I live in a 1975 home, and while most of the house has lovely exterior stone or glass walls, the bathrooms are another story. The walls around the shower and bath are made of mortared bluestone, but the other walls are this strange cement-like material that looks more appropriate for a prison. There's narrow wooden framing around each slab, and one wall even has an outdated wall heater from the 1960s stuck in it. The cement walls are cracked and really unattractive, and I want a decent bathroom wall that I can tile over. My contractor says the only option is to tile directly over the existing walls because there's plumbing inside them. Sure, it's a bathroom, but just tiling over doesn't fix the ugly heater or the big cracks. I'd love to know if anyone has any idea what this wall material is, if it can be removed, and if I can finally get rid of that wall heater. Also, I'm not impressed with my contractor's tile guy; his work has been subpar, and I'm capable of managing a simple tile job if I had proper walls to work with!
3 Answers
Honestly, anything can be removed if you have the right contractor. If someone tells you otherwise, it’s usually one of three reasons: they don’t want to deal with it, they lack the skill, or it’s over their budget. Honestly, I'd get a second opinion from another contractor who might be more willing to take the job on.
You're looking at an older bathroom setup, and trust me, many contractors, including my crew, deal with similar situations all the time. It's not overly complicated, just time-consuming. You likely need to demo the walls and replace them with good studs to ensure your new walls are up to standard. Don’t settle for a contractor who doesn’t want to do the job right.
Exactly! The walls might even be lath and plaster, which has been removed for plumbing repairs in houses like yours. Don’t hesitate—this can definitely be done with the proper labor.
If it can go up, it can come down! It sounds like your contractor is just afraid of the work involved. I’d suggest getting a new contractor who isn’t intimidated by the project. You deserve better than someone who isn't up for the challenge.
Seriously! Why stick with someone who isn't doing a good job? It’s your home, and there are plenty of other contractors who’ll be happy to take this on.
Yeah, definitely! You might also run into asbestos or lead issues in older homes, which could be a reason your current contractor is hesitant. But don’t let that stop you—there are professionals who can handle it.