We no strangers to removing unsightly trees. In fact, taking care of the dead/dying/dangerous trees that we were warned might fall on our first house during our home inspection was a big part of the transformation of the front yard. But taking out these particular trees was a new challenge… because they were in the form of tile in our bathroom:
We’ve never been crazy about the beige-on-beige color scheme going on when it comes to the tile in that bathroom, but at least most of it is neutral enough to not call that much attention to itself. Except for that tree-tacular border. Every time we walk in the opening chant from The Lion King plays on repeat in our heads. Feel free to listen to it as you read this post (you can bet your buns we were singing it throughout this project).
It’s just not what we would have picked to encircle the entire bathroom (it’s on all four walls, the same tree sketch on each tile, over and over again). It’s like groundhog day without Bill Murray.
Thankfully, tile isn’t permanent. And we’ve seen people cut out offending tiles (whether they’re broken, ugly, or both) and replace them with something more their style. We even tackled a little bit of that in our kitchen when we did some bracket-reduction surgery here.
So we debated for a while about what we wanted to put in its place, and finally decided on some classic clear glass subway tiles (sort of like the glossy and reflective cousin of the classic white subway tile). They were the perfect size and we felt like they’d help update the room like some of the other beige-to-white changes that we’ve made (painting the of-white trim, swapping out the beige toilet, etc). See how holding just one of them up to the old border sort of modernizes and freshens the whole room and breaks up the monochromatic beige-on-beige tile action? They sort of look blue here (since they’re reflecting the blue painting) but they’re clear glass in person – which is really cool since they pick up colors in the room, whatever they are.
After checking out a couple of sources (local tile shops and big box stores like Home Depot), we found these guys at The Tile Shop, which is also where we got our kitchen penny tile. And with our 10% discount (the code is YHL10, which works for everyone) we only needed about $50 worth of tile to redo the entire border. So it actually was a pretty quick and easy shopping trip… except for having to repeatedly peel Clara away from all of the displays. For some reason she’s obsessed with crawling in and out of all of the fake showers. And laying down in them. We call that last shot “The Crime Scene.”
Even though the tile was pretty affordable, the project total quickly jumped with the purchase of the tool that we’d need to cut out the old tile: a Dremel MultiMax (here’s an affiliate link to the one we bought for ya). It – plus the special head for grout – ran us about $130. But I called it part of John’s Father’s Day gift (and a late Mother’s Day gift to myself, haha) since it was high time we “transplanted” those tree tiles. We figure it’s a tool that’ll come in handy a lot over the years (it has a bunch of different heads), so it’s not just a one-project-thing. We’ve actually used it on two other projects since, including the deck so it’s already paying off!
We were a bit hesitant to just have at it, but the Dremel felt like a pretty straightforward tool. We attached the special grout attachment, plugged it in, turned it on, and slowly pressed the oscillating head (it sort of just shakes back and forth quickly) into the grout line.
John got to take it for a spin first (new-tool-lover that he is) but I also got in on the fun. It wasn’t the fastest process in the world, but we liked that the attachment was strong enough to break up the grout – but not really strong enough to majorly scratch the tile. So if we slipped a little bit we didn’t have to worry about ruining the surrounding tiles (you probably could, but you’d have to lay into them with some force, and that wasn’t our game plan). Oh and once we got started, the groove between the tiles acted as a natural guide to keep our line straight – so that was nice.
Once we had removed the grout around one tile we half expected it to just pop off the wall with a light flick of the flat-head screwdriver. Nope. Instead it just chipped off a bit and came flying at us like a ceramic bullet.
In an unusual reversal of roles, I was just about ready to throw up my hands and declare this entire project too difficult (I’m usually the chipper we-can-do-it cheerleader while John voices his doubts). I think I was just riled up because that chipped piece of tile-shrapnel hit my neck and gave me a small cut. Thank goodness we were both wearing safety glasses so the eyeballs were protected. Since John’s neck remained unscathed (and he probably was enjoying this role reversal of being the one who soldiers on) he carefully tapped at it the edge a bit more with a screwdriver and hammer… and eventually was able to get under our first tile!
A bit more prying later and voila – we had one tile down, and about three dozen more to go.
You can see in these shots that it looks like these tiles were applied to drywall, not cement board. It’s not ideal, but not problematic enough that we were going to tear the whole thing off and replace it with with the sturdier stuff (this is not the shower wall, it’s the wall next to the toilet).
Did I mention this process was kinda messy?
The other rows of tile came off easier actually (the difference between thinset on cement vs. thinset on drywall paper) so the process speed up a little bit (although cutting out all of that grout was still more time consuming that we expected).
