Best Cement Board For Shower Walls
|Best Cement Board For Shower Walls – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can often be difficult. Should you install acrylic, a solid surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the caliber of the products stand the exam of your energy? Which one is the foremost match to your budget and tastes? Learn 7 practical steps to determine which wall method is good for you.
Step 1 – Determine if you’d like to check out your existing walls – To lower your expenses it’s nice to place a bathtub or shower wall surround over a preexisting surface. It is possible to use specialized glue or butyl tape to adhere acrylic or Swanstone solid surface materials over existing tile provided that the current walls aren’t spongy or bowed. If you have a plastic or fiberglass system it is not possible to set new walls over your existing materials. In these cases the current system will have to removed, new backerboard installed after which new walls put up.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re similar to you wish to get the most value to your money – a high quality material which won’t hurt your wallet. If you are looking for an easy to wash economical material acrylic is a wonderful choice. It is warm to the touch, installs quickly and comes with a lifetime warranty.
For a much more elegant appearance (which can be accessible in more decorative patterns and fashoins) consider a Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is easy to keep up, doesn’t have any joints to grout or seal and comes in lots of choices. Usually the priciest strategy is tile (if you do not manage to set it up yourself and save the labor hours- tile is among the most time intensive to setup vs. sheet products like acrylic & Swanstone). There are limitless choices and price ranges of tile and it creates a sophisticated look as well.
Step 3 – Select your material, designs, colors and accents you want – After you’ve selected between acrylic, Swanstone and tile you’re ready choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds can be found in a variety of colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic and also marble finishes. In addition the walls you select can be smooth, 4″ x 4″ simulated tiles, 8″ x 10″ simulated tiles or possibly a stone look. Acrylic is not just a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, although it has been recognized for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, and also the fact it’s not going to crack or craze – includes a very broad range of decorative options as well. There are over 45 standard, glossy, and granite colors. In addition there are decorative panels to create unique architectural designs named Pebble, Geometric, Beadboard, Tangier and Barcelona. There are also designer trim pieces and rosettes to create a finished look. Tile provides widest product options in terms of color, accents, borders, sizes and thicknesses. Make sure to look for a high density water repellent tile to your bath or shower.
Step 4 -Choose your backerboard. Select material to adhere the wall material along with true of tile finish the face area in the wall- What you can’t locate inside a bathtub or shower wall panel project can be as important as everything you do see. Use the right material(s) behind the wall. Here are some recommendations: Acrylic – If the tile walls have been in sound condition install over them by adhering the acrylic with butyl tape and color match sealant. This will save money on landfill costs, lessen the project installation some time to lower your expenses. If the existing wall can’t be installed over put up moisture resistant green board or a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic when the tile is within good structural shape install within the existing. If not, Swanstone can be installed over greenboard or a cement board using special glue.
Tile – Poorly done tile installations have caused plenty of wasted money historically (cheap backer board might have been used, poor grouting jobs, poor be employed in the corners are just a few in the problems). For tile installations never use green board – use sometimes a water repellent cement board or a waterproof extruded polystyrene board that way produced from Wedi Corporation. These boards ought to be glued and screwed for a framing. In addition to while using right backer board consider investing inside a urethane grout. This type of grout won’t have to be resealed which is waterproof. Although it will cost you more in advance it is going to lower your expenses in the future in the have to regrout, or worse yet the have to redo the shower in case you have any water damage.
Step 5 – Fix what’s behind the wall – The best time to solve an inadequate performing shower valve, a shower head which can be too low, as well as to add backer material to boost installing your accessories occurs when you’ve got the wall showed.
Step 6 – Identify the tub tub and shower accessories you wish to add function and elegance for a project – Have you always wanted a leg ledge for shaving, most seat, a curved shower rod to hold the river in, a hand held shower, most caddy, a frameless shower door, shampoo or soap niche or a grab bar? When you’re installing new wall surrounds is the best time for you to accessorize your bath or shower to make it meet your needs and your family.
Step 7 – If the process sounds too difficult call a professional contractor that’s not a “one size fits all” – Let’s face it, there are plenty of choices and installation details that have to be done right to be sure an excellent project. Calling a specialist may be more expensive in the short term but save long-term costs. Make sure to choose a contractor it doesn’t attempt to push you into the one type of shower or bath wall surround system you can purchase (such as a company selling acrylic systems pushes this one solution you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems which will look to understand your requirements, budgets and tastes and supply different alternatives.
Know you’re furnished with 7 steps that can be the good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.