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A Match for a Dinosaur

Tub tiles were discontinued, so how do you patch a hole?

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

February 6, 2003

Q. I replaced an older tub faucet recently and in the process damaged about six tiles. I thought they'd be pretty easy to replace, but now I can't find them anywhere. I've looked around and have been told they are discontinued tiles. They're 5 inches by 7 inches, and one supplier told me this was a dinosaur size. The rest of the tile is in great shape, as is the backer board. Do you have any suggestions? - B. Branigan, Smithtown

A. You do have a problem. Every time I install tile, I make sure to get an extra box or two, just in case. I store them in a safe place and hope I never have to use them. (I'm wondering why your builder didn't install an access panel to your tub faucet or why you didn't create one yourself? This panel usually is found on the wall behind the faucet and allows access from an adjoining room or closet. Creating such a panel enables repair or replacement of a tub faucet while preserving all your tiles and your tile backer board.)

Since you don't have extra tiles and you've been unable to find a match in size, you might try to match the color, then cut 5-by-7-inch rectangles to match. You'll need an exact color match and a good wet saw, otherwise the new tiles will stick out noticeably.

Another suggestion is to contact Allan Kniess, director of the Restore project for the Suffolk County Habitat for Humanity (www.hfhsuffolk.org or 631-924-4966, ext. 111). This project accepts donated building materials, sometimes tile that is no longer being made, and sells it to the public. Money generated from the program is used to buy new materials and build homes. (Restore also takes donations of many new and near-new items, including appliances, Kniess says.)

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You also could try to design a decorative insert for that wall. Dozens of decorative tile inserts are manufactured, and perhaps a pattern of several new tiles could be used to give your shower wall a touch of flair. This might mean removing some other tiles along the same wall or the other two walls, so you can develop a consistent design.

You might even try searching for tile on eBay. But unless you have the lot number and color code, you'll be searching for a needle in a haystack.

Finally, you might find a small company that actually makes replacement tiles. Usually, these companies are involved in historic renovations, but you might get lucky. I found one such company, American Restoration Tile in Little Rock, Ark. (www.restorationtile.com; 501-570-0300). Owner Bryan Byrd makes replacement tiles of many shapes and sizes. His specialty is unglazed porcelain tile, the kind used in older, historic homes. But he does replicate glazed ceramic tile. Send him a sample; it can be nicked and damaged. But he needs a shape and color to work with. "It's no charge to look at a sample," Byrd says. If Byrd makes the tile, the initial fee is $150 to match the color, then individual tiles can run as little as $5 each.

Update

The columns on my tub wall project generated a lot of mail, which leads me to believe collapsing wallboard behind ceramic tile is quite common.

Most of the feedback involved my selection of a backer board. I used Hardibacker 500, a half-inch waterproof backer board of fiber cement. Several types of new backer boards are being manufactured - from DenShield, a product with a gypsum core from Georgia- Pacific, to Wedi Board, a foam board from Germany with a cement coating. The bottom line is that you shouldn't accept greenboard as a tile backer for tub and shower walls. Most cement backer boards are only slightly more expensive and harder to work with than greenboard. But the expense and extra labor are worth it; these backers are built to withstand water.

Virtually every tile association on the planet recommends against using greenboard on water-bearing walls. So, no matter what tile contractors tell you, tell them you want a backer board specifically manufactured for tub and shower walls. (Remember, this goes for tile walls. In some one-piece tub-and-shower wall installations, including solid acrylics, greenboard is recommended.)

If you are doing it yourself, literature on all the backer boards should be available at home centers and lumber yards where they are sold. Follow all manufacturers' installation instructions.

And, to keep your tub and shower walls dry, be sure to regularly maintain the caulk and grout. The gap between the tub or shower and the wall should be recaulked, in some cases every three or four months. Also, regrout worn areas and, if necessary, replace loose tiles. A little maintenance will keep your shower wall standing for a long time.