chisel behind it and striking it with a hammer. Be careful not to damage the surrounding tile. You may have to remove the soap dish in pieces, as it may chip apart as you separate it from the wall. Use caution not to gouge the cement board base behind the soap dish. Keep the chisel flat and at a slight angle.
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4
Scrape off the old mastic (glue) using the putty knife. This material is in ridges in the gap where the soap dish was. Make the surface as smooth and level as possible.
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5
Apply a layer of mastic to the gap. Make this approximately ¼ inch thick. Set the short side of a notched trowel at one side of the gap, angle it 30 degrees, and drag it through the mastic to create ridges. Remove excess mastic at the sides, top and bottom of the gap.
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6
Place the new soap dish in the gap and center it, making sure the distances between the sides of it and the surrounding tiles are the same all around.
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7
Place tape vertically and horizontally across the soap dish and extending at least 4 inches onto the neighboring tiles to hold the dish in place while the mastic sets up. Follow the mastic manufacturer's directions for how long to wait before moving on to the next step.
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8
Remove the tape applied in Step 7.
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9
Mix the grout with water in the bucket, following the instructions on the package. Allow it to set until a haze forms on the top, approximately 10 minutes.
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10
Moisten the sponge, dip it into the grout, and work the grout into the gaps all around the soap dish. Once all gaps are filled, rinse the sponge well, wring it out and wipe lightly over the whole area to remove excess grout.
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11
Remove the tub protection and allow the job to dry 24 hours before using the tub or shower.
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Tips & Warnings
Take pieces of the old grout and the old shower dish to the store to match the colors when you're buying the new material.
Consider buying a new soap dish that does not have a wash cloth bar.
Wear safety glasses when you remove old grout and the old soap dish.
Wear a dust mask when you mix grout.
Mix grout outside, keeping your face upwind of the bucket.
