Scary Baths Vol. 6: A Graveyard of Ugly Bathroom Tiles
Oct 13, 2025Ulgy bathroom tiles lurk everywhere... We put these old showers out of their misery.
It’s that spooky time of year again! Every October, we gather ‘round and tell tales of bathrooms that have truly crossed over into scary territory. From crumbling tile that mysteriously detaches itself, to grout lines haunted by mold, mildew, and mystery stains, this year’s lineup did not disappoint.
These four bathrooms featured tile walls straight out of a renovation horror film, and in three cases, the tub/shower combo had become a true chamber of chaos. Fortunately, the Improveit team came prepared with acrylic armor, moisture-proof materials, and design magic that even the scariest bathrooms couldn’t resist.
Laying Crumbling Shower Tile to Rest
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Water is the enemy of tile, causing all kinds of scary effects like mold and mildew, crumbling grout, and water damaged drywall. So why do we keep using tile in the wettest areas of our homes?? As this family discovered, grout-free shower walls are a much better solution. They don’t just look great, they’re also low-maintenance and keep water from seeping in and damaging the structure of your shower, and the pipes, insulation, and other material behind the walls.
In this bathroom, failing grout due to excess moisture caused this shower’s tile to start falling off the wall. Tired to trying to re-adhere and re-grout the tile themselves, the homeowner worked with Improveit to choose acrylic shower walls in our travertine pattern, as well as a brand-new bathtub for their tub/shower combo.
The new shower walls feature a smooth surface and go all the way to the ceiling, so cleaning will be a breeze, and they won’t have to worry about water damaged shower walls ever again! All new brushed nickel fixtures and matching travertine corner caddies complete the look and give them the style and storage they need.
So Long, Circus Tent Stripes
With the homeowners getting ready to sell their property, this scarily outdated bathroom underwent an extensive refresh to update the circus tent stripes and ghoulish green marble, remove crumbling tile from adjacent walls (which had already started to remove themselves thanks to crumbling adhesive), repair the water damaged ceiling, and replace fixtures with mystery orange stains that just wouldn’t come clean.
Nothing left to fear here! The Improveit team helped the family convert their tub/shower combo to a walk-in shower with smooth acrylic walls in our popular Silver White marble pattern, including a matching ceiling panel, bench seat, and corner caddy. The old, outdated vanity, medicine cabinet, and broken light fixture were all exchanged with new fixtures, and installers re-drywalled the entire bathroom, leaving the homeowner with a clean slate for simple paint and flooring before putting their home on the market. The best part: Their transferable Improveit lifetime warranty let them add more value to their home and benefit the new buyers!
Three Resources for Tackling Ugly Shower Tiles
Shower Ceiling Options: What to Put Above a Shower Surround
How To: Remove Soap Scum & Orange Shower Stains
Tile vs. Acrylic: Why Water is the Enemy of your Shower Tiles
Ghosts of Bathroom Tiles Gone By
Some vintage bathrooms are worth saving, but it was time for this rose-colored vision of the past to go. The homeowners were ready to lay their design to rest and introduce something more modern, and the Improveit team was happy to help!
In this well-kept bathroom, it was time for the extensive tilework to go. Improveit installers removed the pink bathtub and tile surround, repairing the damaged subfloor and installing all new backerboard for the wet space. With the new walk-in shower installed, including a white base, smooth Calcutta pattern shower walls, matching Calcutta corner seat, and all new brushed nickel shower fixtures. Outside the shower, the pink toilet was replaced with a clean white model, damaged subflooring was repaired, and the hexagon floor tiles were replaced with luxury vinyl plank in Versailles Bronze. Complementary white wainscoting replaced the outed tile on the perimeter walls. The new look uses classic patterns and finishes that are sure to last another lifetime.
Saving a Scary Bathroom from DIY Tile Painting
Here lies another vintage tile bathroom that even a DIY paint job couldn’t resurrect. In addition to the outdated colors and tile pattern, this tile was seeing the scary effects of mold and mildew around the grout and tub edges, as well as plumbing protruding from the wall.
Improveit installers did another beautiful job going from scary to stylish. The old tub/shower combo became a beautiful walk-in shower with a white base and smooth walls in our lightning pattern, featuring complementary corner caddies and a window trim kit to match. White wainscoting now wraps the perimeter of the bathroom, in place of the old painted-over tile.
Don't be Scared to Start Your Much-Needed Bathroom Update!
And just like that, another batch of scary baths is laid to rest! Gone are the loose tiles, spooky stains, and grout lines growing more terrifying by the day. In their place, our team left beautiful, durable, grout-free walk-in showers and fresh, modern finishes that will stand the test of time.
Whether your bathroom is haunted by outdated tile or just feeling a little tired, these transformations prove that even the scariest spaces can rise again in style. Use the form below or call 855-637-2999 to see how the Improveit team can bring your bathroom back to the land of the living!
