Swanstone Decorative Shower Wall Panel
|Swanstone Decorative Shower Wall Panel – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can be difficult. Should you install acrylic, a good surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the standard of they stand quality of your energy? Which one is the better match for your budget and tastes? Learn 7 practical steps to determine which wall strategy is good for you.
Step 1 – Determine if you want to go over your existing walls – To save money it’s nice to position 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 so long as the current walls usually are not spongy or bowed. If you have a plastic or fiberglass system it is not possible to put new walls over your existing materials. In these cases the current system will have to removed, new backerboard installed after which new walls set up.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re like the majority of you want to get the most value for your money – a top quality material which won’t break your budget. If you desire a simple to scrub cost effective material acrylic is an excellent choice. It is warm to the touch, installs quickly and features a lifetime warranty.
For a more elegant appearance (which is for sale in more decorative patterns and fashions) consider a Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is not hard to take care of, has no joints to grout or seal and also comes in a multitude of choices. Usually the priciest method is tile (until you have the ability to do the installation 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 yes it creates an elegant look also.
Step 3 – Select your material, designs, colors and accents you would like – After you’ve selected between acrylic, Swanstone and tile you’re ready to choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds appear in a multitude of colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic as well as marble finishes. In addition the walls you end up picking can be smooth, 4″ x 4″ simulated tiles, 8″ x 10″ simulated tiles or possibly a stone look. Acrylic has stopped being only a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, whilst it has been recognized for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, as well as the fact it won’t crack or craze – features a very broad range of decorative options also. There are over 45 standard, shiny, 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 provides the widest product options when it comes to color, accents, borders, sizes and thicknesses. Make sure to choose a high density waterproof tile for your bath or shower.
Step 4 -Choose your backerboard. Select material to adhere the wall material along with the situation of tile finish the eye in the wall- What you do not see in a very bathtub or shower wall panel project will be as important as what you do see. Use the right material(s) behind the wall. Here are some recommendations: Acrylic – If the tile walls come in good shape 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 save money. If the existing wall can’t be installed over set up moisture resistant green board or possibly a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic if your tile is good structural shape install on the existing. If not, Swanstone can be installed over greenboard or possibly a cement board using special glue.
Tile – Poorly done tile installations have caused a great deal of wasted money historically (cheap backer board may have been used, poor grouting jobs, poor work in the corners are only a few in the problems). For tile installations never use green board – use either a waterproof cement board or possibly a waterproof extruded polystyrene board like that made from Wedi Corporation. These boards should be glued and screwed to your framing. In addition to while using right backer board consider investing in a very urethane grout. This type of grout won’t have to be resealed and is also waterproof. Although it will set you back more in advance it is going to save money as time goes on within the have to regrout, or worse yet the have to redo the shower when you have any water damage.
Step 5 – Fix what’s behind the wall – The best time to solve a poor performing shower valve, a shower head which is too low, as well as to add backer material to boost the installation of your accessories is when you’ve got the wall exposed.
Step 6 – Identify the bath tub and shower accessories you want to add function and magnificence to your project – Have you always wanted a leg ledge for shaving, a corner seat, a curved shower rod to hold water in, a hand held shower, a corner caddy, a frameless shower door, shampoo or soap niche or possibly a grab bar? When you’re installing new wall surrounds is the ideal time for it to accessorize your bath or shower to restore work for you you.
Step 7 – If the process sounds too difficult call a good contractor that is not a “one size fits all” – Let’s face it, there are many of choices and installation details that have to be done efficiently to make certain an effective project. Calling a specialist could be costlier within the short term but save long term costs. Make sure to go with a contractor that does not attempt to push you in the one sort of shower or bath wall surround system you can purchase (such as a company selling acrylic systems pushes this solution on you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems that can aim to understand your requirements, budgets and tastes and still provide alternative ideas.
Know you’re equipped with 7 steps that can be the good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.