DIY bathroom tile?
Hello all. We are finally ready to begin some simple (not gut) reno work and am looking for opinions. We think we can rip out our old bathroom tile floor and replace with new hex mosaic tile in a 5×9 bathroom ourselves. I’ve read lots of books and have been reading other’s reno stories and…
Hello all. We are finally ready to begin some simple (not gut) reno work and am looking for opinions. We think we can rip out our old bathroom tile floor and replace with new hex mosaic tile in a 5×9 bathroom ourselves. I’ve read lots of books and have been reading other’s reno stories and we’ve even replaced the toilet before. But we are definitely novices. To those who have been through this process: what was your skill level before embarking? Does 3 days seem adequate? Any special advice? Thanks to all!
We did a simple black and white hex tile mosaic when we renovated our master bath in an 189’s brownstone. It was middle of the road price-wise. To me it is charming, but was not extravagant.
http://www.diywithadd.com/2010/03/13/bw-master-bathroom/
Well said Steve.
Mr. Van, this is about Brookelen’s house not yours.
The flaw in your argument is the omission of the notion of craftsmanship. In order for a renovation to be done well, it has to be well crafted.
I think 1101 is right, you have a chip on your shoulder about the tile job you put in…
Brookelen, this is beyond your scope, if you have to ask, don’t do it, you will end up frustrated and bitter.
Call one of the historic architect/designers, bring them some cookies or take them out to lunch and ask for some sources for tile. It’s worth your time.
I wasn’t going to comment any more on this because one poster seemed to have a very specific picture of what exactly my house looks like and that just seems too tedious to fight against.
But the larger question you both are raising is whether there is such a thing as a “correct” renovation. I would argue no. That homes and taste are somewhat relative. That you could argue that any given renovation is successful nor not successful, but that there are very few “rights” and “wrongs” per se.
I think a successful renovation speaks well to both the character and history of the house, and may or may not slavishly reproduce the “original details.” It might keep some historical elements that are definitely not original details, like “cheap” tin ceilings or 1950’s kitchen. It may use really expensive materials, or the materials choice might be more innovative.
I’ve seen very clever modern brownstone renovations that kept a clear link to the past. I’ve seen renovations done by artists who have a knack for making an Ikea kitchen and the tile cheaper than dal tile look completely considered and fantastic.
I have also seen unsuccessful brownstone renovations that merely slavishly reproduced, without any sense of purpose or soul. I’ve seen rooms so full of trim and chandeliers that furniture literally looks stupid in them. I’ve seen friends go nuts over the history of their ‘stones, to the point that they forgot about their kids or their dogs, and made showroom parlors that never, ever get used–that are laughed at now.
Your grandfather told you droll stories about the Red Army. My grandfather built his house with his own two hands, as did two of his sons. Those houses still stand in Denver today. So cut DIYers some slack.
Doing it yourself means you can afford to buy better quality materials. Moreover, it means you have the luxury of taking your time to do the job right, which contractors can’t do unless they’re working hourly.
A competent DIYer doesn’t stop at researching the materials. He takes the next step and researches how to actually do the job.
Check out the incredible work this DIYer has done:
http://massiehouse.blogspot.com/
I don’t buy the “doing the right thing is too expensive” argument.We don’t live in the 80’s anymore, there are good options out there. Yes there is reproduction tile out there that is more expensive than DAL Tile, but how much more expensive is it, and as a percentage of total project, how relevant is the difference. Even if we are saying it is twice as much, then over a 50 sf area that may make a difference of $500 between the two… is this a significant difference if it repairs the cheesy taste of your previous occupants…
Part of the challenge of owning is researching… and learning about the materials… And once you have a material selected that will last, to select a bona fide installer who will set it in place to last. Note the order here… first find the product, then get the installer, installers have deals with local tile retailer that want you to buy the cheese because they make more money on your ingnorance.
Start with a visit to the Old House Journal and Traditional Building (both of which have their roots in Park Slope). Check in to the Tile Heritage Foundation…
I would wonder that the sale price would have been more than $500 if there was a well done bath.
Silly me, I thought this was an uncontroversial topic. I appreciate all the advice, both from folks who have done it themselves and those who have not. Even though our apartment is in an 1890’s brownstone building, there were drastic changes in the mid-1980’s conversion. We still luckily have much of the lovely molding on the doorways and unfortunately have icky laminate cabinets/counters and cheap tile floor. In a million years I could never make enough money to restore anything to it’s former historic perfectness. I am hoping to keep all our minor renovations simple, clean, and (maybe) charming, all within our budget.
We are talking tiles… not toilets, dishwasher, or heating…
I will not grant you that authenticity is an arbitrary standard. The reason that these houses have stood proud is because of their scale, style, and grace. By replacing (needlessly) historical detailing with product designed for tract housing, you are failing as steward.
Are you so bitter from your experience with hex tiles that you have become blinded to the fact that there are things beyond the scope of the DIY-niks. Comfortable to live in you say…”I laid my own hex tile, and I think it looks terrible, and I am really really handy–I make things for a living and have laid quite a bit of tile before. It’s hard to keep it flat and keep the seams tight at the same time”. You should have been working to make money to pay professionals to do what they do best.
You want DIY… build a birdhouse.
Future generations=resale value… by sending the future generations off to screw, you are compromising your nest egg… “monsieur le spite… I think this is your nose”
Authenticity is quite an arbitrary standard when it comes to a home.
I’d rather have a home that is entirely within my means, and that is comfortable to live in. With rooms that are big enough for furniture, and modern toilets and a dishwasher and efficient heat.
Future generations can go screw. It’s my house now. I bought it, and I am using it.
i have to throw my two cents in…
You can proclaim youself a DIY and feel proud of your bootstrap pulling uppity ways and at the same time you are spoiling the historic fabric and record of these buildings…
It reminds me a story my grandfather told me… The May day parade in Moscow proceeds rank on rank, file by file of soldiers and armaments… Missles and rockets… all manner of the war industry… the generals look down over the procession with a paternal fondness… But then a platoon of a disorganized lot of folks with power tools with frayed cords and mismatched handles. The generals are shocked at this and look to the parade marshall for explanation…to their question why are these mottley crew among our finest fighters…. oh but generals sirs… those are the Do It Yourselfer-niks, and trust me they can do alot of damage.
Do the future generation a favor… hire an historic designer who can source authentic materials and can have competent installers put it in.