How the peel and stick tile we used is holding up one year later

It’s been nearly a year since we finished our half bath. This project was special because this was the one and only time I’ve used peel and stick tiles in a bathroom. Yes, you read that correct. This bathroom is ENTIRELY covered with faux tiles - floor included! Now, let me be clear; these aren’t products I would probably ever use in a client’s home, but I wanted to try something innovative for our rental bath. It was all very experimental! 😜

Sure, they looked fantastic when we first applied them, but I thought I would write a follow up post to show how they are doing after a year of wear and tear.

This is my honest review of the products I used. Most of the design decisions made in this bathroom, I don’t regret, but if I had to do it all over, it might not be exactly the same.

Read on for more…

The tiles I used on the wall are from Tic Tac Tile.

Pros:

Already has self adhesive backing so no glue is necessary.
Comes in 12x12 inch sheets so you don’t have to apply each tile separately making the installation process faster.
The tiles aren’t just printed, they actually have a 3 dimensional surface, so they feel very much like real tiles once installed.
They are easy to clean and maintain.
This product is odor-free and appears to be a little more non-toxic than other’s I’ve compared on the market.
Excellent customer service

Cons

Much like real tile, these are permanent. The adhesive is very strong, so repositioning them once applied is nearly impossible without damaging the drywall.
It’s challenging to line up the grout lines. Definitely doable, but there is a learning curve, so I suggest practicing with some extras first. A hot hair dryer will loosen the glue should you need to remove one.
They aren’t really more affordable than the real thing (of course, this depends entirely on the tile, but if I were going to purchase a similar looking, ceramic subway tile, it would actually be slightly cheaper than the peel and stick.
I’ve noticed a color discrepancy when ordering the same product on separate occasions, so I recommend ordering all you need with a few extras in one single order.

As you can see, they still look great! Very happy with this product and I would definitely use it again.

The floor tile I used was from WallPops. This was an entirely different product than what I used on the wall material-wise.

Pros:

Lots of trendy patterns
Adhesive is already on the back
No issues with the tiles moving or coming off the floor
No issues with dirt and debris getting stuck between the tiles as I feared (at least in this room where there is little foot traffic)
So much cheaper than the real deal
Much easier to install than real tiles (in our experience)
Easy to clean

Cons:

The patterns don’t line up perfectly
The tile sizes are limited. Most are 12” square
There were marks on the surface of the tiles that seemed to appear out of no where. We realized this was glue (maybe from the manufacturing process), and we’re able to remove it with rubbing alcohol
The chemical smell is strong and doesn’t dissipate over time.
These don’t look like real tiles in person. They are vinyl so they have that bumpy surface you would expect. Still, from far away, they look similar to encaustic tiles.

They pretty much look like they did when we first installed them, however I would NOT use these again personally. I am very sensitive to chemical smells and I have some concerns about the toxicity with the small being that strong. I have to keep the door closed to contain it most days.

Am I tearing them up anytime soon? Probably not since we won’t be in this house for long. If this was our forever home, I would have already replaced them solely due to the smell.

I love floor to ceiling wallpaper, but its so nice to have a place for the eyes to rest on the tile portion below the picture rail. It’s the best of both worlds if you ask me; you get to enjoy a bold color/pattern without committing entirely. Plus, it allows you to mix patterns a bit. The stacked tile feels modern against a wallpaper that can feel more traditionall. It’s a fun juxtaposition!

I added a couple of things to the room since my original post. Finding this vintage shaving mirror was a real score. I love how it plays with the vanity mirror and it’s actually been quite functional!

See more of this room along with the process and source links here

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Peel and stick tiles - one year later

Hausmatter Interiors