Acrylic Shower Walls Panels
|Acrylic Shower Walls Panels – Choosing the best shower or bathtub wall surround can be hard. Should you install acrylic, an excellent surface material like Swanstone, or use decorative tiles? Will the grade of the products stand the test of your time? Which one is the foremost match for the budget and tastes? Learn 7 practical steps to determine which wall method is most effective for you.
Step 1 – Determine if you want to check out your existing walls – To lower your expenses it’s nice to put a bathtub or shower wall surround over a pre-existing 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 present 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 present system will need to removed, new backerboard installed and then new walls set up.
Step 2 – Think through your budget- If you’re similar to you need to get the most value for the money – a high quality material which doesn’t break the bank. If you are looking for a simple to completely 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 far more elegant appearance (which can be available in more decorative patterns and fashoins) consider a Swanstone solid surface wall. Swanstone is straightforward to maintain, has no joints to grout or seal and is available in lots of choices. Usually the most expensive product is tile (if you don’t manage to install it yourself and save the labor hours- tile is among the most frustrating to put in vs. sheet products like acrylic & Swanstone). There are limitless choices and price ranges of tile plus it creates a sophisticated look too.
Step 3 – Select your material, designs, colors and accents you desire – After you’ve selected between acrylic, Swanstone and tile you’re ready to choose your design and color(s). Acrylic wall surrounds are available in a multitude of colors, patterns and finishes. There are solid, granite, metallic and in addition 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 no longer merely a white smooth faced wall.
Swanstone, while it continues to be noted for it’s strength, color and texture consistent, grout-free quality, and also the fact it certainly can’t crack or craze – features a very broad range of decorative options too. There are over 45 standard, high shine, and granite colors. In addition there are decorative panels to construct unique architectural designs named Pebble, Geometric, Beadboard, Tangier and Barcelona. There are also designer trim pieces and rosettes to produce a finished look. Tile supplies the widest product options when it comes to 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 plus true of tile finish the face of the wall- What you don’t see in a very 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 are in sound condition install over them by adhering the acrylic with butyl tape and color match sealant. This will reduce landfill costs, slow up the project installation some time to lower your expenses. If the existing wall is not installed over set up moisture resistant green board or perhaps a cement backer board. Swanstone – Like acrylic if the tile is within good structural shape install on the existing. If not, Swanstone can be installed over greenboard or perhaps 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 be employed 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 perhaps a waterproof extruded polystyrene board like this created from Wedi Corporation. These boards ought to be glued and screwed in your framing. In addition to using the right backer board consider investing in a very urethane grout. This type of grout doesn’t must be resealed and is also waterproof. Although it can cost you more in advance it’ll lower your expenses later on inside the must regrout, or worse yet the must redo the shower for those who have any water damage.
Step 5 – Fix what’s behind the wall – The best time to correct an unhealthy performing shower valve, a shower head which can be too low, as well as to add backer material to strengthen investing in your accessories occurs when you have got the wall opened.
Step 6 – Identify the tub tub and shower accessories you need 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 the river in, a hand held shower, most caddy, a frameless shower door, shampoo or soap niche or perhaps a grab bar? When you’re installing new wall surrounds is the best time for it to accessorize your bath or shower making it do the job and your family.
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 plenty of choices and installation details that must be done right to ensure a successful project. Calling an expert could be more costly inside the growing process but help you save long term costs. Make sure to choose a contractor which doesn’t make an effort to push you into the wedding party shower or bath wall surround system they offer (like a company selling acrylic systems pushes this solution giving you). Look for a company skilled and competent in multiple systems that will seek to understand the needs you have, budgets and tastes and offer different options.
Know you’re designed with 7 steps that can function as good outline to plan your acrylic, Swanstone or tile bathtub or shower wall surround installation.