But by the end of Clara’s nap (about 2.5 hours this particular day) we had managed to get all of the tile off the wall successfully, without any more tile-inflicted wounds. High fives ensued. Update: A few folks have asked why there’s a light switch in the shower in the photo below this one, but it’s actually located outside of the shower curtain near the door to the bathroom, so it doesn’t get wet.
And we had continued to make quite a mess on the floor. More high fives were enjoyed.
Accomplishing any project within the span on one nap always falls within the “victory” column for us. After taking another half hour to sweep up and wipe down the room (followed by showering in the hall bath), the room was ready for tiling. But we’ll cover that tomorrow since we still have a few things to finish and some photos to snap before we can share that whole shebang. Who else has rocked some tile removal? Anyone use a Dremel (or similar rotary tool) for the task? Any high fives going on, or are we the only ones trying to keep those alive?
Psst- To follow this bathroom sprucing project from the start, check out this planning post, this painting post, this light-swapping post, this art and trim-painting post, this toilet-updating post, this window frosting and shampoo wrangling post, and this toilet selling/buying and door-cutting-down post.
Wow, you’re very brave! I can’t believe you were able to cut around those tiles without damaging the rest.
Can’t wait to see the new tiles!
Thanks. Now I’m going to have the Circle of Life stuck in my head all day (doesn’t help that I’m in CPR class).
We’re planning on a tile project, but ours will involve sledge hammers and dumpsters (we’ve been reading up on your old bathroom remodel). Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Oddly, I got “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid stuck in my head instead… I guess it’s been a while since I saw The Lion King.
Haha, that’s a great song too. Gotta get some of these Disney classics for Clara!
xo
s
Timber (and good riddance). Looking good.
We’re not doing any tiling project or anything that cool – but we’re a family of lots of high fives!
Yesss, keep the high fives alive!
xo,
s
*gasp* – those new tiles are going to look amazing and totally transform the space! I know that’s what your plan was the whole time, but I never could really “see” it until now!
Great job. Love to see you guys take on this stuff as I am doing research on a shower reno.
Ahhhh, the suspense is killing me!! I love the glass tile that you guys picked out, I think it will go so well with the rest of your blue accessories :)
Very exciting! I love the light blue tile you guys chose. We have a dremmel, too (although not as fancy as yours), and we’ve used it on a bunch of stuff around the house. It’s very useful!
I do recall that you two, *ahem* grownups also enjoyed playing in the fake showers at the Home and Garden Show in Portland, Oregon.
Then again, so did I.
That shower is going to look A LOT better without the forest-y frieze accent. A great way to get a better look with minimal expenditure. Not to mention so much more non-consumer-y to just change a small detail rather than tearing it all down and starting from scratch.
Katy
Haha- it’s true! Fake shower fun runs in the family. Hahaha.
xo,
s
Really liking the new tile option. :-)
Ha! I cannot begin to tell you how much the “crime scene” photo cracked me up!!! Clara just loves her tile… Nothing wrong with showing it the love! :)
Xox
I have about five random mushroom scene tiles in my kitchen backsplash that I have bothered me since I bought my house. I always wondered if there was a way to remove them without taking down all the tiles. I’ll have to see if some of my handy friends have a Dremel I can borrow so I can move this up my project wish list! Thanks!!
Sure thing! Good luck!
xo,
s
When Lion King was in town here in Richmond I worked there. Now I often can’t get those songs out of my head. Great. Thanks. Love the new tile!
Haha, that’s so cool! We wish we could have seen it while they were in town!
xo,
s
That tile will look great! I love the color/look of it.
Do you think you’ll ever re-tile the whole bathroom in the way-distant future, or this will be that last make over your bathroom gets? Just curious!
Maybe someday way down the line, but we love little updates along the way, and hope that we enjoy the new tile so much that it staves off any major renovation cravings for a nice long time!
xo,
s
Why does it look like an electical outlet in the shower? The new tiles look like they may reflect any other color around them – it looks like it is picking up the aqua from the print above
That wall with the outlet isn’t the shower wall- it’s the wall next to the toilet. Since the whole room is tiled up a ways, it’s pretty confusing in photos!
xo,
s
I think Betty is talking about the photo second from the bottom, where you can see the faucet for the shower and some kind of uncovered box where the tree-tile ran through. What is that box for? Also, was cement board used behind the tiles IN the shower? Thanks! : )
Oh yes, there was the right stuff behind the shower walls thank goodness! As for that box in the second to last photo, it’s a light switch, but it’s outside the shower (that wall continues to the door, but the switch is outside the shower curtain).
xo,
s
Such a cliffhanger! I can’t wait to see what it looks like :)
Clara is hilarious. You guys are really pro. Love the blue tile.
