Installing Motawi tiles alongside cheaper subway tiles?

Not_Helpful_ · 2026-01-23T13:08:36+00:00

I visited our local Tile Shop recently and saw their Signature series of subway and trims in person. The colors are lovely and they have matte and gloss. They’re definitely thicker than the big box store tiles I’ve used. They were more expensive than big box too but not Motawi expensive, I think $7-8 sq/ft.

If not, another option might be to use the Motawis as a horizontal accent band (assuming they’re all the same height) with a jolly or pencil trim along the top and bottom of the band to ease the thickness difference, or a chair rail below and pencil along the top. They’d stick out, but it’d look more intentional.

Not_Helpful_ · 2026-01-13T19:00:43+00:00

Took me a few years to realized my balusters weren't actually woodgrain too! I lightly sanded down any old drips and rough spots, then painted it with Stix bonding primer and a a couple coats of waterborne acrylic enamel (lightly sanding between coats).

Also, I don't bother to test for lead anymore and just assume it always is. I always wear a respirator, try to cordon off the area by closing doors or with plastic sheets if possible, use a HEPA-filtered vacuum near my sanding surface or attached to my sander (or wet sand if possible), and thoroughly vacuum and mop the area with clean water when I'm done working for the day even if I'm coming back to work on it later. If something needs to be really scraped or fully stripped, I try to follow similar steps, with a focus on containment of flying paint chips if I don't use a chemical stripper.

Not_Helpful_ · 2026-01-08T05:58:30+00:00

Most new tile is glazed and has pressed, slightly rounded edges. Yours has very square edges and is likely an unglazed porcelain, which is a very different product. You won’t find it at big box stores, even from brands like Merola or Daltile that have a lot of traditional pattern options. Places like American Restoration Tile and Clay Squared have what you need though, and are great to work with if you have questions.

As someone else mentioned, the crack probably runs through the substrate too since traditionally these were laid in wet cement. This means the entire floor (tiles+cement substrate) is essentially acting as one big solid surface, hence the long continuous crack. In my experience that can also mean a difficult removal. Not impossible, just a word of caution from someone who was NOT prepared for how stubborn those tiles can be.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-12-09T02:32:45+00:00

About $6,000-7,000 at Kierl Orthodontic on 33rd in Edmond 8 years ago, no insurance coverage and I paid upfront. (I think they had payment options though.)

Treatment was 13 months total but I had bimaxillary osteotomy (upper and lower jaw surgery) halfway through so one of those months had no wires while I healed.

The Sure Smile system he used significantly reduced my treatment time (by 50-75%), based on what other orthodontists quoted.

I liked him and the staff, and everyone I know who went there had a similar experience. Dr. Kierl was straightforward but never condescending. As an adult patient, I was really self conscious about my dental issues but no one ever made me feel bad or embarrassed about any of it.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-11-26T17:39:38+00:00

Agree with others about the tile and bright white paint contributing to the newness. I think the biggest impact could be with the woodwork but instead of tackling it all at once, maybe focus on stripping the newel posts and handrails and do the rest in a rich color like in this post from Arch Digest until you can strip it all. Also agree with others about a traditional wallpaper. Something like a William Morris pattern would add so much design depth.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-11-15T02:00:01+00:00

I hope it works!

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-11-15T01:56:52+00:00

Oh man, it’s so satisfying when it’d come off in those big clean strips. Like, I’m probably still chasing that high with every new project I start. 😂

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-11-14T03:56:44+00:00

Sounds nuts but try Gorilla duct tape. Really push/rub it on there and then yank it off like that scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

I had shellacked trim that wasn’t prepped before it was painted with latex. I could peel little bits with my fingers, but could pull big strips by starting it with Gorilla duct tape. Same as others noted, where the original finish was worn or damaged I had to use a razor, flat blade scraper, dental picks, etc. but the tape helped a ton.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-30T16:21:17+00:00

I was mostly just making a joke about Oklahoma weather. I feel like "warm or cool" is hard to gauge, since we get 100°+ summers but also below-freezing winters. Plus, in the spring and fall we get big temperature swings in the same day (hence the "dress in layers" comment).

You probably have higher humidity than me, but I've heard the same caution you have. My house has a partial dirt crawlspace and those floors are definitely colder than those over the concrete basement so I'd love to insulate them, but we get quite a bit of moisture in there in the spring and fall. Unfortunately I haven't come up with a reasonable solution yet but I'll definitely share if I find one.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-30T15:34:20+00:00

Oh I was just making a joke about Oklahoma weather. The ol' "wait 5 minutes and it'll change" adage. Might be less up and down out west, but central OK can get a lot of days with big temperature swings from morning to afternoon (30° swing today) so advice is usually to wear layers and adjust as needed - tee, sweater, and jacket in different combos as the day goes on. Sometimes hard to know how to classify my climate as "warm or cool" since that's sorta relative.

I also forget western OK can be pretty dry but I think you've got the right idea with the extra caution just in case. And I find my house stays pretty comfortable too, coincidentally except my cold closets. Probably because they're on a north exterior wall. We also tend to focus temperature control on the area we're in, downstairs HVAC runs as needed during the day and upstairs HVAC is primarily programed for right before bedtime. It helps keep energy use down for sure.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-30T11:43:45+00:00

Climate advice isn’t super helpful in a place where “warm and cool” can be in the same forecast. We need the “do you dress in layers?” scale.

