Sheetrock Shower Walls
|Sheetrock Shower Walls – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can be tough. Should you install acrylic, a great surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the standard of the products stand the test of 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 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 provided that the current walls usually are not spongy or bowed. If you have a plastic or fiberglass system it’s not at all possible to place new walls over your existing materials. In these cases the current system will have to removed, new backerboard installed and after that new walls placed.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re like most you wish to get the best deal for the money – a high quality material which will not break the bank. If you desire a fairly easy to clean economical material acrylic is a great choice. It is warm to the touch, installs quickly and features a lifetime warranty.
For a far more elegant appearance (that’s accessible in more decorative patterns and styles) think about a Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is not hard to keep up, doesn’t have joints to grout or seal and is available in a multitude of choices. Usually the more costly technique is tile (until you are able to do the installation yourself and save the labor hours- tile is regarded as the frustrating to set up vs. sheet products like acrylic & Swanstone). There are limitless choices and price ranges of tile and yes it creates a stylish look as well.
Step 3 – Select your material, designs, colors and accents you desire – After you’ve selected between acrylic, Swanstone and tile you’re ready choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds are available in many colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic plus marble finishes. In addition the walls you decide on can be smooth, 4″ x 4″ simulated tiles, 8″ x 10″ simulated tiles or possibly a stone look. Acrylic is no longer merely a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, whilst it has been noted for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, along with the fact it certainly can’t crack or craze – has a very broad range of decorative options as well. There are over 45 standard, high gloss, 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 produce a finished look. Tile provides widest product options in terms of color, accents, borders, sizes and thicknesses. Make sure to get a high density water-resistant tile for the bath or shower.
Step 4 -Choose your backerboard. Select material to adhere the wall material along with the truth of tile finish the face area of the wall- What you can’t locate inside a bathtub or shower wall panel project can be as important as that which you do see. Use the right material(s) behind the wall. Here are some recommendations: Acrylic – If the tile walls will be in very good condition install over them by adhering the acrylic with butyl tape and color match sealant. This will save on landfill costs, lessen the project installation some time to cut costs. If the existing wall can’t be installed over placed moisture resistant green board or possibly a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic if the tile is in 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 lots of wasted money historically (cheap backer board may have been used, poor grouting jobs, poor operate in the corners are merely a few of the problems). For tile installations never use green board – use either a water-resistant cement board or possibly a waterproof extruded polystyrene board like this created 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 will not must be resealed which is waterproof. Although it will set you back more in advance it’s going to cut costs in the future inside the must regrout, or worse yet the must redo the shower when you have any water damage.
Step 5 – Fix what’s behind the wall – The best time to correct an undesirable performing shower valve, a shower head that’s too low, or add backer material to boost investing in your accessories is when you’ve got the wall exposed.
Step 6 – Identify the bathtub tub and shower accessories you wish to add function and magnificence for a project – Have you always wanted a leg ledge for shaving, a corner seat, a curved shower rod to hold the lake 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 to accessorize your bath or shower to make it work for you 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 tons of choices and installation details that must be done right to ensure an effective project. Calling an expert may be higher priced inside the short run but help you save long-term costs. Make sure to pick a contractor which doesn’t make an effort to push you in to the wedding party shower or bath wall surround system you can purchase (for instance a company selling acrylic systems pushes this one solution giving you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems which will look to understand your needs, budgets and tastes and supply different options.
Know you’re furnished with 7 steps that will function as a good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.