Brick tile flooring: Is it appropriate for a mid-century home? And… do we like it? Marie writes:
Hi Pam,
Need to pick your brain. We’re in the process of buying a home from 1950. It’s got a lot of original details. I’m trying to figure out if the kitchen floor is original. It’s a glazed brick tile. To me it looks 90s, and I don’t like it… but maybe it is original? My aunt an uncle live in a house built in the early 60s, and it has a similar glazed brick floor in the entry and kitchen. Was glazed brick a midcentury thing?
Thanks!!
Marie
Congratulations, Marie, on the new/old house, and thank you for sending this question.
My answer:
My archives indicate that glazed brick flooring — either with real clay bricks or in a vinyl/asbestos or vinyl/composite resilient floor tile — were used in the midcentury era all the way through to… well, yes, the 1990s. The brick tile flooring in your house could well be original.
Personally, I adore the look. Brick is warm and inviting, and it’s a neutral that can be matched with ‘most any style of cabinetry.
One downside to clay brick flooring would be that it could be hard on the back, like any ceramic tile would be. On the upside, though, real clay brick flooring is virtually indestructible — and golly, why wouldn’t you want flooring that would last forever and save so much money never needing to be replaced. Note, the old vinyl flooring also lasted a long long long time, I think — this stuff was made back in a time when “planned obsolescence” was still not necessarily a manufacturer’s de facto mode of operation. That is: Folks expected quality. Folks expected stuff that would last a long, long time — and were willing to pay for it.
Should it stay — or should it go? Well, here is my regularly repeated answer: Sometimes we get shocked by an old design, an old look, that we’re not accustomed to seeing anymore. It’s not popular today. It may even be “despised” by the mainstream design world (which wants us to tear out everything old and install the new stuff that They Are Selling.) So because we are are unaccustomed to seeing the old, and because the new is so well-marketed, we decide that we, too, h*** the old.
However, if we hit the pause button, and take the time to learn about it, and see how it was used — and loved — historically, we may come to like, or even love, it ourselves. I suggest: Live with it a while before taking costly and irreversible steps. See: Just bought a mid-century house? My 9 tips before you start remodeling + 21 more tips from readers.
CindyL. says
You are the one who will look at it each day. I think it’s beautiful, kind of Paris cafe feeling. From the one photo, I cannot determine if it’s all in good condition.
If it is tile and not real brick, it may come up easily. A word of caution, be safe about it… before you do anything test for lead before you or someone else tries to demolition it out.
Good luck!
Pam Kueber says
Thanks, Cindy, for the Renovate Safe reminder; be aware, it’s not just lead that be in old layers. For more info: https://retrorenovation.com/renovate-safe/
SANDY MCCLAY says
My feeling is if she can physically take an uneven floor without back or foot issues go for it….
LJ says
That floor looks to be in beautiful condition! I have a 1960’s rancher with tiles of brick linoleum that are in very poor shape. I really can’t wait to tear it out, as it looks dirty no matter how much I scrub it and the seams are separating. I live in the humid Mid-Atlantic, and every time a paper box or dog food bag is set on the floor, another collection of nearly permanent white marks will transfer from paper to floor. My question is, since this is likely a product with asbestos, should removal be done by a professional, or is it something I can do myself without worry? Thanks!
Pam Kueber says
On issues related to safety, LJ, consult with properly licensed professionals. https://retrorenovation.com/renovate-safe/
CindyL. says
LJ,
Renovating safely is #1. Some licensed pros put themselves and their clients (homeowners) at risk by not taking precautionary measures. Why some do not or will not take precautionary action I can only take a guess.
In the state of California and possibly other states, ceramic tile / stone / marble / brick installation is a SPECIALTY TRADE LICENSE.
I would never hire a plumber to install tile, I never should have hired a GC to install my bathroom tile. My 2nd bath and kitchen will be done with the utmost care for my safety and their own.
Becky says
I love it and would keep it. I remember going into houses when I was growing up that had that type of floooring in the kitchen.
Victoria Lundy says
Keep it. There isn’t anything better that you could replace it with, and you can use mid-century inspiration to make it work, even if it is unusual. Just think of it as the “high-end” version of all that linoleum with brick prints.
Natasha Loop says
I’m giving it a big YES vote! I really love the warmth and I do think it’s probably period.
Kara says
I absolutely love it
Joe Felice says
There were lots of linoleum “brick” patterns, usually red, but I do not recall ever having seen a real brick floor in the ’50s. Now the ’70s? That’s a different matter.
Anne Bailey says
Keep it!!!
The original dining hall of Selwyn School in Denton, Texas built in the 1960s has brick flooring.
Full disclosure: I’ve a seventies home and refuse to spend money or effort to remove the popcorn from the ceiling. My theory is
“Why bother?”
Eluena says
Remove it at once because of the asbestos in it. I had to have all the popcorn removed from my ceilings in Hawai’i!
Pam Kueber says
Okay, dear readers: Yes, there can be vintage nastiness in old materials and layers. Regarding advice: Get with your own properly licensed professionals to assess what you have so that you can make informed decisions how to handle.
Suzanne Carpenter says
I have “popcorn” ceilings in my bedrooms in my house that was built in 1968 and I don’t mind it at all..I don’t understand why so many home buyers on the TV shows that remodel houses have such a fit about the popcorn ceilings..I understand that they were designed to absorb sound which makes them ideal for bedrooms especially. Mine are in great shape and I will keep them .
Betsy in Michigan says
From your archives, of course. I THOUGHT I’d read somewhere how popular this brick-like pattern was! Installed in my grandparents ranch they built in 1966 (and lasted for 30 years).
Brick goes well with knotty pine cabinets.
https://retrorenovation.com/2013/08/22/armstrong-5352/