A Hearth Update. A Tile Tragedy.
Previously, I did a post about my eight hearths and how I hoped to repair them.
The biggest work would involve the library hearth tiles (seriously damaged overall) and the dining hearth tiles (98% badly replaced at some point). Otherwise, the other six hearths could use some minor replacement tiles or were in acceptable vintage condition.
I knew none of this would be cheap. Regarding the library, I knew I could find some brown tiles online and replace the hearth for less than $100. But such tiles would not match the damaged originals. Oh, the horror.
Thus, I was braced for the right tiles costing more. Like, way more. I figured (based on nothing) like $500 – $800 bucks. Yes, scary, but doable. I thought: do the library hearth this year and the dining hearth next year, and so on.
I sent the post to Charlie at North Prairie Tileworks. His response:
Wow, those fireplaces are stunning! I’ll start our conversation by letting you know that we charge $700-$1300 to match a glaze. The more complex a glaze is the more testing it will require and the costlier it will be. Getting the two tone variegated coloring would double the cost because we’re dealing with two glaze colors. Then we charge per square foot for the actual tile. 3x6s are $52 per square foot. Smaller tiles would be more. Being that you’re looking for a really tight fit with no grout, we will need to charge an extra fee for this, as it will involve extra time and steps on our part to get the sizing exact. I’m not sure yet what that will be. For recreating relief tiles, that price depends on the complexity of the sculpting, for the tiles you’re talking about, I’m guessing it would land between $800-$1200 per tile to create a mold and each tile would cost about $50. The other thing you should know is this is time consuming. Replication jobs usually take six months to a year to complete. The tile will also look brand new, so even though the glaze will match, when you install this new tile among 120+ year old tiles, you will know which ones are the replacements.
My reaction?
Gasp.
Fuck.
Holy shit.
So, if I understand correctly, to custom order tiles for the library to match the damaged originals would be:
Two-tone glaze matching: $1400 to $2600.
3×6 edge tiles: $52 per square foot.
3×3 field tiles: More.
In short, ordering the right hearth tiles could be as much as three grand. Or more.
Yep: Gaspfuckholyshit.
And how much to recreate this single tile in the Sewing Room? Perhaps $1250. Gaspfuckholyshit.
Sigh.
I had no idea custom tile was so expensive. And I appreciate Charlie taking the time to communicate with me. But, there is no way I can afford…or justify…such an expense on the Cross House when 5,494 more vital things demand my financial attentions.
The library surround tiles have a lovely tonal variegation. As do the damaged hearth tiles. It seems vital to maintain this look.
I previously posted about these tiles (just under the fair maiden). These are small sample tiles. I would order 3×3 and 3×6 tiles. This would be affordable but the tiles wholly lack the distinctive tonal variegation.
Tile Revival on Etsy sells these, which have some variagation, and I can order 3×3 and 3×6 tiles. I plan to order a sample tile to see how it looks in person.
I was soooooooooo excited about making my abused hearths whole again but have instead been dashed upon the rocks of despair.
Wine is now required.
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Hi Ross, there is a vintage tile store in Los Angeles California and the man has rooms and boxes and drawers and tons and tons and tons of vintage tile. Let me do some checking on Instagram and I will find a name for you.
Wells Tile & Antiques.
Have you thought about savage yards?
Claudia
Hi, Claudia!
I’ve never had much luck with finding specific things at salvage yards.
It’s hard getting a response from an employee about some rare item, and harder still to find (as in this case) enough tiles.
I wonder if it could be touched up in place like a painting? Baumgartner Restoration on YouTube is my inspiration for that thought. It might not be perfect, but it would be better. Then when the exact vintage tile is found it could be replaced.
Any chance of locating vintage tile with folks who have done previous demolitions or restorations?
Enjoy your wine and get some rest!
Okay I found it Ross
Wells tile and antiques
Scott and Nancy Wells
Wellstile.com
Scott@wellstile.com
213-413- 0558
1540 West 6th Street
Los Angeles California 90017
805-598- 3217
RegroutUSA.com
Sorry Ross I don’t have this man’s name but he is a vintage tile kitchen and bathroom restorer, he will travel to fix your tile instead of tearing it out I don’t know if you have Instagram or not but it is definitely worth looking up both. If you need assistance with that, let me know!
