For you DIY types...

[bluesilverkdg]

You know that pretty painted tile that you often see in Mexican restaurants? Does anyone know if that's just regular old tile? Or is it a specific kind, made just for painting? I'm thinking it's most likely an unglazed, terra cotta that would absorb paint, right?

Let's say you had a bathroom in an old house that had really crappy looking pink tile...oh, kinda like this:



Does anyone know if it's possible to paint tile like that, since it's already been glazed? Like, with just white, glossy paint? Or would that putrid pink come right through the paint? If it can't be painted, can anyone else offer any potential remedies for getting rid of putrid pink tile, that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg?

My realtor sent me the official listings for both the houses that I posted about yesterday. One is 4 BRs, 2 baths (and sells for $99,000). The other is 3 BR, 1.5 baths ($89,000). I'm almost leaning toward the 3 BR, though, as for things I like (with the exception of the putrid pink tile. Yuck.)

Pros of the 3 BR: It has a fenced-in yard. The kitchen is OK. Not great, but bigger than many kitchens in houses of that era. The kitchen also has a full pantry. There are gorgeous hardwood floors throughout the house, that look to be in excellent condition, although the bedrooms are carpeted. There's a front porch. The rooms mostly have neutral colors, as for paint.
Cons of the 3 BR: It has a garage, but it's detached, and I'm not sure if it's a full-sized garage (as in, "will my car fit in it?") There's no outdoor living space in the back, such as a deck. And there's this putrid pink tile. Plus, only 1.5 baths. Guests would have to share my bathroom.

Pros of the 4 BR: There are four bedrooms. Duh. And an "office" downstairs. Space galore. There's an extra full bath for guests. There's a lot of storage space, especially for an older home. It has a nice deck in the back. The garage is attached to the house (it's a drive-under garage, that leads into the basement) and appears to be full-size. There's an awesome huge deck, that would be perfect for grilling and having guests over in the summertime. The existing landscaping is very nice.
Cons of the 4 BR: The kitchen is bad. Not only is it small, with little storage, it's laid out very awkwardly, and remodeling it could be quite costly. There is also tile in THIS house, only in this one, it's green, not pink. Like...lime green. And the tile is not only in the bathroom, but in the kitchen, as well. The yard is not fenced. There's no front porch.

The lot size is identical in both houses..60 ft. wide, by 150 ft. long, and there's about an equal space of unfinished basement (approximately 300 sq. feet) in both houses. They are very equivalent in a lot of ways. Why were people in the early '50s so all fired up about that nasty tile, I wonder? And does anyone have any ideas as to what to do with it, if I do acquire either of these houses? I'm going to look at both of them over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Geez, how is the weekend over already??!

Comments

[bogartbabe78.livejournal.com]

I have "lovely" tile in my bathroom (its lighter then that in the pic..but I still hate it) I have asked around...and said the only thing to do was remove it. But remember my coworker saying she painted her tile with spray paint..it took several coats and was a mess....and I just had a feeling that wasn't the way to go about it lol

If you find out any good tricks of the trade...please pass on to me :)

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

I'd wondered about trying to sand it down, to make the finish more rough (since paint most likely won't adhere to a glazed finish), and then putting on a good primer. I don't know though.

Was your house built in the '50s? My mom and dad's house was built in 1958 and has pretty much this same Pepto-Bismol pink tile. Yuck! I have a lavender shower curtain, which could work with this, but my sage green shower curtain would look atrocious with it! But if I do get the house, and figure out anything about it, I'll let you know. I'm going to look at both over Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed! :-D

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is the tile in the bathroom of the 4BR. Is that not grody??!



It's also in the kitchen. Ewwwww!

[spiritofjoy.livejournal.com]

I think the tile has to be unglazed...

I feel ya on the color though. When I lived in the ministry house just off-campus, my bathroom looked like this:

Yay.

[spiritofjoy.livejournal.com]

And the whole thing was pink, not just the toilet and the wall right around it. No, the pink walls went all the way around. It could just be my overactive imagination, but I'm fairly certain that there was some pink in the floor tiling as well.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Is that pink paint? My old bathroom at my mom and dad's house has about the same color paint. It is lovely, isn't it?! :-P Plus the toilet and sink are pink (pinksink!!), and the countertop is that speckled formica. Bleeeahhhh!