We’ve been crossing off long due projects (mainly small ones) off our list too lately.
http://whatsurhomestory.com/summer-cleaning/
I cannot believe you’ve gone this long with a MultiMax. We LOVE ours!
Consider us its latest fans!
xo,
s
I watched our tile guy do this same thing when we had him re-do a tile that was not at all level. It reminded me of dental work.
Our Lowe’s has this very short shower for display-the kids call it a doggie shower. And there is also the semi-circular one that they call the Star Trek shower. Yes, we let them get in if they are being respectful!
Haha, that’s funny!
xo,
s
I got a feeling of how small your bathroom actually is from the overhead shot looking down at the floor. The brightnes of the room really helps it feel larger than it is.
I also love the Clara crime scene photo! she is definitively inheriting y’all love of home decor.
Oh yes, it’s a really small room! So glad to finally capture that! Haha.
xo,
s
I would have never thought this possible. Thanks y’all!
All you need for the last picture of Clara is a photoshopped chalk outline. I remember being fascinated by displays as a kid, too. Can’t wait to see the new tile in place!
My husband is a super-nerd who is dying to get into the prop making game and he is currently OBSESSED with the Dremel! lol. And since I’m constantly talking about you guys he’s going to be so stoked that you approve. It’ll raise his hopes that I’ll approve the purchase someday soon. lol
Hahaha, we’re definitely fans! Maybe he should get one in his stocking…
xo,
s
I don’t hate the “tree-tacular” border. Of course I love the new glass tile you guys chose-always comin up with great ideas!
That is going to look great! It’s amazing how a simple switch can make such a big difference! Can’t wait to see it tomorrow!
the photo of clara on the floor as “crime scene” is hilarious! I have a dremel kit of my own but I’ve never used it for cutting tiles, I usually use it for carving wood work….I should definitely give it a shot with cutting tiles. Did you find it difficult to work with b/c the circular piece would crack while you’re cutting tiles?
Love the dark blue color against all the white cabinets….and the tile you’ve chosen is definitely a great choice :)
We used a special head for grout, so it didn’t crack (we weren’t cutting the tiles, just the grout line). It was really easy to use, although a bit slow-going at times!
xo,
s
Can’t stop giggling at the ‘Crime Scene Photo’, lol at what you guys come up with. The tile is going to look great, can’t wait to see it!
LOVE the blue tile! We are discussing redoing our guest bathroom which would require removing a lot of tile. But for now, we are in the process up remodeling our second floor so the bathroom will have to wait. :-(
I LOVE our Dremel Multimax! I’ve put a bunch of outlets in our plaster/wood lathe walls with it without ruining the surrounding plaster. Sharp(new) heads chew right through the plaster and the wood lathe, but the plaster dulls the blades pretty quickly. Anyway, great investment there, you’ll use it a lot.
That is going to look SO nice when finished! I love that Clara is so amused by the shower displays at the tile store. That “crime scene” photo is priceless.
We have an oscillating multitool like the Dremel (but a different brand) and it’s been invaluable in the few short months that we’ve owned it! It’s been used for undercutting door frames, scraping up vinyl flooring, excising a damaged cabinet bottom, cutting a hole in drywall for a new electrical box, and probably more that I’m not remembering right now. I don’t think you will regret your purchase!
Love the glassy looking tiles! We were just discussing replacing our shower tiles with something like that (in a few years)!
thats a neat tool, glad your eyeballs are okay!
another way (but probably even more slow going on a wall, as you would have to hold it up against the wall) is using dry ice. it shrinks the tile and makes the grout super brittle so you can just tap it out! we did that in our kitchen, there was a crack/hole in one tile, in the CENTER of the kitchen, so we had to put our brains together on how to get just one out.
No way- that’s so interesting!
xo,
s
Can’t wait to see the finished product! I would have definitely given up, plopped on the couch and watched something on Bravo while my husband finished the work :/
http://thebaloneybug.com
I was smiling as I was reading the part about the high fives because I was just picturing my husband and I. We do it all the time when we “figure something out” during a project. I usually follow it up with the cabbage patch and “oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah.” We’re in the process of a mini makeover in our kitchen now. Check out our progress here: http://www.simply-inspiring.com/2012/06/new-kitchen-counters.html
Haha, I love it! Your progress, and the cabbage patch.
xo,
s
Thanks. That Dremel tool might actually come in handy for us during the makeover. We made the rookie mistake of putting slate with white grout in our kitchen when we first redid it. WTH were we thinking?!?! We already tried the manual grout saw without much luck.