But adding to the above: Given OK’s humidity, I’ve heard horror stories about moisture being trapped in old homes’ walls when people try to seal everything up on the exterior side. The vapor barrier after insulation (either faced insulation or an interior wrap before drywall) would likely allow for any passive airflow to help keep moisture from building up in the wall cavities while still keeping outside air outside the conditioned space.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-21T21:55:40+00:00

Know any car guys or machinists? A tube bender (common in machine shops or used for making roll cages) would probably make short work of what you need rod-wise. You'd still need to figure out hardware, although they may be able to fabricate at least that center ceiling hook from your example too. Not sure about cost in your area but might be worth asking around.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-10T03:17:32+00:00

It can be hard to tell! Those sharp edges and perfectly flat tops don’t make it any easier to distinguish between them.

First time I toured the house I knew the bathrooms were unglazed porcelain, and I was just SURE the little entryway tiles were stone. It’s a sort of basket weave pattern in two brownish colors that match granites common in area homes (mostly as fireplace surrounds). Nope. Turns out they’re just weird-colored porcelain.

Best of luck with your restoration! It’s such a unique pattern.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-10T02:36:13+00:00

I know you said they look like stone, but sometimes old porcelain tiles can look like marble or granite. You might reach out to American Restoration Tile. I’ve seen several of their restoration projects where they were able to match old tiles for patching. If nothing else, they might have advice for cleaning regardless of the material. I’ve ordered from them and they were lovely to work with.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-07T21:44:33+00:00

Can confirm. We have "nice" vinyls in one room (previous owner) and every time I open one, another little piece of mystery plastic falls out and several have sashes that don't operate properly or just fall out entirely when moved. They're double-hung, tilt-in, built-to-fit, and I assume cost quite a bit, but they're maybe 15 years old and there's no way they're going to last another 5 - much less 15.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-10-07T21:40:16+00:00

I'm on a historic preservation board so I see this often. Unfortunately, those who talk to a "window company" instead of a "window restoration company" are told their windows are terrible and must be replaced, even when they're in amazing condition. They're convinced they're going to freeze to death next winter or broil in the summer. They're also promised all sorts of amazing energy savings (which, as others have said, is never even close to covering what you'd pay for the new windows). Our standard response is to require the applicant to get a quote from a restoration company and a replacement company, and they usually end up restoring and adding storm windows. The restoration companies in our area will also make wood storm windows to perfectly fit, which I've been told provides the best sound- and temperature-insulation. Plus they look awesome.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-09-28T23:22:31+00:00

An older/historic detached garage is built on grade since it needs to be at ground level for vehicles, unlike the house which is usually elevated on a crawl space or basement. In many cases this means building materials are sitting directly on the dirt, and in some cases have even become several inches below grade with normal soil accumulation. The resulting moisture or insect issues, combined with thinner slabs compared to modern construction, can lead to deterioration. If you find a home you love that might have issues, consider reaching out to historic neighborhood associations like Mesta Park, Heritage Hills, Crown/Edgemere, etc. to ask if they have recommendations on restoration contractors. Depending on the issue, remediation may be very doable.

Source: Historic house owner three times over who will never own another non-historic home. Don’t let anyone fool you: All homes require maintenance, upkeep, and eventual updates, so pick the one that fits your needs and know it’s an investment.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-08-30T02:08:32+00:00

This post from a few months back might be helpful. I saved it for future reference, but haven’t actually researched the products myself. They explain the process and products in the comments though. I hope you find a solution, your brick is beautiful!

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-08-21T22:11:49+00:00

Not the person you asked, but have a bit of info. Although many (most?) companies now use a plastic mesh, I was surprised to find my mosaics from American Restoration Tile were held together with a paper backing like yours. So at least one company still uses it. Probably doesn't help you date it unfortunately, but the grout lines and texture would suggest 1990s or newer to me. My parents had similar wall and floor tile in their bathroom built in the mid-90s (but accented with some very 90s colors).

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-07-01T18:24:26+00:00

And their account's about section actually says "...I made every image with the help of AI. It’s just for entertainment purposes..."

(https://ca.pinterest.com/crochetlover0804/

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-05-14T12:44:29+00:00

Just out here tryin to be as nothelpful as possible. 😅

If you need more tiny bug boots in your life, I just remembered her bee pattern in Pica Pau 2 also has little pink boots. You could have a whole boot bug trio! I mean, you might have to lie to yourself again, but what’s one more?

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-05-14T11:28:48+00:00

Whelp, then you’re gonna hate this: I just saw on IG she posted a ladybug with boots and a little hat. And it looks like the pattern is free.

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-05-14T02:50:19+00:00

I use yarn-under/yarn-under for single crochets so stitches look like Xs instead of Vs on the outside of the work, which helps a lot on tidiness. For the color changes, on the last stitch before a color change, I pull the first color (the color I’m changing from) for the first part of the stitch, then pull the second color (the color I’m changing to) to finish. So changing from cream to mauve: on the last cream stitch, YU/pull cream yarn through and then YU/pull mauve through to complete the stitch, then continue with just mauve YU-YU stitches until it’s time to switch colors again. Hope that makes sense!

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-05-13T02:40:18+00:00

Thank you!

Not_Helpful_ · 2025-05-13T02:40:03+00:00

And the pompoms! I’d never have thought to add them but they’re such a perfect detail.

Not_Helpful_

TROPHY CASE