Covering bathroom tiles the cheap way to renovate

By Eva Neumann Jul 7, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - The worst thing about having an ugly bathroom is it tends to stay ugly for a long time because complete bathroom renovations are seldom affordable.

In many cases tiling is the biggest challenge to a bathroom renovation. Removing them is not only time consuming and expensive, it also creates a lot of noise and dust.

But there are new methods for dealing with those moss green, curry yellow and Bahama beige tiles reminiscent of the 1960s or 1970s or the cold, sterile feel of uniform white tiles that could be from any era. They can be covered with another material or they can be tiled or plastered over.

If the goal is just to add some accents, colourful stickers can be eye-catching. Rudolf Voos, chief executive of an association for tilers and natural stone tradesmen in Berlin, says, however, that stickers can only be used to perk up tiles temporarily.

When they are placed where the shower reaches, their edges tend to loosen and they peel off. Their images also typically cannot take regular thorough cleaning. The advantage of stickers is that they are easy to remove and don't require permission from the landlord.

Before applying the stickers, the surface must be cleansed thoroughly with alcohol and when pressing them onto the smooth tile, trapped air that could form bubbles should also be avoided.

There also are laminated sheets that can cover old tiles completely. Some of these products are similar to wallpaper in the way they are affixed, meaning the original condition of the wall is covered for good.

As a result, a renter must get permission from the homeowner before doing such a renovation. This is the case with many renovation options. Coating the tile with lacquer is another example.

'It won't hold for 20 years like a complete retiling would, but for five to seven years it's a solution,' says Lorenz Vogt, a tiling expert with a Frankfurt-based association representing the lacquer and colour printing industry in Germany.

But he cautions against applying lacquer over silicon because lacquer and silicon react against each other. Silicon is often used along the edges of a bathtub as a sealant. This must be taped off or the silicon must be removed completely before the lacquer is applied, says Vogt.

'Grease, soap scum and lime deposits must be removed from the old tiles. If they are not, these things can affect the hold of the lacquer,' says Vogt, further advising following manufacturers' instructions on how to apply the lacquer. Most types take about five days to harden.

'Then you use adhesive strips to recreate the look of grout,' says Mareike Hermann of a do-it-yourself academy in Cologne.

A third option is to plaster over old tiles, but this takes the most effort. The visual appearance of the tile disappears completely and the bathroom takes on a very comfortable atmosphere, says Hermann.

After cleansing away any grease and removable dirt, the grout cracks and any deep holes are filled. Next a primer is applied over the entire surface and finally the plaster to suit one's taste.

Tiling over old tile is the most labour-intensive option. A professional tiler should be consulted before taking on that type of job.