Hello again. This is Steve from SKG Renovations with another Redblock budget bathroom remodel post. In this post, I’ll provide step by step instructions on installing shower shelf on an already tiled wall. Specifically, the rb3 Stainless Steel Corner Shower Shelf (see image below video).
This shelf is made from super corrosion resistant, Marine Grade 316 stainless steel, and has plenty of slots for water draining. This is also the only in-grout corner tile shower shelf that can be installed into non-square shower corners.
This one is super easy. No demo and no special skills or tools required… just a quick, budget shower improvement idea for a bunch more storage, and a cool new look.
Installation Video
I would recommend that you also check out the install steps below the video. These steps include a lot more info that will enhance & clarify the install steps.
Installed rb3 Corner Shelf
Overview
If you’re planning on installing a shower shelf on an already tiled wall, the Redblock rb3 corner shelf is ideal for this purpose. It’s designed to be installed into the shower wall simply by removing a bit of grout at the install tab locations. That’s why it’s referred to as an “in grout” corner tile shower shelf. There are no brackets to install, only the stainless steel tabs that get inserted into the grout line.
It can also be installed onto virtually any shower wall covering (slate, porcelain, granite, or marble sheets) but the install notches must be drilled into the material if there’s no grout line to insert the tabs into. This can be a relatively easy task for a material like marble, or quite challenging for granite or porcelain. But it’s certainly possible to install it into materials like granite, as long as you use the correct diamond drill bits and practice a bit of patience.
Just keep in mind that the wall material must be strong enough to handle the downward shear force applied to the install tabs (brackets) when the shelf is loaded with heavy items (full shampoo bottles, razors, tubs. etc.).
This shelf can also be installed into a newly tiled shower by installing spacers into the install tab locations before grouting. After grouting, simply remove the spacers and insert the shelf tabs (brackets) into the notches you’ve created in the grout line. The install tabs are 3mm thick, so it easily fits into 1/8″ (or larger) grout lines.
If your grout lines are 1/16″ wide, it’s still possible to install the shelf, but the grout line space needs to be widened out a bit. This means that a bit of tile will need to be removed from above the install tab/leg location (in addition to the grout), to allow the tabs to fit into the grout line. This should be quite easy to accomplish if the tiles are ceramic because they can be ground away with a sanding wheel (on a Dremel tool) to make them 1/8″ wide.
Can you put Shelves Over Tiles?
Yes! These include suction, screw mount, and in-grout shelves. The suction type are easiest, but need to be re-secured regularly. Screw mount shelves need to be drilled into the wall. In-grout shelves only need to be inserted into the grout line between tiles, making them the best of all three.
Step 1 – Determine Height of Shower Corner Shelves
You first need to decide how high you want your shelf to be from the shower floor or tub edge.
If you’re planning to install it on the wettest side of the shower (valve and shower head side), I usually recommend to my clients that it should be installed around chest height (around 48″).
This is based on a common preference to keep the shelves out of the primary “splash zone”. This way your shower items don’t get too drenched during showering, but are still within easy reach.
If you want to install two corner shower shelves, 48″ is also a pretty good height to start, but you may want to start a little lower if you’re planning to install three shelves, or the top one may get a bit too high to reach.
Of course if your planning to install on the opposite side of your shower (outside the splash zone), your lowest shelf can be lower… any height you want really.
If you want to install more than one, you should consider what you’re planning to store on your shelves to determine the distance between them. I generally install them 10″- 14″ apart, depending on tile size (distance between grout lines), and the homeowner’s preference.
Tools and Materials for Installing Shower Shelf on Already Tiled Wall
Measuring Tape & Pencils.
Grout Remover Tool.
Shop Vacuum.
Silicone Caulking.
Caulking Tool
Step 2 – Mark Out Install Location
The shelf has two 2″ tabs (brackets) that insert into the grout line space, so you will need to mark these out on the grout line to determine where the grout should be removed.
It’s very well suited for installation into shower corners that are not square, but the exact install location will need to be adjusted if this is the case. As such, you should check your shower corner with a framing square before you mark out your install tab locations.
If the shower corner is more than 90 degrees, the shelf tab positions will be slightly closer to the corner. If the corner is less than 90 degrees, the install leg locations will be slightly further away from the corner. In my experience, even if the corner is super wonky, the most I’ve ever had to adjust the install location is 1/16″ one way or the other.