These houses are very convenient to ETSU. You could drop by easily. :-)

[simplylaura.livejournal.com]

If you do have to replace the tile, it should be something you can do yourself, with a little research. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but it seems to me that it would be pretty easy. And then the only money you have to spend is on materials, and not labor and all that jazz. Though I don't know how much materials would be, either... wow, I'm helpful, eh? XP

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Wow, yeah, you're real helpful. ;-)

I actually think I've seen them doing bathroom rehabs on DIY Channel and HGTV shows, so next time I see that that's what they're doing, I'll have to pay closer attention. I would imagine all you'd need would be some sheetrock, and drywall, which for a space that small shouldn't be too much. I had my whole living room redone in my old house (actually paid to have it done), and it wasn't too outrageous. I am very fortunate to have two cousins who are contractors.

[nessachan.livejournal.com]

I don't think the tile would take paint, especially not in a humid environment like a bathroom. It might cover the pink, but I think it would probably peel right off. Latex paint that is. I'm not sure if there's any sort of "tile paint" out there, but I really don't think there are many good options except covering it up or removing it. Bathrooms are especially unstable environments and I just don't see it working. However, if you can change the paint and fabrics AROUND the pukey pink tile, (get rid of the white and add a contrasting color like a dark warm brown or something) it could look a lot nicer.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

With your love of retro things, I figured you'd say "Oh it's fabulous the way it is!" ;-P You would have a cow over the hardwood floors. They're dark wood and absolutely gorgeous.

I do have a really nice lavender linen shower curtain, that I'm currently using in my upstairs guest bathroom (which also happens to have putrid pink wall paper.) The two colors don't look that bad together, but then again, I don't have to use that bathroom every day. I also have some nice Impressionist artwork in various shades of lavenders and blues that I've put in that bathroom to try and kind of mellow the pink. Perhaps I could do the same thing there... And at least the shower curtain would cover part of it, over to the window.

A dark warm brown might not be a bad option too, though. And it would give me an excuse to shop for new bathroom accessories! ;-)

[aceofkittens.livejournal.com]

I'm just astounded that it's possible to buy a house for 89,000.

[nessachan.livejournal.com]

Hehe.. location location.. I've seen big houses in the hills around here for less than $50,000.

[trueseven.livejournal.com]

Don't paint them...it took us ages to scrape the paint off the tile in our bathroom when we moved in. In order for the paint to stick, you'll have to use some kind of horrid industrial paint that can stand up to the moisture. The lady who lived here before us did just that, and the texture and sheen (well, lack there of) looked sooooo much worse than the ugly tile. You could see the brush strokes, the pain cracked around the grout, etc.

We painted the wall above the tile a color we liked, hung a cool shower curtain and will replace the tile when the money is there.

What's neat is that we actually get comments on the retro look of the bath room.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, after I got to thinking about it, I figured paint might look kinda crappy. I think that for the temporary (if I GET the house), I might paint above the tile, and just try to decorate as nicely as I can to detract from it.

And yeah, I've had a couple of people here say that they like it as is. :-) I'm fine with "retro", but I don't care for bright colors so much. I like old stuff...but I tend to like REALLY old stuff...like from the turn of the century, or that has a Victorian-era look.

But for $89K, I'm willing to deal with it. :-)

[dreadpiratejen.livejournal.com]

I'm going with the folks who said paint the wall above the tile a complementary color. I think that's probably the best you can do without replacing the tile. I have to say though, that bathroom looks almost EXACTLY like my bathroom in my old apartment, pink tile and all, and although we had this grody hotel-bathroom wallpaper that made it even worse, the retro pink kind of grew on me after a while.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

This bathroom reminds me a lot of the bath at my parents' house, too. EVERYTHING in my old bathroom was pink. The toilet, the sink, the walls, the cabinets. It looks like someone drank a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and then just hurled all over the room. Apparently that was a common look for the 1950s. But, houses were built very well then, so I can deal with a little bit of distasteful decor, to know that I've got a well-constructed house.

And I have never understood how people get so into wallpaper! The kitchen and baths in my current condo have wallpaper, although I don't know that I'd call it "hotel" wallpaper. It's just floral and...YUCK!

When was your old apartment built? (Or decorated?) I hope it was a long time ago, and that someone in this century did not choose that decor!

[lala2.livejournal.com]

I agree wiht the masses...don't paint the tile. I think painting the walls around the tile would work much better!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

That seems to be the general consensus.

