We’d avoided the bathroom for long enough – and its shiny, “woodland-wonder-goes-to-the-bowling-alley” charm was growing thin.
As the last major project in the renovation, the bathroom seemed far less daunting than the kitchen.
- Wallpaper? No problem. I knew exactly how to turn those walls into clean, fresh surfaces.
- Vanity and sink? Not such a big deal. Before we tackled the kitchen, I just couldn’t picture how you replace one with with another – when it all seems so solid and there. I now knew that a cupboard and countertop is really only a few wooden frames and some screws.
- Plumbing was still Big Mysteries to me – but Paolo had acquired some sneaky skills by osmosis.
Ready, aim… fooorgot about the bath tub. What to do about the bath tub and surrounding tile? Cost-wise, hassle-wise…. bath tub was staying. A tub’s a tub, right, and it’s not like we’re replacing it with some sleek, glassy shower stall.
Clearly I’m not watching enough HGTV – because I had no idea this process existed: Mr. Spray Man can refinish the surrounding shower tiles and the bath tub in something bright, white and magical. Then it’s just a matter of two choice words: rain head.
In a sick way, people kind of like the tile – presumably because it lives in our apartment, not theirs. Up close the grout is worn and some tiles are chipped, something Mr. Spray Man says he can easily fix.
The total quote for both tub and tile refinishing comes to $700 or $800 plus tax. As far as I can determine (having never tiled anything), this might not be the cheaper option. But smashing and re-tiling is a can of worms and a very long slog. As long as we take proper care of it, the finished product can last for something like 10-15 years. Good enough for me, good enough for you? Wiggling, people, I’m wiggling!
Hey, you want a s'more? Some more of what?
First, so glad to see you back blogging!
Second, we did this at our old house and loved the results. Well, technically, my MIL had it done while we were on our honeymoon (to be fair, we did know about it in advance). I can’t speak to the durability since we sold the house about six months after having it finished, but it was a great way to restore old dingy tile without having to take a sledgehammer to everything (come to think of it, the sledgehammer would have been satisfying in a way…)
Thanks! So glad to hear you endorse the spraying (and maybe we’ll be gone in 6 months too). That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear: a rousing chorus of “doooo it”!
Way to outsource to the in-laws!
I can attest to the beauty of Stephanie’s refinished tile since I um… aided… in the installation of a hex tile floor while they were away. I have a cute little bud vase gifted to me by said MIL to remind me of the experience.
I can say that demolishing and starting over WILL be considerably cheaper than spraying the tile, but it is a hell of a lot of work. Also, I can’t imagine getting rid of the debris will be an easy task when you live in an apartment building. I see many trips to that delightful dump in your future if you went that route. Oh, and the mess. THE MESS!!! I still have nightmares about that mess. Seeing my resulting handiwork with the tile was so rewarding, but that’s probably because the sick side of me wanted to go through that process just to marvel at my tile while in the shower afterwards. From a resale standpoint, I don’t think that it helped us more than if we had just sprayed it (and our tub, which could have used that spray). So yeah… continue wiggling.
I even know what a hex tile floor is now – wow!! Tiling pro!
Thanks for confirming in … quadruplicate(?) why it makes sense to “pay the nice man to make the problem go away”. (Although the sick side of me wants to make the rest of our building take the stairs for an afternoon while we hog the elevator with tiling debris….. apartments are special).
Where did this mother-in-law come from and where do I get one? Free labour and presents?
Good enough for sure! Besides, you’re not going to be there in 10-15 years, so no need to worry about it
Removing the existing tiles could turn into a nightmare – you’re going to save a LOT of money and time and headaches by having Mr. Spray Man do his thing.
Exactly! I have the years 2021-2026 pencilled in for “yachting at leisure”, so this apartment and its bathroom can suit itself. I think Claire put the messy-nightmare in full view…. yep: decision doubly confirmed.
I’ve seen the sprayed result and it is pretty impressive. I even saw one where they gave it one of those classic black and white bathroom” looks with a band of black sprayed tile. Not too shabby.
Really? The spray guy was pretty confident in his promise of results — I guess it’s not just sales schtick. I can’t wait. The flower pattern of the tile will apparently show through underneath – but in all white. Could look like an Ikea flower pot — but I think that’s a good thing.
You know, that bathtub doesn’t bother me nearly as much as that nasty sink! I can’t believe you’ve held out this long and not ripped it out yet. I am excited to see the end result all the way around though
360 results – oh me too! The bath tub is fine… I’ve heard the death knell for the sink.
I’ve been thinking about giving my ancient tile shower the spray treatment, too! Here in MN, the company that does it claims it’s 75% cheaper than replacing the tile and they can get ‘er done in 3 days — no muss, no fuss. Can’t wait to see what you think of the process!
Really? That’s fantastic — but why 3 days?? Our Canadian dude said only 1. Hopefully we can book him in sooooon. I’ve seen the future and I like it.