Master Bath Shower Stall....Tile or Composite?

[pklein09]

After 20 years, the shower in our master bathroom is showing signs of age. The worst part is the cheap sliding doors the builder installed. The tile isn't bad, but white 4x4 tiles and white grout just looks its age. I'd like to redo just the shower stall. I don't want to touch the soaking tub and its surrounding tile (matching 4x4 white tiles). I just don't have the money and it's in very good shape.

My question is what do we put on the shower walls. I don't want to replace with the exact same tile. I would pick a white subway tile or some other white tile to keep the color the same. While I was at a showroom, I saw composite shower walls. I was told that they would be cast to the exact size needed, so I would only need 3 pieces. There would be seams at the corners only.

I've seen the tub surrounds where one size fits all and you just adjust where the seams are to fit the area. This is not anything like that. The quality of the material is similar Corian, but it's not Corian. He said cleaning it amounted to treating it with a good car wax and the water would bead up and roll off. The material is sealed with a clear coat from the factory and the car wax just extends and protects the finish. No abrasive cleansers, just squeegee it.

Does anyone have any experience with this material? I need to price out both, but I was hoping for some input.

Thanks!!!

 

[TwoMisfits]

After 20 years, the shower in our master bathroom is showing signs of age. The worst part is the cheap sliding doors the builder installed. The tile isn't bad, but white 4x4 tiles and white grout just looks its age. I'd like to redo just the shower stall. I don't want to touch the soaking tub and its surrounding tile (matching 4x4 white tiles). I just don't have the money and it's in very good shape.

My question is what do we put on the shower walls. I don't want to replace with the exact same tile. I would pick a white subway tile or some other white tile to keep the color the same. While I was at a showroom, I saw composite shower walls. I was told that they would be cast to the exact size needed, so I would only need 3 pieces. There would be seams at the corners only.

I've seen the tub surrounds where one size fits all and you just adjust where the seams are to fit the area. This is not anything like that. The quality of the material is similar Corian, but it's not Corian. He said cleaning it amounted to treating it with a good car wax and the water would bead up and roll off. The material is sealed with a clear coat from the factory and the car wax just extends and protects the finish. No abrasive cleansers, just squeegee it.

Does anyone have any experience with this material? I need to price out both, but I was hoping for some input.

Thanks!!!

I'm currently getting Kohler Choreograph installed - no experience yet, but I love the lack of grout lines and the preinstalled shower lockers...I refuse to ever get tile again after having it fail and wrecking my 1st floor ceiling (without being noticable - the plumber literally had to cut a hole in my wall to check the pipes b/c he couldn't believe the entire tile wall failed without being "noticable", but then he saw the water literally running through the shower tile wall...so I had a hallway wall, an entryway ceiling AND a bathroom to redo, thanks to tile!...

 

[tvguy]

Probably something similar to this. Scroll down to see the process. It's acrylic. It may look like Corian, which is seamless once installed. But trust me, Corian is about the most expensive material you can use. My wife insisted on it in our master bath. We have a 5 foot by 32 inch shower in the masterbath, big enough for a bathtub but just a shower. The Corian for that alone was $7,500. The acrylic will probably cost you under $1,500.
https://oneday.bathfitter.com/index...js0_ASyNDZ7vmA1a8VdGH0R-_N7BDrToaAjMmEALw_wcB

 

[pklein09]

Thanks for the replies! I've looked at both suggestions, and boy do I have some research! Thank goodness it's not a critical repair.

 

[4kids4karen]

Bathroom remodels are expensive. I am still getting quotes between 9k and 18k for a full bathroom remodel (changing tub to walk in shower, basically changing everything in the bathroom). I refuse to get one of the liners that others have mentioned. Yes, they are more affordable, but I doubt their long term durability and how they will look in a few years. I am going for quality materials and a high end look. I am looking at gray&white subway tiles for the finished look. I live in Tampa, and for resell value, I need to go with the higher end look, not the liner which a seller would notice. I have also been touring all of the new communities and model homes being built to see the latest designs there. BATH FITTERS has terrible reviews on yelp and other websites.

 

[pklein09]

Bathroom remodels are expensive. I am still getting quotes between 9k and 18k for a full bathroom remodel (changing tub to walk in shower, basically changing everything in the bathroom). I refuse to get one of the liners that others have mentioned. Yes, they are more affordable, but I doubt their long term durability and how they will look in a few years. I am going for quality materials and a high end look. I am looking at gray&white subway tiles for the finished look. I live in Tampa, and for resell value, I need to go with the higher end look, not the liner which a seller would notice. I have also been touring all of the new communities and model homes being built to see the latest designs there. BATH FITTERS has terrible reviews on yelp and other websites.