And I'm talking like I've already got this house. I've not even seen the darned thing yet! :-P

yuck

[georgielies.livejournal.com]

Why are bathrooms always either green or pink ? I'm having the same trouble with the house I'm looking at. The toilet, sink, and bath are all pink. The tiling is white, from what I remember so at least that's not so bad. But the curtains in this bathroom are in fact green.

Re: yuck

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

My bathroom is this horrid country blue. Wallpaper. With flowers on it. And they're not even pretty flowers.

Pink fixtures with green curtains? Stylish!! ;-) At least curtains are easily replaceable. Are you looking to buy or rent?

[joie-de-bruit.livejournal.com]

Well *I* like the tile. You can always pull it off and just paint the walls. I don't think it'd really cost *that* much to replace the tiles if you did it yourself and it's really not that hard. My Dad just did that in one of his bathrooms and he's poor as dirt right now but he wanted to make it look presentable so he could rent out one of the spare rooms.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

There are a few people who have said they like it. Maybe it will look better when I see it in person. I'm only going by the picture so far.

I might be able to decorate around it, so it doesn't stand out so.

I've actually been researching how to replace tile and it doesn't look that hard. Thanks, Amber. :-)

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Haha! How are property values in Louisiana? I think it tends to be cheaper in much of the south (well, except for FL, but I don't really consider FL to be "the south.)

My first house cost $40K. And the brand new (as in, just being built) condo that I looked at in the spring was $95K. It was 1000 sq. ft. finished living space, and an additional 1000 sq. ft. unfinished basement.

Come on down...I'll have a spare bedroom. ;-)

[theldara.livejournal.com]

You could always work with the pink. I saw a bathroom on SaucyDwellings once that started out with awful pink tile, but int he end they had a freaking awesome 50's pinup style bathroom - vintage photos, black and pink color scheme... oddly, it worked for the elegant and not trashy look. It was neat.

Kitchen remodels... you saw mine, yes? $5,000 included all 3 new appliances (dishwasher, fridge, stove w/ glass top), new cabinets, new counter tops, new sink. It was far more affordable than anyone had ever told me such things could be.

I don't know if you can paint that sort of tile. It'd take some google time to figure out.

[theldara.livejournal.com]

Oh yea, there is also the option of ripping it out and putting in a prefab shower surround. They're not expensive really, we got one about 4 years ago, and the remodel kits are fairly easy to install.

Ok. *clears throat*

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

You can paint the tile (they have paints for EVERYTHING these days) however you will run into the issues that trueseven brought up. The paintstrokes can be accommodated, especially for an artsy person like yourself, but the cracking at the grout can not. There is also the problem that the cracking at the grout gives a place for mold and mildew to grow nicely where it is almost impossible for even a clean freak like you to get it all.

As for replacing the tile.

There are three options.

1 - Pull the tile, replace with tile of your color choice. This entails pulling the tile and grout off carefully, ensuring that you do minimal damage to the the current backing board, buying new tile to replace it and cement, then laying the tile, being careful to have your mortar consistency right (too thick and you get a bad bond resulting in loose tiles, to thin, and it runs everywhere and you get a bad bond). Then you have a couple of days of not being able to use the tiled portion of the bath while you let the mortar cure. This is the most expensive, but the most durable and will have the most resale value. (However, the additional resale value it would garner probably would at most break even with the costs) This tends to be the preferred option of people that are planning on staying in the house for more than 3-5 years. If you go this route, I would highly suggest hiring one of your cousins to do the work.

2 - Pull the tile and the backer board, ie. go down to the wall studs, then put up new moisture resistant wall board using moisture resistant screws, spackle, sand and paint with a epoxy-type paint due to the high moisture environment. Less expensive and easier than tile work, but the end result is a less stylish bathroom. This is the preferred option for most "flippers" if they have to replace the tile in the house. You could most likely do this yourself, with some help from a "strong back" or two to help you move the moisture resistant gypsum board around. (that stuff is heavy!)

3 - Pull the tile but leave the backer board. Put up a new faux-tile paneling over the existing backerboard. The faux-tile paneling is basically a 1/4" thick wall paneling sheet that looks like white 4" tile and grout on one side. It would be applied with liquid nails, and would require caulking at the panel joints if there are any. Painting would not be necessary though, as the white finish surface is similar to that of a white board. This method is the cheapest, but it is also the one most likely to give the "Clampets" the warm fuzzies wherever they are, as poorly (or even acceptably) done, it screams "double-wide".

