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Our house is on the market and we have worked hard to update and fix all the little things that needed attention. Last week we had a showing and got some very negative feedback - they said the master bath was "dirty". It's not dirty (I keep a clean house, durn it!), but the floor tiles are 20+ years old and the grout is discolored and chipped.
Can anyone recommend a tile person who would be willing to do only the one bathroom at a reasonable price? Or should I even bother? We are pretty tapped out for money and my husband is strongly opposed to spending another dime on the house, but I think that maybe the upgrade will help.
Opinions are very welcome! We are in Durham, not too far from Chapel Hill and RTP.
Is it possible to bleach the grout? Or...can you have the grout replaced? Depending on what your tiles look like, these could be less expensive options.
Otherwise...you can buy the less expensive 12x12 or 14x14 tiles at Home Depot and have someone install them for you. I think the labor will be more expensive than the tile.
You can also call Jason from The Polished Edge to see what he'd charge. He has done a lot of work for some of us on here.
No doubt that the lowest cost way to tile a bathroom floor is to do it yourself. The folks at the John Bridge tile forum will guide you through the process if you want to give it a try. Lots of pros hang out there and give good advice. They will want you to check the soundness of your subfloor first.
There are some heavy duty grout cleaning products on the market but that doesn't seem like it solves the problem.
Wish I had a better answer ...
Frank
Have someone power steam clean and color seal the grout. I mean someone who KNOWS what they are doing not "carpet dude".
There is not much we can't get out of grout, and my color sealing product specifically will fill imperfections and make the grout look like brand new for a lot less than replacement.
99% of our jobs come out looking like they day they were installed.
You can also "regrout". The proper way is to remove and replace...but I've seen folks just skim coat.
If you want some tips visit Dirty Grout Dirtygrout.com and you'll find a bunch of professionals giving information and possibly even get a referral.
I'm not in NC yet, or I would offer to do it for you. The travel charge would be a bit much.
P.S. Vicki, FWIW bleaching won't do it sorry to say. Bleach is for mold and mildew, not "dirt" in grout. You need an akaline cleaner the followed with an acidic cleaner to brighten. You'll also need about 50K in equipment to powerwash at 1500psi and 300* and extract back out to the truck to get it right.
Vicki, I thought about replacing just the grout, but the tiles themselves are dated looking (rose-pink, very 80s!). I'll consider your suggestion.
frankpc, your suggestion is good too. I just re-caulked my shower all on my own, so I'm feeling more confident in my DIY abilities. The only thing that makes me nervous is that there's a different color tile border on the walls just above the floor. It's clearly newer and nicer than the floor tiles and I'd like to keep it if at all possible. If I accidentally damaged it while taking out the new floor it might turn into a much more expensive job. I'm going to check out that forum for sure though.
JViello, I just saw your post. Cleaning would work for the intact grout, but about 30% of the tiles have missing grout as well. I guess regrouting is the cheapest option...shame the tiles are so "blah" looking. But at least they're in good shape. Just ug-uh-lee!
Have someone power steam clean and color seal the grout. I mean someone who KNOWS what they are doing not "carpet dude".
There is not much we can't get out of grout, and my color sealing product specifically will fill imperfections and make the grout look like brand new for a lot less than replacement.
99% of our jobs come out looking like they day they were installed.
You can also "regrout". The proper way is to remove and replace...but I've seen folks just skim coat.
If you want some tips visit Dirty Grout Dirtygrout.com and you'll find a bunch of professionals giving information and possibly even get a referral.
I'm not in NC yet, or I would offer to do it for you. The travel charge would be a bit much.
P.S. Vicki, FWIW bleaching won't do it sorry to say. Bleach is for mold and mildew, not "dirt" in grout. You need an akaline cleaner the followed with an acidic cleaner to brighten. You'll also need about 50K in equipment to powerwash at 1500psi and 300* and extract back out to the truck to get it right.
Too bad you aren't here yet...you sound like you know what to do.
Since her tiles are dated, is it possible to color the tiles like they re glaze the bathtubs?
The larger size ceramic/porcelein tiles at Home Depot go on sale for 50Cents each. Seems like you wouldn't need many but it is the labor that is costly.
Giving a buyer an allowance never seems to work as well as just getting the work done.
Yeah, the bathroom is not real big. It's an L shape that's about 3ft wide. the longest part of the L is maybe 6ft? The shorter part is about two feet. Separate tub and shower that don't need updating. My biggest concern would be cutting the tiles so they fit the shower and toilet.
You will need to make some tile cuts. The cuts are pretty straightforward but a tile saw certainly comes in handy. Don't try to cut the tiles to fit around the base of the toilet. Just raise the toilet, set the tiles with a rough cut, then replace the toilet after its all done. I *think* I saw where Lowe's was quoting $6.50 a square foot to install tile. I'm sure that's subject to upcharges and minimums.
As Vicki stated, you can get reasonably nice tile for a buck a sq ft. You'll also need CBU, thinset and grout. All assuming your subfloor is good.
JViello, I just saw your post. Cleaning would work for the intact grout, but about 30% of the tiles have missing grout as well. I guess regrouting is the cheapest option...shame the tiles are so "blah" looking. But at least they're in good shape. Just ug-uh-lee!
Oh, yea well if the tiles are old and crunchy too, it's probably best to just replace the entire floor. Sorry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VickiR
Too bad you aren't here yet...you sound like you know what to do.
Since her tiles are dated, is it possible to color the tiles like they re glaze the bathtubs?
The larger size ceramic/porcelein tiles at Home Depot go on sale for 50Cents each. Seems like you wouldn't need many but it is the labor that is costly.
Giving a buyer an allowance never seems to work as well as just getting the work done.
Vicki
Thanks Vicki, I've been in the tile/grout/natural stone cleaning and restoration industry for about 20 years. Just about seen it all. LOL
There are several facets to my current business but I'm simplifying when I come down. Probably just going to do tile/grout and natural stone cleaning and restoration work. I have developed my own color seal product and have been tempted to take it nationwide.
I digress...I do agree that if the tiles are wonky, just replace. There are companys out there that claim they can reglaze, but it's a bunch of hooey IMO. Unless they are baking the finish on in a kiln for 12 hours, it's not the same. I've gotten a few surprises and have blown the "color" right off a few tiles that were "reglazed". LOL
B, just put carpet over it.
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LOL
