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kats737

Subway Ceramics regrets? Diy install

kats737
9 years ago

Hello, sparse poster here but we have finally gotten serious about renovating our main bath.

Background is we live in a Chicago in a historical bungalow, trying to restore it to original as best we can. We are DIYers to the core and live in a modest area with a modest budget. But for years, I have coveted original subway tiles with the flat edge.

I got a dal tile sample, not thrilled with the amount of gloss and edges. I got a sample from designsintile and the edges were better, but the color was quite off white. And then this week, I picked up a sample of subway ceramics, which is probably about as good as it is going to get.

But then I started calculating on cost and got sick. $100 for a toilet paper holder? Come on now. Our small 6' x 6' bathroom is costing $3300 just for 4' high tile.

Any horror stories on using subway ceramics? I know we can take our time with the install, learn as we go, we have an alternate bath. I'm not expecting perfection and we do have a professional friend who will guide us a bit.

Basically I want someone to give me the nudge one way or the other. Are we out of our league?

Comments (20)

  • llcp93
    9 years ago

    Have you tried build.com? My neighbor bought all of her fixtures there after picking them out on the Product's website and seeing them in a show room. Ordering from a showroom, without a contractor's price, is very expensive.

    As for your white subway tile, have you tried one of the big box stores, like the orange one or blue one? They may have what you are looking for.

    Good Luck

  • sloyder
    9 years ago

    which daltile line was bad? I have the Rittenhouse Square sample I am going to use in my bathroom, and it looks nice.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    I have Daltile Arctic White subways in my tub/shower alcove. It's really nice, smooth semi-gloss. And they won't break the bank.

  • kats737
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, I don't have any problem with the dal tile rittenhouse square, but I was really after the traditional square edge. The dal tile edge is a bit too soft when I have seen a lot of original baths with square edge tiles.

    We have gotten pretty much everything else at a reasonable cost, and I have been saving up for years. But I don't know if this is just going to cause frustration or worse yet we waste thousands because something is terribly wrong.

    I guess my question is did anyone do Subway Ceramics brand tile and regret it? It is really hard to find feedback on this specific brand.

  • beaniebakes
    9 years ago

    Kats...I feel your pain. I have a sample box of tile from Subway Ceramics and have fallen in love. It's the gold standard of subway tile but not within my budget. However, I find myself oohing and aahing over the beautiful bathroom reveals on this forum, many of which have the less expensive versions of subway, so in the long run the alternatives would be just as impressive. That said, I understand the desire for authenticity in a historic home. Would it be possible to reduce the square footage to be tiled? Maybe just tile the shower or tub surround and not the other walls. I live in a converted schoolhouse circa 1890, and while authenticity is not an issue (they used an outhouse!), a traditional look is important to me, so I'll probably use 4ft wainscot and chair rail outside of the tub area. How large an area are you planning to tile?

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    kats737:

    If you are fairly handy and do your research, you're not out of your league. Buy Michael Byrne's book from Taunton Press and follow his instructions to the letter, no matter what your friend says.

  • kats737
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Beanie, thanks for saying they are lovely tiles. I thought I was going to be stuck with5.5' wall tiles because of how the previous tiles ruined our walls, but dh is confident he can repair the plaster and lower the height to a shorter one, saving us tile money. So yes, that will help. I'm still getting that paper holder ;) but I will go with modern fixtures for towel bars, etc.

    Trebuchet, thanks so much for the vote of confidence. That means a lot. Dh spent an entire day thinking and researching tiling, and came back to me with a ton of enthusiasm about the job, which has in turn made me feel better about making the jump to those tiles.

    So, I think we are going to go for it. Demo starts today!

  • AvatarWalt
    9 years ago

    I'm looking forward to hearing how the tiles go. We're still in the (very long) planning stages of a kitchen and bath remodel, but the Subway Ceramics bookmark is one I click on way too often (along with garden web!).

  • mdln
    9 years ago

    I grew up in a Chicago bungalow, love them, they are my idea of a ''real house.'' I will be cheering you on from the suburbs. Am finishing a rebuild of a 1920's Sears house.

    To answer your question, I put DalTile white subway tile in the kitchen and do not regret it. Now that everything is tiled and grouted, the only thing I find surprising is - the cheaper tile, that I got from Floor & Decor, for the bathrooms looks to be of higher quality.

