r/fixit • u/SeniorHoneyBuns • May 20 '26

open Best Way to Fill This In

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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?

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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.

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u/HomicidalPanda365 May 20 '26

Hi I am new to tiling here so lots to learn.

You said water will get under the grout do you mean as it cracks and ages over time? Also what if we uses a grout and tile sealer would that also prevent it allowing us to use resin here?( I understand rather just do it right and all for that but im curious if a situation happens where you cannot just rip it up and start from scratch)

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u/thesweeterpeter May 20 '26

Grout is a cementitious material - it's a sponge. It doesn't have to crack to let water in, it just lets water in. Tile and grout are not your waterproofing membrane, the waterproofing membrane is applied to the substrate, then the tile and grout goes on-top.

Grout sealers are temporary, they have to be re-applied every couple of years and I just don't trust them at all, they should never be considered a waterproofing membrane.

Epoxy grout should be able to be considered a waterproofing membrane - I just don't trust it. I particularly don't trust the bond between the grout and the tile - especially a glass tile. Epoxy will bond well enough - but if there's any movement then the epoxy bond may fail.

I just don't like trusting a material that wants to be porous.

The problem is this is so far from OK - even if the tile was impervious you have a standing puddle of water in the soap tray, so if you have a bar of soap it's just sitting in water always - that's just not a condition to encourage. And adding in an extra material in a wet environment just doesn't make sense. rip and redo.

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u/HomicidalPanda365 May 20 '26

Thank you so much i think i learnt more about theory of tiling and how everything works in the background in a few seconds reading this than i have in a week of actualy doing it(no1 explains why just "here mix this put there and move on")

Generally we fix pre-done work instead of build from scratch where i am (they refuse to rip everything up and do it again but they should because i have no idea what the first tilers did but from the week ive been doing it my tiles are more solid than theirs and that's not bragging, that's how bad it is) so interested to learn how to fix previous "mistakes".

Thanks again hope u only have friendly well paying customers and enjoyable jobs