I would say 50's for sure.

From as early as the 1940s, according to the Tile Heritage Foundation.

New tiles similar to those sell for $4+ each. If you haven't scrapped them already, you might find a heritage buyers interested in them.

It's a shame how much valuable material goes into landfill from old homes.

Thanks for the info, worthy. Unfortunately, our contractor hauled them off to the dump this afternoon. I've been SO careful about keeping/restoring every original detail of our home (1910) that we can, but I haven't really been focused on preserving things that came from later changes/remodeling. The tiles were in pristine shape, too, having been covered by drywall for so many years.

Next time I have a question about something, I'll ask first, and chuck later. :o)

Remodeling a bathroom in my previous house, which was built in 1939, removing shiny wallpaper uncovered metal tiles. I had them sanded down and repainted, and then they were lovely. But of course they may have been added later.

Too bad about the contractor throwing them out. In the third and last phase of the restoration of our 1910 Craftsman house last year, I had to make sure that everything possible was saved/recycled/given away.

Unfortunately, our contractor hauled them off to the dump this afternoon.

Next time consider donating something like them to ReStore. It could even be a tax write off for you. ReStore takes both vintage and newer architechtural salvage and leftover new building materials and sells them to the public to benefit programs for Habitat For Humanity. Check below to see if there is a ReStore near you.

If those tiles were aluminum they can be sold by weight as scrap to salvage dealers. Aluminum is bringing in a good price these days, but the main reason to do so is to keep it out of landfills and recycle it into new goods and products.

Here is a link that might be useful: ReStore

It reminds me of the Lustron homes. After WWII they manufactured lots of things in metal because of the sudden surplus of it (no more war), it was maintenance free, and easy to put up for the homecoming GIs. The Lustron homes are metal everywhere- walls, roof, you name it- super neat!

We had it in the 50s. Not good.