Assuming the shower corner is 90 degrees, the location of the grout cutout locations are:
Left installation leg: 4″ – 6″ from the corner.
Right installation leg: 2 11/16″ – 4 11/16″ from the corner.
Step 3 – Grout Removal
Because the rb3 corner shelf is an in-grout corner tile shower shelf, it requires that a bit of grout be removed in the two install tab locations.
As you can see in the video, the first grout removal step is to drill some pilot holes to 1/4″ depth.
At least four or five pilot holes in the grout is a good idea. The more pilot holes, the easier it will be to remove the rest of the grout.
Be very careful not to drill deeper than 1/4″ because you may unintentionally drill through the waterproofing membrane.
If you follow this pre-drilling strategy, you can easily remove the rest of the grout with a simple and inexpensive . You can buy this hand tool online or at any home improvement warehouse to remove the rest of the grout quickly and efficiently.
You can also use an or a (or equivalent) to remove the grout. Both of these methods are pretty darn fast at removing grout, but I wouldn’t recommend using them unless you’ve had some experience with this kind of tool.
Step 4 – Clean Notches & Dry Fit
After grout removal, be sure to clean out the notches thoroughly. I generally use my shop vac to make sure there is no debris left, and to keep any dust out of the air.
It’s also a good idea to look into the notches to make sure they are clear of debris. If it’s clear, you should do a quick “dry fit” so you can see it slide into each of the notches.
Always insert the right install tab/leg first and ensure it sinks into the notch at least 1/4″. You can also draw a pencil mark on the tab, or apply a strip of masking tape at the 1/4″ depth mark, to ensure that the tab/leg is seated properly into the notch.
There is an angle cut out of the leading edge of the left install leg, so it can easily swing into place after the right leg is placed. You’ll know that the left leg is seated properly when the angled section disappears just below the surface.
If the tabs insert properly into both notches, remove it again temporarily so you can do a final cleaning and glue it in with silicone.
It’s also a good idea to wipe any dust off the tile face above and below the install notches. This will ensure the silicone adheres well to the tile above and below the shelf.
You’ll notice that the install legs are the only section of the shelf that holds up these shelves. There are no brackets because none are needed. The specially engineered legs are super strong and solid. The shelf has been load tested at 11 lbs. with less than 1mm of deflection.
Step 5 – Apply Silicon, Install Shelf
After the final cleaning, it’s now time to apply silicone into the install notches. This will help the corner shelf stay firmly in place between the existing tile.
Be sure to apply a liberal, uninterrupted bead of silicone into both notches. Don’t be too worried about how much you apply here. The excess will squeeze out when the shelf is inserted into the grout line space.
Now simply insert the shelf tabs/legs into the notches, the same as you did during the dry fit.
All you need to do now is clean up the silicone that squeezed out when you set your shelf in place. You can do this with a or your finger, if you feel comfortable with this (like I do), or you can use a silicone squeegee.
I usually apply a very small bead of silicone around the shelf install legs after I complete this step but you don’t need to do this if you feel that enough silicone squeezed out above and below the install legs during installation. The point here is to ensure that only a tiny amount of silicone surrounds the legs.
If you’ve created a bit of a mess during silicone application you can use denatured alcohol, or 90% (or higher) rubbing alcohol to remove the silicone residue. It does a very good job removing silicone so be careful not to disturb the finished bead around the shelf legs while the silicone is still wet.
Congratulations!!… Your Redblock rb3 Corner Shower Shelf is Installed!
If you’d like any additional info on this shelf, please visit our rb3 Corner Shelf Install Guide.
Can the Shelf Bracket be Inserted into any Tile (Granite, Ceramic, etc)?
The rb3 corner shelf does not have install “brackets” as such. Instead it has two install tabs that are designed to insert into 1/8″ wide grout lines. If it’s inserted into the grout line as intended, there is no need to drill any holes in the tile, although this would be possible with the right tools and a little patience.
Wrap Up
I hope I’ve demonstrated how easy it is to add more storage to your existing shower, by installing a cool new in-grout corner tile shower shelf into an already tiled wall.
It installs quickly and easily into most existing tiled shower walls, and looks like it’s always been there… a beautiful, strong & permanent corner shower shelf solution!
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions!
