Removal of metal soap dish holder from glass tile.

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donaldam

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I am replacing three metal soap holders and a toilet paper holder in a bathroom. The current ones are mortared in, with the frames resting on the tile (so the mortar is behind them). I need some advice about the best way to remove them without damage to the tiles, which are essentially irreplaceable. I was thinking of using a cutting wheel to separate the inside from the frame so that I have better access to the area where the frame is sitting on the tile, but wondering if that's the best approach, as well as how to proceed from there. Thanks.

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I would bet that they are not mortered on look under them for a screw that holds them to a mounting plate.
 
nealtw said:
I would bet that they are not mortered on look under them for a screw that holds them to a mounting plate.
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I'm sorry, meant to mention that there are no screws at all, so you lose that bet.
 
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It's been some time but I encountered one where the two arms that hold the roll actually unscrewed.
 
They ran a line of silocone under the outside edge and stuck it there. Run a knife around the edge.
 
Back with an update and response to the above posts. It appears that it is grout rather than thinset/mortar behind the outer frame, definitely not silicone (house built in '42). I have been working on one of the units with a razor blade in a holder, but it's slow going, no sign yet of any loosening. I have replacement soap dishes that are exactly the same size.
 
Well, they are all out of the wall. They were thoroughly mortared in, so my initial idea to cut just inside the frame (where the holder curves back into the wall) and then just above the soap area was the only way to remove them. Here's a pic of the result of that step. After removing the top portion I carefully flexed the bottom back and forth until I could push it inward to break the bond with the mortar.
Now the challenge is that whoever cut the original hole did it such that it's only about 1/8 inch larger than the units, and because the mortar is no longer there I'm going to have to make a flush surface for secure mounting. Often half my work in a project is dealing with someone else's mistakes.

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donaldam said:
Well, they are all out of the wall. They were thoroughly mortared in, so my initial idea to cut just inside the frame (where the holder curves back into the wall) was the only way to remove them. Here's a pic of the result of that step. After removing the top portion I carefully flexed the bottom back and forth until I could push it inward to break the bond with the mortar.
Now the challenge is that whoever cut the original hole did it such that it's only about 1/8 inch larger than the units, and because the mortar is no longer there I'm going to have to make a flush surface for secure mounting .
Click to expand...

I few ideas, what would like to have when done?
 
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