Wells Tile looks like a winner. I would contact him and send him photos of the hearths and basically ask for his expertise on what to do. He is the one that can most likely suggest a path forward. And who knows? One of the photos might ring a bell and he’ll say, hey, I have something that would work for that. I can’t imagine that salvaged tiles would be more expensive than custom reproductions.
Wow! Hopefully some alternatives will materialize..
Charlie’s ideas ar3 too crazy expensive.
Drink up Ross!
Ross, I used to sell tile and I had a few fun jobs helping people recreate period fireplaces. I have a recommendation:
Pratt and Larson Ceramics in Portland Oregon got their start making replica tiles for Victorian fireplace surrounds. Check out the Crackle Watercolor glazes on their website. They have the color variation you are looking for. The company also (or at least used to) offer some control over the texture of the clay surface at no additional charge. You could also get in touch with them, and ask if they still do the marbled glaze look, they used to offer it, and that would be good for recreating your parlor tiles. As for the sizes they offer- everything you could want, anything from 1/2 an inch square and on up, hex tiles, triangles, etc. They sell the smallest size tiles in a mosaic sheet and then you can just peel them off and set them in the desired pattern. Consider replacing all of the tiles along the border, not just the incorrect ones, then at least you have an original (if a little damaged) field, and a slightly-off but unified edge. You should at least email them with photos and see if they can help walk you through the matching process and a quote.
Cost- they are a custom order company, but you should not need to have custom molds made or colors mixed. So think similar to that $52 or more per square foot price you were quoted from the other company for some of their smaller mosaic sizes, less for bigger tiles, and subtract the cost of the custom mold stuff. Their prices may have gone up since I last worked with them a few years ago. However, you would only need a few square feet in total per fireplace, less if you plan to leave some of the original tile in place. So even at $80 per sq/ft (which I doubt you would be paying for the tile you would need) you could end up around $800 for 10 sq ft! before tax and shipping. On that note- never pay retail if you can help it! Tell them you are an interior designer and ask if they can give you any kind of discount.
((Hugs)) I have a similar dilemma with my fireplaces. Hence 25 years later I still have not gotten them done. Currently, I am working with Rookwood but I fear the same result and other projects are more essential.
There’s a place outside of Deyroit called Pewabic Pottery that does custom tiles. Try them.
Oops. Detroit.
I would also check with Tiles to Infinity in Michigan.
Ross, I’m finding it strange that you’re surprised that laborious custom made tile expensive.
I just found this shop. Their repro tile is reasonably priced. https://www.zazzle.com/repro_minton_china_glazed_art_nouveau_lily_border_ceramic_tile-227586243226130645
This is great!
Ideas for Ross to pick and choose until he ifinds the tile that he wants at a reasonable price.
Artisans are very expensive, but the job would be perfect.
I think some of the tile groups across the country. I think this gives Ross an idea of what is needed to repair the surround fireplace tiles.
You might find someone who does handmade tiles? You need so few that this might be a more economical option.
Good idea. Try local potters, tilemakers, artisans, especially those just starting out who won’t charge an arm and a leg to recreate a few tiles. There must be artisans around who are capable of creating a close reproduction at much lower cost.
I was thinking the same. There’s a local artist that does extremely beautiful art deco influenced tiles with much nuance. Expect you could find similar in your area.
Perhaps ceramics departments at local colleges and high schools.
Honestly, if the tiles are all there, even though maybe they are cracked and glued together, I might be inclined to just keep them. Shows the house has lived. Just my thought.
It’s a back and forth, give and take with authentic versus aesthetic.
If the salvage runs on for years with no matches, and the cost is still prohibitive…I might just embrace what is there as part of the history of the house and let it go. None of them look that bad except for that big orange terracotta one in the top middle. Now that I would simply look for a complementary tile in the same size and close or contrast color with a bold design to be a focal point, like a First Stone. But for the cracks and some of those replacements? For $3,000 I’d embrace what I had and even kiss it on the lips.
I would also consider doing the border thing mentioned above. Keep the field but put in a border that isn’t too annoying or conflicting.
I think the hearths are beautiful….just the way they are.
