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midge0313

Glossy Subway Tiles in shower?

midge0313
9 years ago

I've been looking at tiles and bathrooms for months and I can't decide on a shower tile for a new house. I find myself really liking the look of glass shower tile but I think it's out of our price range. What I've seen looks very pricey per sq foot. I like the look of very glossy subway tile in gray or blue. Does anyone use colored tile in showers these days? Is that an outdated look? Does colored glossy tile show streaks badly?

Comments (9)

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    I have glossy white subways in my shower/bath area. Daltile, dirt cheap. Like cat_mom I squeegee the tile after a shower. 20 seconds, max. I don't follow with a microfiber cloth, but I use my washcloth (which is handy) to give a big wipe, also the chrome fixtures. Nothing overly anal, just a quick wipe down. I have moderately hard water. It takes way longer telling about it than to do it. Must try the 7th Gen on the tiles.

  • cat_mom
    9 years ago

    linelle; I couldn't find a squeegee I liked, so started using the microfiber cloths after wasting too many paper towels each day (we leave the cloths hanging on the towel bars over the tubs, and they are dry and ready to use again the next day). The added benefit, as I mentioned, is the ability to to really dry the space where the tile meets the tub(s), especially where it is caulked. Makes it easier to clean and keep clean from week to week.

    The 7th Gen is good, and is also (sealed) natural stone safe--we have some in all three bathrooms. It's not necessary to wipe it dry after it's been sprayed on the tile, but I do. Besides preventing streaking, I think it sometimes leaves or causes a pungent odor when it builds up (in the corners?). I like not having to rinse it though, as we didn't install hand-showers in our bathrooms.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    I'm an idiot. I visited the vast new Target five minutes from my house and bought Method bathroom cleaner instead of 7th Gen.

    My squeegee is double edged. I have to use it horizontally because straight-down vertical swipes result in cold spray in my face. :O The ledge of my tub holds water so it works well sweeping it off and into the tub.

  • adawn5
    9 years ago

    I chose a glossy dark gray subway tile from Lowes for my basement bathroom shower walls and was pleasantly surprised to find that it doesn't show hardly any streaks or water marks. I assumed it would be a pain to keep looking shiny but it's not. The only thing I do after my shower is keep an oscillating table fan on in the bathroom to circulate the air (there's no ceiling vent whatsoever).

    And I DO NOT squeegee or wipe down the shower walls after my daily shower. I do however squeegee and use a microfiber cloth on the glass shower door.

    I don't care if the color ends up looking dated. It's a basement shower and only me and the occasional house guest will ever be subjected to it.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    adawn5, I really like how you did the row of vertical tiles around the base of the shower wall.

  • adawn5
    9 years ago

    Thanks linelle, but that was just me going along with the tile guy's preference. I didn't really have a preference and since he did, I figured I'd go along.

  • midge0313
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the input. I ended up going back to my original plan of an Atlas Concorde faux marble for the shower. I couldn't seem to find a subway tile in color that I really liked.

  • minimal4me
    9 years ago

    I went with dark gray subway tile inside the shower and white beveled in the rest of the bath. I don't regret it. I considered glass but it's harder to work with and I think it will seem dated in a few years.

    The charcoal gray tiles provide a nice contrast to the white I'm finding.