Prefab Shower Walls
|Prefab Shower Walls – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can often be difficult. Should you install acrylic, an excellent surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the standard of these products stand quality of your time? Which one is the best match for the budget and tastes? Learn 7 practical steps to determine which wall product is right for you.
Step 1 – Determine if you want to review your existing walls – To cut costs it’s nice to place a bathtub or shower wall surround over a current 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 are certainly not spongy or bowed. If you have a plastic or fiberglass system it’s not possible to set new walls over your existing materials. In these cases the current system will likely need to removed, new backerboard installed and then new walls put up.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re similar to you want to get the best deal for the money – a top quality material which won’t break your budget. If you’re looking for an easy to clean cost effective material acrylic is an excellent choice. It is warm to the touch, installs quickly and comes with a lifetime warranty.
For a much more elegant appearance (that is obtainable in more decorative patterns and fashions) think about Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is easy to take care of, has no joints to grout or seal and will come in lots of choices. Usually the priciest product is tile (unless you are able to do the installation yourself and save the labor hours- tile is among the most time intensive to put in vs. sheet products like acrylic & Swanstone). There are limitless choices and price ranges of tile and 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 it is time to choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds come in many colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic plus marble finishes. In addition the walls you decide on might be smooth, 4″ x 4″ simulated tiles, 8″ x 10″ simulated tiles or even a stone look. Acrylic is not simply a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, although it may be known for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, and also the fact it certainly can’t crack or craze – carries a very broad range of decorative options at the same time. There are over 45 standard, high shine, and granite colors. In addition there are decorative panels to develop 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 regarding color, accents, borders, sizes and thicknesses. Make sure to get a high density waterproof tile for the 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 of the wall- What you can’t locate inside a bathtub or shower wall panel project will be as significant as whatever you do see. Use the right material(s) behind the wall. Here are some recommendations: Acrylic – If the tile walls have been in good shape install over them by adhering the acrylic with butyl tape and color match sealant. This will reduce landfill costs, lessen the project installation some time and cut costs. If the existing wall can’t be installed over put up moisture resistant green board or perhaps a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic if your tile is within good structural shape install in the existing. If not, Swanstone might be installed over greenboard or perhaps a cement board using special glue.
Tile – Poorly done tile installations have caused a lot of wasted money historically (cheap backer board may have been used, poor grouting jobs, poor work in the corners are simply a few of the problems). For tile installations never use green board – use the waterproof cement board or perhaps a waterproof extruded polystyrene board like this created from Wedi Corporation. These boards should be glued and screwed to your framing. In addition to while using the right backer board consider investing inside a urethane grout. This type of grout won’t should be resealed and is waterproof. Although it costs more up front it will cut costs later on in the should regrout, or worse yet the should 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 that is too low, as well as to add backer material to boost installing your accessories is the place you have the wall showed.
Step 6 – Identify the bath tub and shower accessories you want to add function and type to your project – Have you always wanted a leg ledge for shaving, a corner seat, a curved shower rod to keep the water in, a hand held shower, a corner caddy, a frameless shower door, shampoo or soap niche or perhaps a grab bar? When you’re installing new wall surrounds is the perfect time and energy to accessorize your bath or shower making it meet your needs and your family.
Step 7 – If the process sounds too difficult call a good contractor which is not a “one size fits all” – Let’s face it, there are a lot of choices and installation details that should be done correctly to be sure a successful project. Calling a professional might be more costly in the short run but help save long lasting costs. Make sure to choose a contractor which doesn’t make an effort to push you in the one kind of shower or bath wall surround system they sell (such as a company selling acrylic systems pushes this place solution giving you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems that will look to understand your needs, budgets and tastes and provide alternative ideas.
Know you’re designed with 7 steps that can function as a good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.