  • 30chickens
    6 years ago

    I love subway ceramics but just couldn't afford it. Instead I am doing 1.95 sf dal tile. I compromised by getting the subway ceramics toilet paper holder and doing a nice line and chair rail. I decided better to have good fixtures then "just right" wall tile. But, that said I am doing unglazed hex on the floor from American universal in ca. It is the lowest cost I could find and is whiter then the ones from Harratige tile. We are buying a sheet of blue from Harratige to make a daisy pattern. The tiles seem to match in size and texture.

  • kats737
    6 years ago

    Wow, this is an old thread, suppose I should update it.

    We did end up going with Subway Ceramics (now heritage tile) . Approx 100 SF of wall tile, trimmed out with cap and base tile. DH installed it, and did a great job on the layout of where everything intersects. We do have some lippage, but we kept our original walls and they are pretty wonky, so that is what it is. The cost was high, compared to any other material, BUT to me, it was absolutely worth it. I walk up the stairs and the bathroom looks exactly like it should.


    Heritage Tile was wonderful to work with and super supportive about our project. Even at the end when we dropped a corner trim down to a concrete floor 10' below (don't ask) they were kind enough to look in the store and see if they had one laying around.

    30chickens, I allowed myself one accessory, and went with the toilet paper holder. I love it! I like your ingenuity in mixing and matching brands, that's smart. Let us know how it goes.

  • cpartist
    6 years ago

    Kats do you have a picture?

  • _blackbird_
    3 years ago

    @kats737 thank you for the info and pics — I’m also considering Subway Ceramics to replace the damaged flat edge tile in my 1926 bathroom and it’s helpful to hear a review. Your bathroom is beautiful!

  • kats737
    3 years ago

    _blackbird_, so glad it could help. I still love my bathroom!!!

  • beaniebakes
    3 years ago

    @kats737..I can’t believe this thread is five years old. It took all those years to finally have my bathroom done and I’m so glad I decided to use Heritage Tile. It’s small bathroom in a former attic space...soaking tub, no shower. I used 3x6 crackle tile in Heather, shoulder cove base, P-cap molding, and inside/outside base corner pieces.


    This was a financial splurge for me and if I had to do it again, I would have asked Heritage Tile for design assistance as the choices in their catalog were overwhelming. I’ve never seen so many trim pieces and couldn’t even figure out what many of them were for. And they’re expensive. The corners were more than $20 each and really weren’t needed. Other base and cap choices may have been less expensive too. But overall, I’m thrilled with the outcome.


    Here are some photos. Note: The missing corner tile is now installed (long story) and the niche will have glasses shelves. Artwork still needed. (I don’t know why the third image is sideways.)






  • _blackbird_
    3 years ago

    @beaniebakes what a beautiful space, thank you for sharing photos! I’m going to go ahead and get a quote from Heritage...and maybe take your advice to get some design help from them too. I really hope it can work out — the bathroom is so classic and using their tile would make it look just as good for another 90 years. Fingers crossed. It definitely helps to hear from real people instead of just going dizzy researching options!

  • beaniebakes
    3 years ago

    @blackbird ... you’re welcome. I’m glad my input was helpful. I suffer from OCB and know what you mean about dizzying research!


    When I suggested asking for design advice, I wasn’t even sure they offered it. But I just checked the web site which has been redone since the last time I went there, and it now has a link for design assistance. Catalogs are also available for download.


    Another thought that I’d like to share: there was not one flaw in any of the tile pieces. Packaging for shipping was amazing... boxes within boxes, foam, etc. The tile installer was impressed with the quality.


    Keep us posted and good luck with your project.


    https://heritagetile.com/request-a-design-consultation/

    https://heritagetile.com/subway-ceramics-design-tools/

  • Jasmine
    2 months ago

    @kats737 I know this post was a long time ago, but I am working through the same process in a bathroom redo in a Victorian house as we speak. From the pictures, it looks like yours turned out fantastic and with lasting appeal. I'm curious, did you use the off-white "Avalon" color from Subway Ceramics or the basic white? Also, could you share what color grout you used? Thank and hope you're still enjoying your bathroom!