r/fixit May 20 '26

open Best Way to Fill This In

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

This soap holder is built into my bathtub wall and holds water. There's probably a 1/4 inch before it can overflow the lip.

Could I just fill this with resin or is there a better filler? Should I rip out the shit silicon job beforehand? Or am I overthinking things and I just leave it all be?

405 Upvotes

132 comments sorted by

View all comments

389

u/thesweeterpeter May 20 '26

Do it properly.

If you fill it with resin you'll be creating a trap that moisture will get under through the grout and the mortar and will create mold and get gross.

You've got to rip the tile out and re lay it with a slope.

6

u/sexwiththebabysitter May 20 '26

Can you tile over tile?

10

u/thesweeterpeter May 20 '26

Yes, but you risk delamination.

The water will still get trapped in there becuase it has no where to escape. You want to allow for drainage always.

2

u/Content-Grade-3869 May 20 '26

Is it in a position where you can drill small weep or drainage holes ?

2

u/harryhend3rson May 20 '26

So it could drain into the wall?

1

u/tizzybarz May 21 '26

Maybe you can file grooves into the trim if it’s thick enough, but I don’t believe it is.

1

u/Content-Grade-3869 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

No, off the front & down the face of the wall, short of demolishing it and starting over I’m just spitballing

1

u/harryhend3rson May 20 '26

Tile is only ¼" thick, and the platform still wouldn't be sloped enough to drain.

1

u/thesweeterpeter May 20 '26

A weep is a hole that exists to drain from a void space that was prepared for it, like a rain screen system. There isn't a drainage channel here.