I just purchased my own Dremel with the grout blade as well!! We just moved into our first home, and my first project was re-grouting the full bath. I went through 2 of those blades in my project. Isn’t it so much fun? I was head to toe full of grout by the end, but soap and water make such a difference.
A big thanks to you guys for the Tile Shop coupon (they honored mine) and advice about grouting..it certainly came in handy during my first project. Can’t wait to see the finished project!
Aw thanks Sara! Sounds like you did a ton of work to regrout your bathroom but I bet it looks so much better!
xo,
s
We use the dremel all the time to file our beagles nails… although last time the hubby hit my leg when it was set to high…. no high-fives ensued….
The crime scene photo is too funny! Loved it!
Ouch! Definitely not a high-five-worthy occasion!
xo,
s
This is just what I need to do to my bathroom. It is all white tile except for a few ‘accent’ tiles that have multicolored dots with gold around them – so lovely :( Luckily it’s only about 8 tiles, this post is motivating me!
I like the new tile – and I can’t believe you didn’t have a dremel!!! Great investment says the hubby!
Not related to the post but wanted to say that I saw that the cover for your book is up on Amazon. I love the design & the picture of you two!!
Ahhh, it’s so crazy! That’s actually not the final cover, but it’s better than nothing! Haha. Still working on the cover actually, so it’ll be fun to watch it change over there!
xo,
s
It is gonna look awesome! I think the new tiles with the pendant light you guys recently installed will be beautiful together. Looking forward to seeing the final product.
I was also wondering about that light switch, it looks like it is in the shower in the pics, but knew you would have mentioned that LONG ago if it were!
That’s actually on the same wall as the shower, but it’s outside of the shower curtain (near the door to the room) so it’s not in the shower with us! Haha.
xo,
s
bracket-reduction surgery? Haha thanks for making my day =)
That Dremel Multimax tool is a dream come true. I just wish those bits were so expensive! We used ours a ton during our bathroom reno a couple of years ago. Looking forward to seeing your tone-on-tone tiling upgrade!
I did the same in my bathroom. We had circa 1990 grey and pink flower tiles adorning our shower. Fortunately they were applied to cement board on two walls, but on the third wall it was plain drywall. I really massacred that wall, but fortunately my dad was able to fill it back in with plaster. We put in a strip of small tiles in place of the flowers, and it came out great. I also painstakingly drilled out ALL of the old grout from the whole shower, and we redid it.
Whew, that sounds like tons of work! I bet it looks so much better now!
xo,
s
You’re selling me on the Dremel and we don’t even have any projects that need it!
Haha, it’s pretty darn handy. Can’t believe it took us so long to pick it up.
xo,
s
I love it when they sleep just long enough that you get something finished – like they knew you just needed a couple more minutes before saying “Mommmy! Daddy!” to get up! I’m actually working teaching our 9mth old the high five – we do it all the time!
Yes, we’re in there humming Lion King and willing her to sleep just ten more minutes. Haha.
xo,
s
Love the new tiles and laughing really hard about the high 5 mention. My boyfriend and I are about your age and just got caught really enthusiastically high 5ing after remembering to buy ice (it’s the small things, right?). The couple who high 5’s together, stays together.
Haha, I like it. We need a bumper sticker.
xo,
s
It’s going to look great, I’m sure! Love the new tile. I never knew tile “extraction” was possible!
And, that crime scene photo is hilarious. I personally love all those displays in stores, too! We used to have an Expo store here (higher end line of Home Depot) which had some awesome ones, but the store closed (sad face).
I can’t believe how many projects you guys take on at once! At least the deck is outside (so you’re not having to walk through an in-progress project multiple times a day!)
So many projects going on at once for you guys…I am having anxiety just reading about it!!! Or I could just stop drinking so much coffee and get some work done…also a way to go.
Looks great! Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Word,
Jill
Haha, thanks Jill! Sometimes we just get antsy and finally decide to tell those tree tiles who’s boss. Haha.
xo,
s
I love high fives.
My friend was on an episode of Cash Cab, and when I watched it with a different group of friends their reaction was: Your friend likes to high five a lot!
Yes, yes he does. And there’s nothing wrong with that! There may have been alcohol involved in his high fives though. :) hehe
Hahaha, that’s so funny! We just saw an old NYC friend of ours on Cash Cab as the person on the street someone asked. It was hilarious.
xo,
s