How to salvage decorative tile?
We are having our bathroom completely redone but the current bathroom has one feature I love: a row of subway tiles with a beatutiful raised pattern. (comprable alternatives are about $40 per tile so i really want to save these babies!) We are making changes to the bathroom size and layout so I know I…
We are having our bathroom completely redone but the current bathroom has one feature I love: a row of subway tiles with a beatutiful raised pattern. (comprable alternatives are about $40 per tile so i really want to save these babies!)
We are making changes to the bathroom size and layout so I know I can’t keep the tiles there but I would like to repurpose them elsewhere in the house.
Only problem is that my contractor thinks they may not be salvageable b/c of the way they were attached to the plaster walls. They look original to me so they’ve been there at about 100 years.
Im sure its going to be tough but I have a feeling that because he isnt all that interested in spending the time to save the tiles. Im more than happy to do that part of the demo myself if there is a way they can be saved.
So short story long, is there any way these tiles can be saved? Some kind of special stuff i can use or some great tip for popping the tiles off the wall without breaking them?
Would love to hear brownstowner suggestions!
Thanks!
I feel for you and wish you luck!
I also salvaged some old tiles, and a water soak works with plaster, but it may not help with old grout. I ended up soaking my tiles in muriatic acid (which you can get at the hardware store), and I got them really clean. BUT THIS IS NASTY NASTY STUFF–it will eat through your skin and will ruin most surfaces it touches very quickly! You need to work in a well-protected open area and use neoprene gloves. But I had good results and have no horror stories to tell–but read all the warnings on the muriatic acid container.
I highly recommend the Old House Journal message boards for this kind of question–there’s a lot of experience to be found there.
Just try soaking them in hot water for a day and the plaster should come off. Don’t get tough with them and they should be fine. I’m nuts for old tile too. Many old apartment buildings out here have tons of pretty green subway tile with that 100 year old petina. I hope to be in the right place at the right time when something like that gets a makeover.
Thanks!
If in fact I do get them off, is there some solution I should soak it in to make the scrapping more sucessful?
(dont worry, this will all be done before the contractor even gets there)
If you can slip a tape knife behind each tile they may pop off. If you have to chop out the plaster around the tile, do so. The tile may come off with a chunk of plaster and then you could soak it off. Good luck!
I really hope this works for you.
Cut around the tile to be saved with a diamond blade leavind at list one inch space, remove the tiles around.Carefully chisel by hand around the tile to be saved getting it loose from the wall.If it’s that old it has to be set on a mud bed.Sink it over night and carefully scrape it of the next morning by hand .There it is alot of lime in that mixture that is the good news.
It is possible to do, just make sure there is no rush.
And don’t slow down your contractor.