This post describes a 1962 Austin, TX, bathroom renovation for a home had already been redone sometime in the 1990s with really stupid tile and a less than inspired design. Terrible reno design is always sad. These clients had to fix their ugly, hard to clean, and leaky tub surround anyway. So, they chose to do their midcentury home justice by replacing it with a classic subway tile tub surround.
This is one way to NOT do a midcentury home justice:
An institutional brown theme is great for public restroom decor. The new homeowners wanted to make their main bathroom match the rest of their home’s 1960s charming character without spending a ton of money. The secret? Keep the tub and cabinet, use a custom stone remnant for a new countertop, and use inexpensive 3×6 ceramic subway tile for the new tub surround.
Here’s the secret to doing a true midcentury bathroom home on a budget. Simply use the same finish materials that 1960 folks would have used. For example, white ceramic subway tile is VERY inexpensive. That’s why subway tile tub surrounds were so popular for stylish bathrooms in the 1960s! If you can save on surface finish materials, then you can afford to splurge on proper install materials and labor.
This is how you can get a fantastic midcentury vibe on a budget.
The Tub Surround Install Process
Here are the five basic steps for a complete bathroom makeover:
- Demo the existing tub surround, floor tile to the slab, and rip out the original vanity countertop
- Replace the mixing valve and faucet/spout/showerhead plumbing with all new fixtures
- Install concrete backerboard for the new tub surround, with RedGard waterproofing
- Install new tub surround tile, new bathroom floor tile, and a new vanity countertop quartz stone slab
- Install a new tile backsplash, new toilet and drop-in sink, new baseboard, and fin!
Here’s a detailed description of how each step went, starting with a crucial cost savings tip.
Re-Use the Cast Iron Tub!
Every 1960s bathroom featured a cast iron enameled bathtub. Unless you’re converting the tub bath to a shower, you really DO NOT want to replace an existing cast iron tub. Much like origional hardwood floors, cast iron tubs are pretty much unobtanioum these days. And they can be refinished to showroom new for less than the cost of buying and installing even the cheapest plastic acrylic replacement tub.
This tub was in great shape with no significant scratches or chips. So preserving it was simply a matter of protecting the finish throughout the demo and retile process. Step one, cover the entire lip area with a double layer of masking tape. Step two, tape a sheet along the lip for extra protection. And step three, place a layer of plywood on top of everything to keep anything from falling into the tub.
Demolition
Demo revealed that the tub surround wall framing showed no sign of significant moisture intrusion. The previous installer used concrete backerboard without a waterproofing layer. They also used plain drywall screws for installing the concrete backerboard. This causes galvanic corrosion when you don’t apply a waterproofing barrier, and it gives moisture a direct line straight into the wall framing.
Thankfully, tub surround tile gets a lot less moisture intrusion than shower tile. So that was a saving grace. There was no major water damage as a result.
The Plumbing
You really want to redo the supply plumbing when you replace a tub surround. For example, the shower head in this tub shower was originally plumbed to a 60″ height (that’s just five feet off the floor). Not great for modern-sized adults!
You can move the controls and showerhead and tubspout to whatever custom location you personally like. And you can replace the legacy plumbing if it is cheap off-brand or just plain old. Mixing valves do have a lifespan due to scale and other water deposits and simple wear on plastic parts and silicone seals.
You can easily replumb a tub/shower surround when the wall is wide open and the supply plumbing is already 1/2″ copper that’s in great shape. You can have a licensed plumber do this work for $700. Or, you can do it yourself. Two sharkbite fittings is all that’s needed to splice PEX piping onto copper, and from there it’s really simple. PEX fittings are secured by crimp rings that only require a $50 tool to cinch down, so you can do the replumbing work yourself if you are on a tight budget.
The Waterproofing
Here is a very simple tip for making a tub surround that’s truly waterproof: USE SOME ACTUAL WATERPROOFING! Install concrete backerboard with exterior-rated deckscrews, and then paint the wet area with two layers of RedGard.
Using Sika masonry sealant and RedGard to put a continuous waterproofing layer directly underneath the surface tile layer only costs $100 for added materials and guarantees a mold-free tub/shower combo that will last a lifetime.
The Tile
The clients went with a classic midcentury subway tile and pattern to achieve a simple finish. They wanted something inexpensive. Simple 3×6 ceramic also got them a subway tile tub surround that was balanced, peaceful, and appropriate for the age of the home.
The new vanity countertop got a matching strip of backsplash tile, and the new floor tile added some great visual interest:
Speaking of design, one often difficult aspect of tiling around old(er) bathtubs is dealing with the curved bumpout. Most contemporary tubs have a straight skirt (the side of the tub meets the floor in a straight line). Tubs from the 50s/60s, however, generally were designed with several curves in the skirt to make the tub more rigid. Unfortunately, cutting precise curves in even soft tile can be difficult.
But, not impossible! An example:
The Final Result!
This subway tile tub surround bathroom reno was a great example of how to go from dark and dated to bright and classic contemporary without busting a budget. By re-using the original vanity cabinet, sourcing a remnant stone slab for a new countertop, and using basic white ceramic tile for the tub surround, the clients were able to get full reno results with only a partial reno investment.
The clients were pretty happy, as described in their review:
Here are the before and after views.
