tiled access panels

[Tom]

Hi all - the tilers are in and no one seems to have thought about access panels, they'd happily tile all the boxing in and leave all the tap tails, cistern feed etc inaccesable when the inevitable happens in the future. They have suggested some tile magnets to hold a tile in place over an access hole cut in the tile backer, but these just seem a bit flimsy to me ( https://www.tileexperience.co.uk/schluter-rema-magnets-set-of-4 )- I can just see the tile coming out and smashing. There also seem to be tileable access doors out there eg https://hidex.co.uk/product/tile-access-panel/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5rGuBhCnARIsAN11vgSoBLQb5k0FhQZCjExM8FNxxlVGr8fO2PXCEnC9uu-MKE-dhaam7QQaAuKKEALw_wcB . Any real-world experience of either of these things?

Cheers all

[Jilly]

I worried about this too and had them make tile sized access holes with the magnet things. It caused a lot of huffing and the builder insisted on making a ply backboard to take the magnets, when the instructions said use a tile only. It's too heavy, and doesn't work well, so I think a tile alone would have worked, but I'm not quite up to sorting it out myself. 

I would try to design a door in somehow as it's a nightmare if you get a leak.  

[Bonner]

I used similar magnets to hold a tile on a backing board but I also sealed it in with colour matched silicone, so no danger of it falling out. Of course it needs a knife running around the seal if I need access.

[Moonshine]

I used cheap one from ebay which comes with a metal plate the tile get fixed onto.

Works well.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221350995319

Edited February 14 by Moonshine

[Tom]

Thanks for the input folks. I've had to park the idea for now as the tilers have managed to cock up the cut out around the shower controls so need to sort that one first. 120x120 tiles are going to have to be hacked of the walls and redone. FFS. Does any trade, EVER, not cock it up? @nod @Nickfromwales et al. excepted of course....

[nod]

9 hours ago, Tom said:

Thanks for the input folks. I've had to park the idea for now as the tilers have managed to cock up the cut out around the shower controls so need to sort that one first. 120x120 tiles are going to have to be hacked of the walls and redone. FFS. Does any trade, EVER, not cock it up? @nod @Nickfromwales et al. excepted of course....

There’s plenty out there But largely unsung 

[marshian]

On 14/02/2024 at 20:06, Bonner said:

I used similar magnets to hold a tile on a backing board but I also sealed it in with colour matched silicone, so no danger of it falling out. Of course it needs a knife running around the seal if I need access.

 

I've done the same in the past (but in one room I drilled the tiles and then screwed them to the boxing (and used colour matched screw caps) and grouted the tiles normally (easy enough to get grout out) and in the other used metal plates and magnetic units to hold a complete tiled panel

 

Both did the same and I still don't know which I like best

[Temp]

I've got pairs of cupboard door magnets holding in hardi backer board hatches clad with stone. 

 

They don't need to carry the weight just hold it in. Works fine.