Of course there is a 4th option, which is to just repaint above the tile and decorate to tone down the pink. Even so, you need to make sure you use a paint that is designed for a high moisture environment.

Re: Ok. *clears throat*

[samuraigrrrl.livejournal.com]

just wondering on 1.
i have layed ceramic tile on my floors and i know that there are premixed mortars and grouts (in many colors) available to make at least that step a little easier for flooring tiles. i don't recall if they have such products for bathroom tile, but they should. for a large project, this wouldn't be an economical option, but for a small one (like the floor in my foyer or walls in a small bathroom, for example) it shouldn't be too out of hand.

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

As for choosing between the two houses, I personally would go with the smaller one.

Yes, you would need to share your bathroom with guests, but at the same time, you would not be having to rip out and replace the OMGGREEN tile in the bathroom and the kitchen, which would need to be remodeled anyways to make it function better. Nor would you need to fence at least part of the yard for your eventual pooch's playtime pleasure.

Then there is the matter of having to heat/cool the thing. Larger house = larger heating/cooling bill. (I know this is not always the case, but generally speaking, it is.)

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

I can't figure out quite what is going on with the four BR. The green tile IS indeed in the kitchen, and then there's another room that appears to be a dining room just off the kitchen, and IT has the green tile, too! Who puts tile in a dining room? Of course, I'm going from a picture and it might just be some sort of weird extension of the kitchen, not an actual dining room. Still...eww. Well, here...have a look:



Check out that flooring. Woah. The stove is just kinda stuck in there, seemingly right in front of a cabinet. NOT loving any of that. The only thing I'm thinking, is if that ISN'T a dining room...or if it's a really big dining room, I could use part of it to extend the kitchen. Still, we're talking major $$$ for that, whereas the other kitchen, with a coat of fresh paint (and a dishwasher) would be pretty much good to go.

The four BR has gas heat, which is a pro AND a con, far as I'm concerned. I love gas heat. I'd never had it until I moved into my old house in JC, but I quickly fell in love with the moist, cozy warmth it provided. And while it was still a cheap option, I really loved it. Pre-2001, I could heat the house very well for about $100 in the dead of winter. But now, of course, gas heat is completely outrageous. So, while I'd RATHER have it for the comfort, the price just seems unruly. :-/ And that's really too bad.

[pfy.livejournal.com]

It's a coconut ice bathroom! I do prefer the pink to the green, though; green tiles would make me think "hospital" or "public toilet". But, a house for <$100k? Given the current house prices here in London, I'd put up with a lot of bad decor for that.

If I settle down somewhere, I want to put in really good wooden floors.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Coconut ice? What's that? :-) And yeah, I guess pink is the lesser of two evils.

It's not hard to find a house for less than $100K here. While we've been affected some by the housing crunch, it's not nearly as bad as in a lot of other parts of the country, where prices are going through the roof. And according to the listing, the 3BR has a "very motivated seller", which leads me to believe they'd be OK with haggling and/or creative options on the purchase.

[samuraigrrrl.livejournal.com]

i love that old tile, but i know that i am certainly not in the majority there.
i would say paint the upper wall something interesting until you could deal with the tile.
the last issue of domino magazine had this very question in their advice column.
dara caponigro says, "many people try to reglaze tile, but honestly, i have never seen good results... i would suggest removing the tile and putting up something new. beadboard is not outrageously expensive and you can stain or paint it any color. the home depot sells a standard 1 3/5" widebead pattern (from $16 for a 4'x8' sheet)..."
you would apply the beadboard to the walls with liquid nails, which is a glue you apply with a caulk gun. very easy. i do not think that you would have to remove the concrete backer board with this option. above the beadboard, you could add chair rail molding or something similar and i think it would really look nice.

[samuraigrrrl.livejournal.com]

meant to add that the photo in domino mag had a clawfoot tub and that beaddoard will not work behind your tub, as it is not happy when wet. but a plastic tub surround of standard size can be had for a whopping $40 and again, is stuck to the wall with a liquid nails *for tub surrounds* adhesive, applied with a caulking gun. the surround is in five pieces so that it's easier to handle and weighs nothing. it's very very very simple to install. *i* did it. you can do it. :)

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

As you know, I like the second, but I think you would make either look fantastico!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

The style of these houses kind of reminds me of the little house that you and Bill rented in Kingsport for a while. I thought that was just the neatest house!

