Tile missing. How do I fix this?

[Joe G.]

Hello world.

I am a DIYer and I am having a hell of a time trying to fix this.

It is a hole right on the shower valve, but the backerboard (or in this case, drywall) is also out.

I was thinking getting a couple pieces to wood to hold the drywall together so I can eventually stick the tile piece back on.

Does anyone have advice on how to go about this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Reach4]

No access port on the other side of the wall?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Joe G.]

Not where I can reach it

 

[Smooky]

As you know you have to create some backing. Clean up the drywall around the edge of the opening. The strips need to be glued in place and you will need a flat surface. You need strips on the outside to tie to while the glue dries. Play around with different thickness and lengths before gluing everything in place.

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, drywall has no business being behind the tile in a shower (unless it's used in conjunction with a tested and approved surface applied membrane - there are only two of them that are available - Schluter's Kerdi and Latticrete's HydroBan sheet). Whatever you do will be a Band-Aid. Drywall, especially near the tub surface, tends to turn to mush over time.

If you want it to last awhile, I'd get a piece of cement board, cut it to size, figure out how much it needs to be recessed from the surface of the tile, screw a piece of wood to it maybe with some washers to get it tight, but at the desired depth, then using a good sealant (KerdiFix comes to mind), get the edge covered well, slide it in place (it will be tough since it's square, you have to put it in on the diagonal), then, tape that temporary stick to the tile's surface and let it cure (at least overnight). Then, you can remove the stick, and install the tile with thinset, then grout it.

If you have a few replacement tile, you might remove the one above and below that hole, while trying to keep the drywall intact, then use a stick behind the filler piece that's long enough to allow you to screw into the intact drywall both above it and below. Fill the gap around it, then tile, leaving the stick there as a reinforcement.

 

[Dj2]

I would remove at least one more tile, to make room to insert a backing to go from the nearest stud on the right to the nearest stud on the left. Your problem would be to secure the backing to the studs. You might have to use an expandable support (similar to a ceiling fan support) instead.
Once you have the support in place, you will have to address the waterproofing issue, before you can start with the drywall/CBU and the tiles. Remember: drywall is not a good surface to bathroom tiles.

I encountered similar situations before, when replacing faucet rough ins from the tile side, when there was no back access available. Never had a problem.

Check johnbridgeforum, you might find other solutions there.