Best Grout For Shower Walls
|Best Grout For Shower Walls – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can be hard. Should you install acrylic, a great surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the grade of the products stand the test of energy? Which one is the better match on your budget and tastes? Learn 7 practical steps to determine which wall system is best for you.
Step 1 – Determine if you would like to check out your existing walls – To cut costs it’s nice to put 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 so long as the actual walls aren’t spongy or bowed. If you have a plastic or fiberglass system it’s not at all possible to position new walls over your existing materials. In these cases the actual system will have to removed, new backerboard installed and then new walls set up.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re similar to you want to get the best deal on your money – an exceptional material which will not break the bank. If you are looking for an easy to completely clean cost-effective material acrylic is a great choice. It is warm to the touch, installs quickly and has a lifetime warranty.
For a more elegant appearance (that is available in more decorative patterns and designs) look at a Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is easy to maintain, does not have any joints to grout or seal and will come in lots of choices. Usually the most expensive technique is tile (until you be capable of set it up yourself and save the labor hours- tile is easily the most frustrating to setup vs. sheet goods like acrylic & Swanstone). There are limitless choices and price ranges of tile plus it creates a sophisticated look at the same time.
Step 3 – Select your material, designs, colors and accents you need – After you’ve selected between acrylic, Swanstone and tile you need to choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds come in many colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic and in addition marble finishes. In addition the walls you choose may be smooth, 4″ x 4″ simulated tiles, 8″ x 10″ simulated tiles or perhaps a stone look. Acrylic is no longer simply a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, as it has been famous for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, as well as the fact it’s not going to crack or craze – has a very broad range of decorative options at the same time. There are over 45 standard, high gloss, and granite colors. In addition there are decorative panels to make unique architectural designs named Pebble, Geometric, Beadboard, Tangier and Barcelona. There are also designer trim pieces and rosettes to generate a finished look. Tile offers the widest product options with regards to color, accents, borders, sizes and thicknesses. Make sure to choose a high density waterproof tile on your bath or shower.
Step 4 -Choose your backerboard. Select material to adhere the wall material as well as in true of tile finish the face area from the wall- What you can’t locate in a bathtub or shower wall panel project is as essential as everything you do see. Use the right material(s) behind the wall. Here are some recommendations: Acrylic – If the tile walls will be in good 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 time and cut costs. If the existing wall cannot be installed over set up moisture resistant green board or possibly a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic when the tile is good structural shape install on the existing. If not, Swanstone may be installed over greenboard or possibly a cement board using special glue.
Tile – Poorly done tile installations have caused plenty of wasted money historically (cheap backer board could have been used, poor grouting jobs, poor operate in the corners are simply a few from the problems). For tile installations never use green board – use the waterproof cement board or possibly a waterproof extruded polystyrene board prefer that produced from Wedi Corporation. These boards ought to be glued and screwed in your framing. In addition to with all the right backer board consider investing in a urethane grout. This type of grout will not need to be resealed and is waterproof. Although it will cost you more at the start it will cut costs later on inside need to regrout, or worse yet the need to redo the shower in case you have any water damage.
Step 5 – Fix what’s behind the wall – The best time to correct a poor performing shower valve, a shower head that is too low, in order to add backer material to strengthen investing in your accessories is when you have got the wall opened up.
Step 6 – Identify the bath tub and shower accessories you want to add function and magnificence in your project – Have you always wanted a leg ledge for shaving, most seat, a curved shower rod to maintain water in, a hand held shower, most caddy, a frameless shower door, shampoo or soap niche or possibly a grab bar? When you’re installing new wall surrounds is the best time for it to accessorize your bath or shower to really make it be right for you and your loved ones.
Step 7 – If the process sounds too difficult call a reputable contractor that isn’t a “one size fits all” – Let’s face it, there are a lot of choices and installation details that need to be done efficiently to be sure an effective project. Calling an experienced may be costlier inside short run but help save lasting costs. Make sure to go with a contractor it doesn’t try to push you in to the wedding party shower or bath wall surround system you can choose from (like a company selling acrylic systems pushes that one solution giving you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems that can attempt to understand the needs you have, budgets and tastes and supply different choices.
Know you’re designed with 7 steps that will be the good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.