Accessing bathroom box behind tiles

[RookieTony]

Dear DIYNot forum members!

Would you be so kind and help me figure out how to get access to the pipework behind this enclosure? Can you tell from the picture what method of access should be used?

Thank you in advance!

Best regards,
Anton

 

[Murdochcat]

I would suggest that there is no access without making a mess.

Why do you need access?

 

[RookieTony]

Boiler is being moved into this location. I just wanted to prep open as much as I can to help the person doing it

 

[ktuludays]

A hammer will give you access. Then it'll need making good and retiling

 

[RookieTony]

I don't have much of an experience, but I am thinking of grout removal blades for multitools, gentle removal of tiles, etc. Nobody else has any other ideas apart from using a hammer?

 

[pcaouolte]

If the tiles have been fixed properly, there will be nothing gentle about their removal.
They are not going to come off in one piece unless someone came up with a clever idea to give you access to that box when the tiles were installed.
A multitool grout removal blade will only penetrate a couple of inches from the edge of the tile at best, when you try to lift the tile it will snap.

 

[ktuludays]

If the tiles have been fixed properly, there will be nothing gentle about their removal.
They are not going to come off in one piece unless someone came up with a clever idea to give you access to that box when the tiles were installed.
A multitool grout removal blade will only penetrate a couple of inches from the edge of the tile at best, when you try to lift the tile it will snap.

100% this. Save yourself some time and accept they're going to need smashing off. They're very likely to be ceramic and will snap off in pieces.

They look like a fairly plain white tile so shouldn't be hard to find replacements.

 

[RookieTony]

Thank you for sharing your experience! Based on what you may have seen before, what do you think is behind the tiles? Is it plasterboard, metal, wood?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It will be plasterboard, cement board or plywood or a combination of. Impossible to tell until you start breaking through.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Look for sealant in place of grout. If found, remove sealant to gain access.

 

[RookieTony]

Thank you all! Will try to come up with some clever way of getting access!

 

[RookieTony]

Used grout removal + wood multitool blades and a suction cap. Not enough access to do any serious work, but more than enough to help assess what's inside (electricals, gas, water).

 

[ktuludays]

How are you going to support the back edge of that tile when you refit it?

 

[DiyNutJob]

How are you going to support the back edge of that tile when you refit it?

Gluing on a batten is certainly doable. But, someone might stand on it to reach something.

 

[HERTS P&D]

I always advise customers that there should be no tiles on top, just a peice of marble that can be lifted off for any access.

Andy