How to remove a broken screw stuck in a plastic screw plug on a tiled wall ?

[Desmond]

My grab bar (for assisting elderly folks) in the toilet gave way due to rusty screws. The heads of the screws broke off and now they’re stuck in the plastic screw plug in the tiled wall.

I had tried using a grip plier to extract it but it’s too short to be gripped. Thinking of melting the plastic screw plug with hot nails.

Any ideas to share ? TIA !

 

[Silentrunning]

As long as the screw body is in the plastic it will remain expanded. I think you may be on to something with using heat to help remove the screw. The only difference is I would first try using a soldering gun. Holding the gun tip on the screw may transfer enough heat to melt the plastic without damaging the tile or wall under it. If you can get the screw out that way you should be able to pick the plastic out.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Depending on the screw size you could try using a screw extractor;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12pc-Dam...245268&hash=item2ac587d4e2:g:trkAAOSwrANcncME

The concern with removing these screws is to avoid collateral damage to the surrounding tiles so a lot of care needs to be exercised. It also depends on your experience using tools; breaking a drill bit in a screw will only make the job a lot worse.

I have excellent workshop facilities so I'd possibly drill the screw heads to completely remove the head this takes practice; then I'd use a short length of steel tube having filed teeth on the end of the tube the teeth arranged to cut in reverse; the bore of the tube to be slighter in excess of the screw gauge; chuck the new tube in a drill and run the drill slowly in reverse allowing the new tube to remove the plastic wall plug from around the remaining screw; repeat for each plug; the screw should then come away.

I seldom get away with doing things the easy way so I dream up more complicated ways of doing a job.

Using heat as suggested could possibly work by removing just enough plastic to gain a grip on the screw end but I'd be careful not to use too much heat in case the plastic then bonded to the screw?

Nail polish remover (acetone) could also be tried in order to melt the plastic but depending on what type of plastic the plugs are made of this might take quite a bit of time.

I've never used a Dremel but perhaps using a Dremel fitted with a small metal grinding wheel could possibly add a new screwdriver slot but not if the screws are very rusty.

Do you intend installing a new grab bar; if so would it be possible to drill new holes and add a plastic backing washer to cover the old screws under the grab bar mountings? I'd recommend using either brass or stainless screws?

Just Ideas.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Silentrunning]

Colin has the best idea. Leave them alone. Drill a new set of holes 60 degrees rotation to the existing holes. Install a new handle to cover the olds screws and you are done.

 

[Desmond]

For now, I’ll just like to remove those rusty screws stuck in the screw plugs and conceal them with white sealant.

Thanks for all the great ideas !

 

[Desmond]

Hi,

I heated up a small precision screw driver at its tip, over a tea light candle and slowly burnt the plastic screw plug away. Took me a few hours of hard work though.

When I could see about a quarter of the stucked screw, I used a long nose plier and a power grip plier to unscrew it out.

So glad indeed.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Well done Desmond and thanks for the update.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Silentrunning]

Very good. Thanks for the solution. Now check in often. We can always use people with problem solving abilities.

 

[Caiden Whittaker]

Good fix that! Had the same problem with a screw/plug I had in the ceiling for a set of blinds and your technique helped me a ton. Thanks!