Plastic tiles seem to have been very popular in the 1950s and, my mom tells me, into the 1960s. In estate sale houses, I see them in both bathrooms and kitchens. I attribute their popularity to the fact that homeowners could install them themselves — and we were a very DIY nation at the time. Also, these tiles could be easily installed over existing plaster walls — meaning that they were good for renovating the “imperfect” plaster walls in old farmhouses, Victorians and bungalows and to get that “modern” look.
In fact, the benefits of plastic were highly touted during the entire postwar period. I kind of have a feeling folks thought plastic and ceramic were equal in attractiveness? We were fascinated with the lure of the man-made and technology — this is a critical part of the American identity, even still. Also, I am pretty sure it’s a good guess that plastic tiles were significantly cheaper than ceramic tiles, and that must have been part of the allure as well. In my very recent travels I have picked up three vintage brochures — from Church, Pittsburgh and Coronet Tile Companies — and have scanned the prettiness, and info, for all to share.
Check out the complete slide show…. Click on first thumbnail to launch it, then move forward via the arrows below each image:
Mind you:
- I am not necessarily the world’s biggest fan of plastic tile. All three of my bathrooms were outfitted with the stuff. The bathrooms had seen some hard livin’, I think, and the stuff was…. nasty. The plastic tiles in my tub/shower surrounds had all rotted through. So much so that previous owners had then pasted marbleized vinyl panels on top of it. The seams were grucky and moldy and oh, I shudder at the memories…. I had that plastic ripped out with joy in my heart and replaced it with ceramic tile all around. Bottom line: I fear that if plastic tile has not been installed well, and if the bathrooms or kitchens have been used heavily, it may not be worth salvaging. I am all for function, folks, and in a bathroom especially, there is nothing that beats waterproof ceramic tile, in my mind.
- All that said, I did buy a bundle of vintage plastic tile for my kitchen backsplash. Two (gulp) years later, it’s still in a box waiting to be installed. (I’m nerve wracked about how it will look, and yes, simply procrastinating regarding launching yet another house project, one of a gazillion always in the works, or at least, rattling around in my head.) So, you can see, I am not “anti” plastic tile, either.
- And importantly : Precautionary Pam here: If you do decide to rip your plastic tile out, Lord knows what’s in the old adhesive… smart to have it tested.
Finally, hey, remember this post? Kurt’s kitchen with the large 8″ tiles all around. Wow!
!
Jules says
We have 1948 mint ice plastic tiles with black trim in our bathroom. The tiles themselves look fantastic, especially with out all original pink toliet, duel sinks and bath-tub.
The bummer is the “grout” or whatever the hell is in the joints does not look good. It’s discolored. But I don’t think I can do a simple re-grout because alot of it seems to be on the tile itself, like it somehow made its way out of the joints and onto the edges of tiles if that makes sense. In joints, it’s very cracked. I’m not sure how to clean the edges without ruining the tiles. Any suggestions?
Heather Staas says
Oh gosh.. the home I’m buying has plastic tile in the bathroom… in the dark maroon/burgundy with white streaks.. I was surprised to find out they were from the same period as the rest of the house! Most of it has now fallen off and is just laying around the bathroom. The bathroom is the only room that is really in rough shape, but that just means I get to be more creative in there!
dlaw4552 says
My upstairs bath has black plastic, marble look tile on the walls surrounding the tub…only I’m missing 1 tile…directly under the faucet. if anyone knows where i can find one matching tile to place in there, I would be forever greatful.
pam kueber says
dlaw, you need to stalk ebay and possibly your local Re-Store.
dlaw4552 says
1 1/2 years ago…before I owned my older home…(I call it “early depression”), a friend of mine demo-ed one with black and maroon plastic tile. If I would have only known!! I thought of ebay…buy never thought of my local restores!
Thanks!
Christine says
We are in the process of renovating our 1920s bungalow’s kitchen. We’re taking most of the walls down to the studs and leaving the 1940s or 50s cabinets. While taking down some of the walls this weekend, we found that there were Cermac plastic tiles on the walls. There were remnants of a few of the tiles, a real pretty aqua blue with marble effect. I wish they were still on the walls instead of the 80s wallpaper! Anyways, as usual, the first place I came to find this brand was here! (Plus Google keeps telling me that I meant “ceramic” not Cermac) Thank you for having this information out there!
pam kueber says
cool, christine. make sure that you are renovating safe!
