How to Update Wall-Mounted Ceramic Tile Accessories
Protect the Work Area
Protect your bathroom from tile chips and dust. Lay drop cloths on the floor and countertop and use plastic sheeting to cover the vanity and any fixtures.
Always wear safety glasses and work gloves when removing tile- ceramic can crack unexpectedly and create extremely sharp fragments.
Remove Ceramic Fixture
Using a scoring knife, carefully cut the grout around the built-in soap dish, toothbrush holder, towel holder, or other wall-mounted tile accessory. Take your time with this step. Removing as much grout as possible from the joints will make prying easier and reduce the risk of cracking adjacent tiles.
Insert a pry bar into the grout joint by tapping it gently with a hammer. Then apply gradual pressure to the pry bar to release the ceramic fixture from the wall.
Once removed, use a chisel scraper to remove any remaining adhesive, old mortar, or grout from the tile surface.
Measure and Plan for Shelf
Measure for the ideal shelf size. The shelf should completely cover all damaged areas, and consider if you would like it centered with the vanity. Also, make sure the shelf clears any other fixtures, such as outlets or a faucet.
A shelf can be purchased that matches the desired dimensions, or you can create a custom one as Nathan did. Nathan built this shelf from quarter-sawn white oak and finished it with warm satin polyurethane. He added brass shelf brackets, small hooks, and a jewelry rack.
Shelf Layout
Nathan pre-drilled mounting holes to his shelf. To do this, measure and mark two mounting points that are an equal distance from the center. Pre-drill the holes and countersink them so the screw heads sit flush with the wood surface. This will ensure a clean, finished look.
Apply several strips of painter’s tape across the wall where the shelf will be installed. This will give you a surface to write on that’s easier than tile and won’t leave marks.
Find the centers of the shelf and the vanity to determine where the shelf’s center should sit once installed. Mark the tape.
Then determine the shelf’s height. You’ll want to position the shelf so the top edge isn’t directly on a grout line. Otherwise, a visible groove will form where the shelf and wall meet. Use a framing square and a torpedo level to draw a horizontal line where the top of the shelf should sit.
Hold the shelf up against the wall and line it up with the marked center line and horizontal line. Then mark the two mounting hole locations on the tape through the pre-drilled holes. A long nib marker is useful to easily mark through drilled holes.
Predrill Into Tile
Since you’re unlikely to hit a stud in this location, wall anchors are essential. Nathan used Toggler Alligator ¼” all-purpose flanged wall anchors, which are specifically designed for tile over drywall. These anchors will open and expand out in hollow cavities once a screw is inserted.
Before adding the wall anchors, predrill your marked locations with a carbide-tipped tile bit of the size specified by your wall anchor packaging. Set your drill to low speed; going slow is crucial when drilling tile to prevent cracking.
Install Wall Anchors
Insert the wall anchors into the drilled holes. Tap them gently with a hammer until they’re flush with the tile surface.
Mount the Shelf
Align the shelf with the holes and drive in the screws into the installed anchors.
Nahtan chose solid brass screws instead of standard screws that were included with the wall anchors to match the gold tone of the shelf’s decorative hardware. These small details create a cohesive, high-end look.
Tighten the screws carefully, but don’t overtighten. For a polished appearance, align all screw slots in the same direction with a screwdriver.
Additional Project: Covering Towel Bar Holes
If you’re also removing an old wall-mounted ceramic towel bar that left holes on your tile, Nathan’s solution was to install decorative towel hooks on small quarter-sawn white oak backplates. This approach completely covers the old mounting holes while adding a stylish, updated look that coordinates with the new shelf.
Materials
- Drop cloths
- Painter’s tape
- Plastic sheeting
- Long nib marker
- ¼” all-purpose flanged wall anchors
- 10 x 2-½” solid brass flat Phillips screws
- Quarter-sawn white oak lumber
- Warm satin polyurethane finish
- Solid brass decorative wall-mounted shelf brackets
- Wall jewelry organizing bar
- Square brushed gold towel hooks
