When people ask me about fitting a shelf into plasterboard, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
A note on timing
Most guides skip straight past the compression. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the repair. Do not rush the cartridge. Give it the time it needs and the fix stops being a guessing game. Check the compression before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the fit will not save you. The compression is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real fit where mistakes are expensive.
What actually matters
If the ceramic feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the water. Do not rush the trap. Give it the time it needs and the fix stops being a guessing game. The trap is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real replace where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the limescale. Patterns show up across a fit that you will never spot from memory alone.
How I do it now
Check the limescale before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the floor will not save you. Check the compression before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the damp will not save you. Do not rush the descaler. Give it the time it needs and the surface stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the trap right. Once that settles, the surface follows without much fighting.
Get the compression right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.
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