# Bath accessories vs. thick tile



## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

OK all you tile "goo-roo's":

What to do with the towel rack, tp holder, shelves, soap dish/handle when the tile is thick?

I have some 7/16" tile which I really like. We can call them 1/2". I did one bath and all the accessories were problematic because instead of having the accessory overlap the "hole" for it, I had to have a joint all around the accessory. This is because the accessories are designed to work with about 3/16" tile.

What do you guru's think about laying out the walls with the correct size hole for the accessory to overlap the tile, then filling the hole a bit with thinset and letting it set up, then coming back and filling the hole again with thinset and thrusting the accessory into the hole (keep it clean)?

This would give me a more professional looking installation. I just don't know about building up the thinset that much.

Would it be better to just leave the hole clean on the initial installation and come back and fill the hole, put in the accessory, and tape the accessory to the wall? This would be all one application of thinset, not thinset on thinset.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Edited *Never mind, was thinking these were metal accessories


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## bazemk1979 (May 20, 2009)

are these the typical towel holder,soap dish that you have to cut out the tile and install them with thin set.If thats the case,then try this:

Make your self a mider from the tile itself or some plywood,make the mider in L shape for the dept of the lets say the back of the soap dish and figure out another 1/8 deeper for the thin set.

Then buy your self a wallmud,mix the wall mud with MP thinset for good bonding,spread the in the already cut out hole and run the mider that you have already made and it will give you the desired depth,kinda like building up.

Dont have pic to show you of the mider,but I have this pic that shows that I was building between travertine with wallmud and thinset mixed in order to install the 1/8 thick glass tile.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I'm dumb. I'm not understanding the problem. :confused1:


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I'm thinking "mider" means "spacer"?

Colonel-the towel rack, soap dish, etc. is designed to go over thin tile.

I have thick tile.

Hence the problem.

I'm looking for some spacer or a way to build up the thinset, or maybe just fill the entire hole with thinset. 

I think bazemk suggests to fill the space with some tile or plywood.

Can you dig it?


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

So you have stuff that attaches like tile:










What's behind the tile? CBU, waterproofing?


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## bazemk1979 (May 20, 2009)

cleveman said:


> I'm thinking "mider" means "spacer"?
> 
> Colonel-the towel rack, soap dish, etc. is designed to go over thin tile.
> 
> ...


If the fixtures looks like above that angus posted the pic,as you can see in my previous post pic you can see the mud that I builded between the travertine in order to install the thin class mozaic tile to be flush with the travertine.

I did made a mider in L shape in order to do that,but here is something iven more simple.install the tile,cut out the desired holes on the tile for the fixtures,and since the tile is thick as you say 7/8,make cuts from durrock that will fit the holes that are cut out on the tile,add some liquid nails on the durrock cutouts and drill them in the cut out holes.

The durrock will give you another 5/8 build up and that should be plenty for later on when you install the fixtures with thin set,that should be around 1/4"-3/8 max build up with thin set if you follow this procedure.

EDIt: Forget about the mud build up,the durrock should be much more simple to follow.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

If I'm reading correctly, you have 7/16" but the accessories are for 3/16" tile. That leave 1/4", right?

If you use 1/4 CBU, you'll have to match the 7/16". You'd need to keep the thinset buildup from the tile installation the same as the accessories. Probably could be done but it will be close.


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## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

heavily back butter with unsanded grout so that it oozes out.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

OK, thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'll let you know how I come out.


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## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

If you only need to build up a quarter of an inch, thinset should work just fine. If you don't feel comfortable, use some medium bed. Then just tape 'em up while they cure like you mentioned previously. I've never had a problem doing this.


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## opiethetileman (Apr 7, 2005)

PROBLEM SOLVED.........LATICRETE 310 epoxy...............if the dish have a lip for the tile i dont see the problem


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## Groutface (Jan 20, 2011)

opiethetileman said:


> PROBLEM SOLVED.........LATICRETE 310 epoxy...............if the dish have a lip for the tile i dont see the problem


Or just use surface mount if u can get them!


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