Oh my, duplicating the tile is obviously a major expense. One thought, are any of their stock colors close enough to repair the hearth tiles in the library? Before I had suggested the company to you Ross I had looked through their Facebook and web pages. The glaze colors are on the web page I linked. It seemed like they had a brown that at least had a lot of color variation, similar to your original tiles. Not an exact match but maybe closer in appearance than modern,onotone tiles.
I think it might be interesting to order all the new tiles for all the fireplace hearths in one neutral color – like terra cotta or forest green or navy blue. Then, for the people who look closely at the hearth, they will see which are the original tiles, and which are the replacements. Because the replacements will be just plain, that will set off the beauty of the originals even more, and remind us how precious life is and how these remnants of past glories are poignant in part because they aren’t being made anymore, and remind us to make the most of our moments. Love ya and your generous journey Ross Ross
Ross, I am a stained glass hobbyist and have a suggestion. My fellow glassers swear by a product called Hextal. It’s an epoxy mix that supposedly fills in and repairs cracked glass pieces with virtually no appearance. I have not had a reason to try it, but might be worth a try on a single tile somewhere not really conspicuous. It does not require UV light to cure, but takes several days. Perhaps you could try it on a cracked tile and see how it works for you. I agree with some others, the cracks and chips simply document the age and beauty of the Cross House and I would be hesitant to replace originals rather than celebrating how much originality you have there.
Thank you, Randy. I will check out Hxtal.
The two hearths that really bother me are the library and dining room. The former is so badly damaged as to distract from the beauty of the field tiles, metal grate, and cherry mantle. The latter is almost entirely ugly replacement tiles.
I’m still in pondering mode though…
Sorry, I did mean to say that I understand your desire to replace the obviously mis-matched tiles, etc. They are not really original anyway, so there’s that. I haven’t tried the Hxtal and don’t really know if it works on tile, but if it does, it could reduce the expense due to the number of tiles needing replacement. You always come up with a good solution so free to take this suggestion with a grain of salt and a large glass of wine!
Actually, tile is simply a layer of glass on top of a layer of clay.
When I couldn’t match the vintage green tile in my bathroom, I bought opaque glass the same color and I cut it into squares and used it as accents in the tub surround I added.
It might be worth looking at glass. Laid on a thin layer of thin set, that might be a better alternative than trying to match tile. Glazes are an art form with experience and magic combined. At least with a sheet of glass, you pretty much know what you’re getting. I doubt the hearths would get so much foot traffic that using glass rather than tile would be an issue.
There is also some sort of product for making molds. It’s food safe as my sister uses it to make molds for her cake decorating. But I have been tempted to get some to make a mold of a chair leg that was damaged, in order to mold a replacement trim and then just paint it to match the wood. Faux finishes can be amazing, although they will not perfectly mimic the glaze of tile, they might be better than a piece of orange terracotta in the middle of a surround.
So…I might have what you need. We have two tile hearths that might match up with your variegated browns. One is almost complete, but the other was half ripped out in the past. We only need a tile or two to fix up the mostly complete hearth. If the others are a match, they’re yours.
Check out Motawi Tile in Ann Arbor. Online at http://www.motawi.com . Not cheap, but cheaper!
Quelle dommage, mon ami. In my heat addled state (keto and AZ), I see three possibilities.
1: In most Western porcelain repairs, pieces are glued together, chips are filled in with whatever, and visible cracks are color matched and then varnished to give the piece the proper sheen. Nothing is actually recreated other than the final appearance. By this thinking, you could simply use readily available (and inexpensive) materials to match what already exists. 2: Kintsugi, the ancient Japanese method of ceramic repair, celebrates the history of the piece, and joins fragments together with obvious mends done in an artistic and often delightful fashion. 3: With your style and panache you could easily pick something completely different. A lime green border? Why not! A delightful mosaic depicting bats and/or peacocks? Yes, please! (With, of course, all older fragments carefully labeled and stowed down below for possible future renovations).
Thank you, ES!
I might, in the end, do your suggested #1. I’m still very much in pondering phase.
Ross, Have you thought about getting an art student in to carefully paint the cracked tiles rather than replace them? It would certainly be more cost-effective.