Register replacement? Tile? Drywall?

11 years ago

Hello all,

The heat registers in our home are of the old iron(?) variety, but when the cold air returns we put in they used the ugly 50s/60s version, cut into the baseboard, of course. I'm wondering if there is any reason I couldn't replace the ugly things with the older style register covers if I could find the proper size? With all the old homes being torn down in the area it seems reasonable to think I could find them salvaged...

Also, both of the bathrooms in the home have yellowy-beige tile halfway up the wall topped with some very interesting, by which I mean ugly, wallpaper. I'm assuming this dates to a 50s remodel? Is there any reason I shouldn't remove the tile? I assume the plaster will need some work, but I've found a wonderful plaster guy who fixed all the holes from the electrical rewire for a reasonable price. I assume tiled walls are not in keeping with the age of the house?

And finally, there is a "bathroom" on the first floor that opens into both the kitchen and the study. And by bathroom, I mean a toilet. No sink. Ewww. I assume that this tiny space was at one time the pantry. With 2 small children I need a place for them to go potty on the first floor (There is a full bath on the second)and so am considering walling off the door to the kitchen so the only entrance is to the study so that I can have a little pedestal sink put in. Is drywall an acceptable material for closing off the doorway, or should I find someone who will do something else. The walls are plaster in the rest of the house...

Please forgive my silly questions, but I'm new to this and don't want to do anything atrocious to this poor old house. Better to ask than regret, right? :)

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Comments (7)

columbusguy1
11 years ago
As long as the grates are the same size, there is no reason you can't find ones in cast iron to make a better match with your others--salvage shops and some antique stores will have a selection--there is one place here which I have bought several from.

Before you do any tile removal, can you tell us if the tile is the plastic variety which was popular then, or ceramic? There is quite a market for the plastic tile if you can remove it intact. And, what is the age of the house? Tile has been a popular/sanitary choice for bathrooms almost since the beginnings of modern plumbing in the late 19th century. Some baths were wainscotted and fixtures were made to look almost like furniture, especially the tub and commode.

For your downstairs 'bath', there are more options than pedestal sinks--small corner sinks were quite common and take up very little space since they are open below--you might not need to close off one of the doors. If you do close off one of the doors, you need to put in some studs so that the finished drywall will be level with the surrounding plaster...after removing and saving the trim of course. It isn't uncommon to leave the door closed up inside the wall--it will save it in place for someone who might later want to reopen it.
worthy
11 years ago
There are also a number of on-line purveyors of new old-style cast-iron grilles and registers.

You could also consider stamped steel versions.

This post was edited by worthy on Sun, Dec 30, 12 at 18:51
Kiagrace
Original Author
11 years ago
Columbusguy,

Some of the paperwork lists the house as 1910, other things say 1917. (I've attached a pic from the listing, but it's not great.)

I'm pretty sure the tile is ceramic. And I believe the trim from the kitchen is also part of a 50s remodel. It doesn't match the oak trim in the rest of the house. The door is a newer hollow core number. Unfortunately they replaced that door and all of the doors upstairs. Trying to locate older doors that would fit the house better is on my Stuff to do Someday List.

It looks like there might be wood floor under the ugly linoleum in the bathroom and kitchen. It's not the same oak as in the study, LR, and DR...maybe maple or fir? I'll have to see how bad of shape it's in when the linomium comes up. Any sectrets for getting carpet glue off wood floors? Besides the obvious sanding, I mean... :)
columbusguy1
11 years ago
My upstairs floors are pine, and it ran into the bathroom, found it under old carpet, newspaper and two layers of painted hardboard. It was badly stained from water near the toilet, so I covered it up with vinyl until I can afford something more classy--but the diagonal black and white check works period-wise.

Your kitchen floor could be maple. I haven't excavated mine to determine species...I'm hoping one of the multiple layers is a linoleum I can live with or paint over. :)

I am lucky that a lot of my house is still original: doors, hardware, lighting, trim--a common style door is the five panel, which is what my 1908 house has. For a great book of what works, get a used copy of the Sears Builders Catalog of 1910 from Amazon--it has lots of pictures of hardware, doors, fireplaces, trim, lighting and stained glass in it. One warning though--the prices listed for the items at that time will make you cry--but money stretched further then than it does now.:)

You might try something like Fantastik to remove the glue, or hot water and soap...some old glues will come up that way when you think nothing will work. I'd try everything else before sanding as that is far more intrusive--and if sanding is done too far, you risk exposing the tongue-and-groove joints which means the floor is ruined.
sacto_diane
11 years ago
Actually you can browse the builders catalog online at Google books

Here is a link that might be useful: Sears Builders Catalog of 1910
mommabird
11 years ago
Toilet w no sink wasn't that uncommon in old houses. You could wash your hands in the kitchen sink. I have friends that have this in their house. It has a tiny room just inside the back door - Only room for the toilet. That room has a door into the kitchen. They have never had a problem with using the kitchen sink to wash hands. They raised 3 kids in this house and were happy for a 1st floor toilet when they were young.
columbusguy1
11 years ago
Kia, here is a link for a corner sink someone has for sale on another old house site--My Old House Online. Looks pretty good, and it will give you an idea of the kind I was referring to earlier.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corner Sink