Out of date tub solution

10 months ago

We've got an older fiberglass tub in the guest bath that has seen better days (we used to use it to make wine!). The tub is in a guest bathroom, separated from the sink area by a door. The current tub surround is 4x4 plain white porcelain tile circa 2000. We are replacing the tub with a soaking tub, but to save costs our contractor suggested we keep the white tile surround. He will strip tile to about 6 inches above the new tub (which would mean about two rows of tile, and then once the tub is in, work in the white tile extras we have from the original build to match as closely to existing. BUT, we were thinking about adding a few rows of a zellige 3x7 tile in blue above the tub and then transition to the white tile. We are a concerned that matching the grout with the old and new tile will be impossible and steal any of the wow of the new tub. However, our contractor said that these "accent stripes" are really, really out of date. Thoughts?

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PRO

Debbi Washburn

10 months ago

Oh dear. No , just no.

Please replace all the tile walls and have it installed properly with proper waterproofing. I feel like this becomes the perfect way for a contractor to trap a customer into paying more money. He'll tell you it's $10 to do what you are suggesting. Then mid job, he will say "oh we really can't do this because {insert some sort of reason}. We will have to take out the wall tile and do the whole thing. That will be $8 more. " But if you got the price for the full job up front, it probably would only be $15.

Also, an accent color is not dated if done right. What you are suggesting would not be done right.

Good luck!

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Comments (9)

kathleen MK
10 months ago
Water proofing will be an issue where the tile taken out for only a few rows. A previous owner did that in our shower with tile that were not a perfect match. We found water dammage to the studs when we had the whole shower retiled. Accent strip are fine but usuallly are at the top of shower walls. If you are doing a stone or solid surface for the tub deck, running a wide "backsplash " up the wall could look intentional. I would still worry about having a split between old

and new waterproofing liners.
millworkman
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
" but to save costs our contractor suggested we keep the white tile surround. "

A 2000's vintage shower most likely has no or next to no proper waterproofing behind the tile. This is not the place top save a few bucks. If doing it this, rip the band-aid and do it right.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 months ago
Rip out all the old tile and do this right since ne water proofing really should be done too. IMO 4x4 tile is also dated all this done to save a few tiles is not a good idea.
mojavemaria
10 months ago
When we removed the four inch tile off our 30+ year old tub surround the green board was in surprisingly good shape. Since we were changing the tile anyway we replaced it with cement board and redguard but you could wait and see the condition of the substrate before deciding.

If the four inch tile is a close match there are so many grout colors you could sample seems like you could find a good match to your existing one.
PRO
Minardi
10 months ago
You have an untrained and unknowledgable contractor. You need to find someone else who knows what they are doing. Period. Or he is going to rot out your house.
suzi
Original Author
10 months ago
Thanks everyone! I talked to my contractor and his eyes popped. He was talking about saving as much of the floor tile not the wall. This is a good lesson for me in asking the right questions!
PRO
Norwood Architects
10 months ago
Tub decks are out of date and can be dangerous especially for older people. Would suggest a free-standing tub with no deck instead.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
Please no FS standing for aging people I hated getting in and out of the clawfoot tub we had when I was growing up now I am 79 please no way FS. BTW some pics of this space would be helpful IMO if redoing a bathroom as decribed rip all the tilke out and do it right I like 12 x24 tile porcelian on bathroom floors and shower walls to keep things simple . New waterproofing materials are a good thing too . I assume this will be a tub / shower since most people like a shower. Some pics of the space would be a huge help in helping you too. Contractors are not the best at design