Help me save this 1950's pink bathroom and cinderella tub!

last year

I have a 1950's pink bathroom with a cinderella tub in an alcove. There is no shower head or separate shower, so currently that bathroom (the only one of the bedroom level) does not really work for day to day. I am trying to find a way to make it work, without having to demo everything and start new. The house was designed and built by the first owner, and the idea of destroying the bathroom breaks my heart. So I need some ideas and solutions....

I want to make the cinderella tub alcove ALSO work as a shower. But I am concerned about water damage longterm, leading to mold. Here is why:

The tub alcove has 4 x 4 pink tile half-way up the walls, with bullnose tile where the tile meets the walls. So in transforming it into a shower, the upper walls would be bare of tile or waterproofing, which is obviously not ok. I am also not entirely certain the tile that IS there is waterproof, as they constructed that area as a tub, so they may not have felt it needed a waterproof backing behind the tile. I have the same concern about waterproofing under the floor tile.

Here are my questions:

1) How likely is it that the tile surround IS water-tight, given the 1950s construction, supervised by the original owner? (I am including a photo of a similar bathroom where the tile has been removed. Based on where I removed the faucet to look behind our tile, our tile is similarly backed by a greyish hard substrate with embedded wire. I am not sure exactly what that is or if it is waterproof.)

2) Does anyone have any other suggestions for how to ensure water does not get on the walls or behind the tile, if the consensus is that the current tile is NOT waterproof? (one thing I considered was installing a hoop & surround shower curtain. From prior experience with a claw foot tub, I know my husband hates this solution. He feels it looks ugly and is uncomfortable, so I am certain he will eventually insist we demo the bathroom and build a proper shower. ) I need creative ideas to save this bathroom!

Thank you, everyone!

Featured Answer

klem1

last year

The gray stuff is plaster which is far more durable and water resistant than anything today. If you can come in from opposite side of wall it's straightfoward to install shower fixture and head without damaging tile. Employee a good tile setter to put membrane on wall above existing tile then tile to ceiling with complimenting tile. I say "complimenting" because matching color and size might not be possible. A good tile man will put a transition strip and waterproof grout between new and old tile.

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Comments (9)

green
Original Author
last year
@klem1 Have you seen this done before? Our plumber told us it would mold. Should we find a different plumber?
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taliaferro
last year
last modified: last year
This shows an original Cinderella tub curtain rod.
green thanked taliaferro
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
It’s a beautiful tile install that doesn’t work for modern life. If this is the only bathroom on the bedroom level the tile has to get redone above the tub deck or just remove the entire tub and make a real shower.
Jake The Wonderdog
last year
last modified: last year
I am ripping out a tub / glass tile in a 1943 bathroom in my own house as we speak. I've seen plenty of tile over plaster.

I can tell you that the tile over plaster shower works for a while...meaning 50 years maybe, and then it doesn't work. The plaster eventually fails. Your mileage may vary, as they say, depending on how well the tile grout and caulking is maintained and how often the shower is used.

You could do as Klem1 says - use complementary tile. You would need a tile person who has some experience with older work. I would remove the top cap of tile in that shower area and then use probably 1/4 Hardie backer board over the existing plaster walls to bring the new tile flush with the old tile and provide a good surface for the tile. I'd seal that with red guard or similar. It's not going to be the most water tight shower, but it will work for a while.

But I agree with Hallett & Co. It's a beautiful tile install that doesn't work in modern life.

I'd be more inclined to take all of it out and make a contemporary bathroom out of it. It's very cool as it is... but as the only bathroom on the floor with the bedrooms, I'd need it to work.
green thanked Jake The Wonderdog
rebasheba
last year
I think you could redo the walls still in the spirit of the original https://retrorenovation.com/2019/01/22/12-places-to-find-4-x-4-ceramic-bathroom-tile-in-vintage-colors/
green thanked rebasheba
klem1
last year
To answer your question of "have I seen this done before?" I've seen walls successfully waterproofed above and adjacent to decades old tile set in plaster if that's what you mean. IDK what your plumber thinks will mold but let's use common sense to decide if you can expect mold in the future. The tile has been there many years and looks better than 99.9% of walls a fraction it's age using modern materials. Mold requires organic substance to grow on. Tile,grout,sand,lime and portland are not classified as material hospitable to mold growth. When you see tile walls encrusted with mold the wall has a coating of filth,body oils,soap scum or something between tile and mold. That's a housekeeping issue OR emediatlly behind tile is something organic bleeding around cracks in grout, usually paper. I believe it's safe to say the existing tile will still be there when you and I are long gone.

The first order of business is having your husband on board with not "modernizing". Second thing is deciding whether you will be proud to have a unique bath despite majority public opinion that new is always better. The right paint,fiberglass and other options are available but not very attractive. A compromise to have new and period correct is rip it out then go back with period correct tile over Hardie backer.

What is going on with black tape around faucet?
green thanked klem1
green
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
@klem1 We had to remove that white tile plate to switch the faucet to one that had a handheld attachment. I taped it back up temporarily to keep our kittens from being their dumb selves and climbing into the walls through the hole. Its all caulked back on now and working well.

And, I LOVE the oddness of the original bathroom. At first I thought it was a terrible use of space, but having the toilet separate from the bath is actually smart if you have only 1 bathroom. And who does not love pink tile!?!?
Mrs Pete
last year
Sorry, no help, but I LOVE THAT TUB!