Coco says
So now I’m re-thinking taking out the grey plastic tiles in the bathroom….if I can lighten the adhesive that shows between the tiles that has turned yellowish brown. Any suggestions? Thanks – I loved this posting!
Coco says
Update – nevermind! Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice seem to work very well.
pam kueber says
cool!
Jamie says
This worked amazingly well! Thank you. My tiles are the blue marbelized tiles. They are in rough shape this helped save them for another year or two however there is mold behind them so in the end they will go.. One other thing for those that have these tiles. I used contact cement to re-attach…. That has worked very well since the original adhesive is probably no longer available. I scrape as much off the tile and cement board as I can and then apply the cement… So far so good!
Lou drago says
I am looking for 4.25 sq plastic tiles (about a dozen) to complete repairs to a rental home we own. Original tiles were pink but Any color would work as the walls are painted white.
pam kueber says
We don’t sell here, Lou. Watch ebay — there are a lot of blue ones on there right now, i believe.
communist says
I had those plastic tiles glued on top of the original plaster in a 1935 bungalow we just sold. They looked so cheap, tough to clean without scratching, almost impossible to repair because they interlock. Just an overall nightmare. If I would have kept the house they would have come down.
Shamira says
After attempting to buy two different homes (1935 & 1950) we are finally supposed to close on a 1965 home next week. The previous owner put wallpaper in every room. 🙂 In one bath, she wallpapered over what looks like tile, however when I tapped on the tile, it didn’t feel or sound like tile. I’m wondering if this is plastic tile? The surround above the tub has been redone with more modern large tile. Probably was necessary if the original tile is plastic. My question is what to do with what is under the wallpaper. I like the wallpaper and plan to leave it up, but would prefer not to have it over tile. Do I simply remove the wallpaper that is over the tile and then deal with whatever is underneath or just leave it alone until I’m ready to totally redo the bath? I’m concerned that if I start removing the wallpaper from the tiles I’ll discover that I do indeed have plastic tiles that are in poor condition and won’t have the funds to remove/replace with ceramic tile.
pam kueber says
Shamira, unless it is an environmental or safety issue, I encourage you to live in your house for a while (a year?) without making major changes. This will give you the chance to really get to know your house, adjust your tastes, and then spend your time and money wisely. Be sure to consult with experts before you move in to examine/test your house for environmental and safety issues so that you know what you are working with, and can make informed decisions. Good luck.
Lou drago says
If the tiles are 4.25″ sq plaSTIC TILES and you plan on stripping the walls I would be interested in about a dozen. I have an old bathroom with a few tiles missing. Any color as long as thhey are the thin plastic tiles from the 50’s.
Thirkellgirl says
My grandparents had this plastic tile in their kitchen and bathroom. When my grandmother had a fire in the kitchen, just beneath the upstairs bathroom, the tiles melted and gave off the most horrendous black toxic smoke you can imagine. If I had a house that had these tiles I’d IMMEDIATELY rip them out, and I’d never install them. The smoke from the tiles was the worst thing about the fire, which essentially destroyed her home.
Catherine says
I just bought a house that has plastic tiles in the kitchen. They were installed in 1956 along with the flooring (I have the installer’s receipt), and they are in perfect condition. But my home repair professional did ask me if I were planning to take them out because they are not up to code–the reason she cited was the toxic smoke. I’ll keep them for now, but I’m thinking that if I redo the kitchen in the future, I won’t try to save them.
pam kueber says
Good on you for consulting with a pro!
Trip says
I recently had to do some major repair work on the walls around my tub. The previous owners decided to nail regular wallboard on top of the old plastic tiles and put real white tile on top of the regular wallboard. One day when cleaning about 10 tiles came off and after tearing it all off I found a TON of mildew on the original plastic tiles. I treated it at least 4 times and then found more mildew under the plastic tiles. I ended up putting up a 1950’s glass tile look that I found at Home Depot. I had never done anything like this before but the lady at Home Depot was a tremendous help in telling me exactly what I needed to do. Being by myself it took me about 2 full days of putting up the glass tiles, letting it dry and then grouting and making sure NO moisture was anywhere in that bathroom. I have to admit it came out looking pretty good except for those added surprises where the walls in a 70 year old home arent exaclty straight!