Kitchen & bath splash tiles using luxury vinyl bad idea?

Question

Hello,

The splash tiles in my kitchen as well as bath seem outdated in my home, likewise I don't have a granite countertop in my kitchen, I don't even know the material it was used.

These Luxury Vinyl Tiles seem to be in vogue for flooring at least in my area, I am seeing a quite a lot. I just wanted to know if there are any LVT alternatives for splash tiles and countertop? I just want know if LVT can help me quickly and cheaply enhance the visual appeal before I put my home on sale.

Thanks

Joe Funari · Answer

@Peter Morgan If its just the backsplash I would recommend you go with a bright white 3 x 6 subway tile. Its timeless and inexpensive. Home Depot has carried it forever and currently selling a 12.5 sq. ft. case of it for $15. So it doesn't take a whole lot to do a kitchen backsplash. The bright white tiles brighten up a space and is an inexpensive way to update your kitchen for sale.

Genny Li · Answer

It really depends on the age of your clientele and how trend conscious they are.  If you rent to old people, they are going to be behind the trends by a lot.  If you rent quite downmarket, they also don't follow the trends as closely, either.  For those 2 demographics, you can look at what RV companies are putting in their RVs and what manufactured housing makers are putting in theirs.  I bet you'll still be seeing word art in model manufactured housing for the next 5 years, minimum!  RVs are 10-15 years behind, and MHs run 5-10, but they're pushing it now to about 3-7.  In general, the middle and south of the country drags about three years behind the coasts, too.

But even if you're downmarket, watch the trends that stick and that disappear on the cutting edge of the coasts to know what you need to be doing to stay ahead of becoming out of style.  And if it ain't in Clayton Homes' fanciest homes anymore but it was, stop doing it!  They know their market. Clayton Homes is GREAT at adopting what was peak style about 5 years ago.  (They never did any tile because it can crack in transport, so for subway tile, it's not a good idea.  But you can check them for other things.)  Even Clayton Homes is moving away from gray toward a true beige in its model homes.  That tell you something.

For what's popular now in a very democratic sense, check out Houzz's popular today page.  https://www.houzz.com/photos/k...  This is what average people like, so it includes the majority of folks running 3+ years behind.  The "new hotness" are these handmade super gloss wavy tiles that have a name. You'll hardly find a plain white subway tile among the bunch now, and this includes all the average people looking and pinning.

I'm old enough now that I would become numb to trends, too, if I weren't making a point not to, not because I love trends but because I don't want to make the mistakes that so many landlords do.  They become blind to their building going from B+ to B to B-.  The previous owner raised the price on her rental by $100/mo when she painted the dark taupe that was super popular, but she missed the gray wave entirely and had to drop the price, just because her paint was outdated and make the whole place look tired.

Peter Morgan · Answer

@Genny Li

Got it. Thank You!

Genny Li · Answer

I don't know whether home Depot has the wall product. Wayfair does, though. It's an easy DIY product, though I haven't used it.

Laminate is definitely not DIY friendly, especially if you're doing the invisible seam and undermount options. Some people have done it, and done it well, but it's not easy.

Genny Li · Answer

Yes, they now make a laminate that can do a square edge without the brown line that makes it look like laminate! It looks super upscale and gets you most of the benefits of actual marble-look quartz without the $50/sqft price. You can even get UNDERMOUNT sinks!!!! If the house is in the top 5 percent of all houses in the area, I would grit my teeth and do quartz, but a typical SFH would never pay that back on the resale.

Mark S. · Answer

@Genny Li Hmm maybe they did where you live but certainly not in any of the states I invest in.

Peter Morgan · Answer

@Genny Li

Thanks Genny, I will go to Home Depot to check out these products,  do you think it's a simple DIY project or should I take the help of a professional?

Genny Li · Answer

Subway tiles went out hard last year. I'm totally baffled why people are snowed into thinking they're"classic" when in the current form (pillowed 3x6) they're been trending for less than 20 years, replacing the standard 4x4s that were in for 60 years before that.

Peter Morgan · Answer

@Genny Li

Can't agree more on granite being out of fashion, sounds so 90's. :-)

Can I get marble look laminate in big stores such as Homedepot?

Genny Li · Answer

They make vinyl tiles for the wall. The word you want is shiplap. It isn't actually anything like a REAL shiplap wall, but that's what they are called.

You can use extra adhesive and try out flooring for backsplash applications. Just know that it will soon go the way of the Tuscan kitchen. But if you are selling now, it should still sell.

Granite is also not really in right now. Quartz, marble, and quartzite are. For ROI, I would go marble look laminate before shelling out for granite. I'm not even putting granite in my B rental.

Kitchen & bath splash tiles using luxury vinyl bad idea?

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