I like the exterior of the second one better (and the fact that it has a garage attached.) But the interior of the first one is far superior. I wish I could mush them up together, and make one house. :-P

[thegrungediva.livejournal.com]

Here's a novel idea: maybe keep looking? Why buy a house that isn't your dream house? It's a buyer's market right now, so I say hold out, keep looking, and maybe that perfect house you'll love will come on the market next week?

Even though I agree with everyone that anything with a roof on it for less than $100K sounds like a steal here on the left coast, if that's what prices are in your area, then hold out. It's only $100K, but hell, that's a lot of money to spend on something you don't like 100%!!!

Think of it this way: let's say you went shopping for a pair of blue jeans, but the store only had green or pink jeans. Would you buy green or pink jeans, just because the store didn't have any blue jeans in stock? No, you'd go to another store, or come back another day.

Wait until you get to see door #3.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd said in an earlier post that I'm trying to go more "modest" and affordable. Realistically, I am not going to find my dream house in this price range, and right now my priority is to get moved ASAP. I'm not going to keep this house forever..just for a few years, to help me achieve my goal of getting out of Knoxville and back home, and then I intend to use it as rental property. At some point, I would like to build my dream house. Even if I could afford more, it's seriously doubtful that I would find something that I loved everything about, in a house that was already built. I'd found a brand new condo when I first started looking (for $95K), but even IT had some things that I didn't love, and no one had even lived there yet.

Right now, my priority is to get moved and save money. My rent right now is nearly $900/month. I'll be paying around $500-$550 per month for either of these houses. And as I said in my post earlier, I want to be closer to my family, my best friend, all the things that I grew up around...the house is just what I'll be coming back to when I'm done with all that.

I do love older homes (I'd love to find a turn-of-the century style bungalow or farmhouse.) And people do things to old houses...sometimes things that make you wonder "what were they thinking?" So, if I get any older home, chances are good there is something (and probably several somethings) that I won't like about it. Redecorating, or perhaps even remodeling a bathroom is a small price to pay to help me get back to the town I love. Both of these houses are in a good, safe neighborhood, they appear to be well-kept...there are just some differences in taste and outdated aspects that the previous owners have, from what I'm looking for.

I've been househunting for six months, and I am READY to move. Even though it is a buyer's market, and there are several options in my price range, there aren't that many options that I actually *like*, and the lower-priced houses are not always in the best neighborhood. So, I'm really hoping that, with the exception of the pink bathroom, this one has another other stuff that I can feel good taking it. I figure, if I can get back to the point where I can run over and watch a ballgame on a minute's notice with my dad, or meet my mom to go shopping and out to eat without having to plan everything for a week, or run over to my best friend's house when she's having a bad night, a pink bathroom is a small price to pay for that. :-)

on the idea of painting tile...

[kluggernaut.livejournal.com]

Since this is related to my field (ceramics), I thought I'd throw in my $0.02.
There is nothing that is going to permenantly change the surface of that tile. It is chemically bonded to the tile and should be considered more durable than rock. It will literally last thousands of years with no wear. Paint will not stick to it and will not look good either. Sanding will not be feasable because you would spend a fortune on sandpaper and then have to sand to a considerable depth to remove the glass chemically bonded to the porcelain. Then you are left with an ugly, flat, sanded surface of white porcelain. On the mohs hardness scale, porcelain ranks one point below diamond, which is exactly what the sandpaper you will need it made from.

When you see hand painted tile, it is usually an unglazed earthenware tile which does absorb the paint. It is then coated in thick layers of shellac or polyeurathane, or some other such clear sealer. It is not permenant, and will chip off. It is not at all suitable for high moisture areas. There is another method which involves painting with pigments made from metallic oxides and ceramic materials, which are then fused to the tile at high temperature. This would be a permenant finish, but is far more expensive to produce. (I charge $75/ square foot and I am cheap!)

So I firmly believe that you must live with or replace the pink tile for any kind of enduring solution. Painting will just look tacky.

Re: on the idea of painting tile...

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Hi there! :-) I've decided that if I do get the this house, I'm just going to try and decorate around it, until I get settled in and can afford to do some renovations right.

I painted some terra cotta tile for my ex-husband, to put around his bar in the restaurant, and after I'd posted this, remembered how very different the texture was.

So, I guess for now, I'll just do some creative decorating and try to detract from the ugly pink, as much as possible, by putting in stylish fixtures and accessories. :-)