Last summer, we did a small renovation of a single stack of 3 bathrooms in a residence hall built in the 60’s. It was a pilot renovation meant to help us to write a really tight set of specs for the bid documents as well as better project a budget for the much larger scale renovation project for the full building. These are semi-suite style spaces with the bathroom in the middle (1 toilet, 1 shower stall, and 2 sinks), shared with a double occupancy bedroom on either side.

On the surfaces of the walls in the shower stall and the toilet area, we used large porcelain tile panels by Laminam. These tile sheets gave a very upscale look to the bathroom with minimal grout lines because of their size, which was also desirable for maintenance, since students are responsible for cleaning these spaces throughout the academic year. For a pop of color and design, we used 4x12 Aaliyah ceramic subway wall tiles from Trinity Tile on the sink wall where the mirrors are installed. The bathroom came out great! It looks very up-scale and is a huge improvement. But all the tile work was costly for labor and material, and took a while to complete. Here is the question…

What are some products you have used on your walls in bathrooms and showers in recent renovations that may be more economical? The current walls are just painted cinder block, though as part of the demolition, much of the block will get ripped out anyway. We are looking for a way to bring down the cost of the overall project, while still accomplishing a much needed aesthetic improvement and something that is not difficult for routine maintenance and cleaning. Thanks in advance for any feedback and suggestions!

Jim Waddington

Director of Housing Systems and Logistics

Rowan University

Residential Learning and University Housing

Office# 856-256-4266      Fax# 856-256-4475