Tile an Access Panel??

[Newmantjn]

Hi;
I have two bathrooms that are back to back. The access panel for the other shower is in the bathroom I am redoing. Per the picture below the shower in the other bathroom is in red, the proposed tile area in the new bathroom is in blue, the access panel area is in green.

The access panel is small, about 9" x 12" or so. It is located right at the floor.

I'm kind of wondering how to handle this:
1. Try to make an access panel and tile it to "fit in" (suggestions???)
2. Tile over the access panel it is very small, located right at the floor and only provides access to shut off valves, you couldn't actually service much from there anyway.
3. Stop the tile at the corner by the tub - this is how it was before.
4. Somehow make it a cleaver "feature" (suggestions??)
5. Something else you might think up??

Thanks for the help.

 

[Newmantjn]

To sort of make the whole process a little more fun, my wife thinks we need a subway tile layout. Sort of like bricks.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DougB]

You could make the panel out of plywood, use magnets to hold it. When you tile over - cut the tiles at to fit the panel. Instead of grout, use caulk around the panel.

https://www.prosourcecenter.com/pro...el/?Item=100&gclid=COr9u6-m6s8CFQqpaQodBEUGmw

 

[Reach4]

How about an access panel covered by artwork, calendar, shelf with a back, etc?

 

[Jadnashua]

Is the actual access panel in what is considered a wet area? If so, it's not a great idea! While it won't allow much moisture, neither tile nor grout is considered waterproof.

Schluter makes a system specifically for a tiled access panel, but it is not waterproof.

http://www.schluter.com/schluter-us/en_US/Profiles/For-Walls/Schluter®-REMA/p/REMA_R

 

[Newmantjn]

No need to be waterproof. In fact, there didn't used to even be tile in this area. It would only go about half way up the wall. I'll look into the schluter thing. The challenge with the picture you show is that the pattern would be like this

 

[Erico]

I'm a big proponent of access panels when at all possible. If they make sense.

I have one in my walk in shower but have never needed it. It's behind a raised panel wall in the bedroom - held in by pin nails. Don't know if I would bother if it caused my tile work to not look right or caused me trouble.

What can you get at from an access panel you can't get at from the shower side?

Drain? Maybe. If you have a fiberglass pan.

Leaky pipe? Maybe. If you get lucky and the leak is accessible in the relatively small panel.

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, nothing says the access panel needs to be a rectangle! You'd still want to use whole tile, though.

 

[Newmantjn]

FWIW, nothing says the access panel needs to be a rectangle! You'd still want to use whole tile, though.

Yes, I'm starting to think along those lines. I can probably make something magnetic work. It probably won't be perfect. The bad thing about that particular location is that people will spend a lot of time sitting and studying it, if you get my drift...

 

[Jadnashua]

One suggestion I've heard people use, is to use the magnets, but then use grout colored caulk around the seam. It makes it harder to get inside since you have to cut through the caulk, but if you're lucky, that may not be for decades (assuming you remember it's there in the first place!).

 

[Newmantjn]

One suggestion I've heard people use, is to use the magnets, but then use grout colored caulk around the seam. It makes it harder to get inside since you have to cut through the caulk, but if you're lucky, that may not be for decades (assuming you remember it's there in the first place!).

I like that. May do something along those lines!!