I'm in NJ, and I can't go cheap either. We will probably sell in the next few years (youngest is a HS senior), and whatever update I do is with that in mind. We did a minor update with the double sink vanity....granite, etc. But the soaking tub area is in very good shape as is the floor, and I won't touch those areas. I'm not going to do a cheap-y surround, but I can't go top-of-the-line either. The composite slabs look quite nice - I saw them in the showroom. My mom put in one of the liners, and while it worked for her, it's not what I want. (She always said I had champagne taste!!! )

 

[tvguy]

I'm in NJ, and I can't go cheap either. We will probably sell in the next few years (youngest is a HS senior), and whatever update I do is with that in mind. We did a minor update with the double sink vanity....granite, etc. But the soaking tub area is in very good shape as is the floor, and I won't touch those areas. I'm not going to do a cheap-y surround, but I can't go top-of-the-line either. The composite slabs look quite nice - I saw them in the showroom. My mom put in one of the liners, and while it worked for her, it's not what I want. (She always said I had champagne taste!!! )

When I sold my mom's house in 2013 and debated what upgrades to make to market it. It was exactly as built in 1960, great condition, but out of date. All 6 Realtors I interviewed advised not to do anything, because a buyer likely rip them out anyway and do things to their taste. So my advice, do what you want, but do it for YOU, not for some future owner.

 

[pklein09]

When I sold my mom's house in 2013 and debated what upgrades to make to market it. It was exactly as built in 1960, great condition, but out of date. All 6 Realtors I interviewed advised not to do anything, because a buyer likely rip them out anyway and do things to their taste. So my advice, do what you want, but do it for YOU, not for some future owner.

Exactly! If I decide to do anything at this stage, it's because I want to get use out of it. When we decide to sell, I'll make sure my house is clean and uncluttered, but I'm not going to make any renovations for it to sell. My Pop's a realtor in South Jersey, so I've lived in that world since I was a kid.

For this repair/upgrade, I will be doing it for my use first, but I know that it will beneficial down the line when I go to sell.

 

[PatMcDuck]

ALSO in NJ! Same bathroom set up here. We did not change the 4x4" white tiles around the jetted huge corner tub (that we never use. I used 2x in 22 years). But we took down the 4x4" tiles in the master shower stall, replaced the pan on bottom and put in the white subway tiles, but went up to the ceiling. We did insert a narrow strip of accent glass tiles, and a niche for shampoos, etc. (we used a one piece ceramic niche, vs tile). And put in a frameless door as well. Makes it look more modern. New sink top. Painted the white vanity, looks great. Could not replace it without disturbing the tile around the big tub. Left the dreaded white hexagon floor tile, cleaned up the grout.

We were surprised there were no leaks in the original tile. The kids bathroom shower, we gutted it, replaced that tub and the 4x4" tile as well with subway tile, again to the ceiling, and with a different glass accent tile. THAT bathroom had issues, and the builder did not use green board or the equivalent, just regular sheetrock. It failed, leaks, some minor mold in the studs. (So we were surprised the master shower was installed correctly).In that bathroom we did replace the vanity, 4 kids used that bathroom, lol. AND did the floor, good bye white hexagon tiles in there! I left it using a shower curtain, because really, to bathe kids that is the easiest vs. doors.

I understand hating tile, but I would worry for resale using those one piece looking things, they look cheap to me. Even if they are not of course. Each bathroom was only about $3000. Maybe less. We did much of the work ourselves except tile install, and plumbing, but we did demo and sheetrock.

In our case, this was for our use and future resale.

 

[tinatark]

We used cultured marble and frameless glass for our shower. Custom mixed color, built in bench, etc. Very happy with it. We didn't want to have grout lines.

 

[tvguy]

We used cultured marble and frameless glass for our shower. Custom mixed color, built in bench, etc. Very happy with it. We didn't want to have grout lines.

We used cultured marble in our second bathroom. It looks great too.

 

[LovesTimone]

Our friends did a over lay in their guest room bathroom shower about 4 years ago... and it ended up costing them triple + what complete bathroom remodel would have cost in the beginning. Apparently when they hooked up the shower and tub fixtures, they missed a leak... tiny pin hole leak.. The guest room, and bathroom had to be gutted. Their daughter and son in law were staying in that room when visiting, and the daughter found it when she went into the closet, the back part of the closet was cover in mold... Then they found out it was black mold... they had to gut the bathroom, closet, and guest room... and fight with the home owners insurance company who did not want to pay, on top of that the company they used had been bought out by another company and even though the extended warranty was still good plus they used regular dry wall, and not the correct green board or water proof back boards... they new owners said they weren't responsible. They had to get a lawyer... even more money down the drain... total nightmare...

I would do a ton of research on the process, and whatever company you are thinking about using...

Then weigh out all the variables...

Such as is this your forever home? how would this affect the resale of your home later on? Will you be happy in the long run with this type of install? Is this a quick fix and later on your planning on a complete remodel?

 

[Anthony1971]

First off I would never go with any type of insert as it is exactly that... something that over your existing stall in which case of there was or is a problem you still have the same problem that existed before... and if your pipes have a problem and you do not access to them from behind and underneath not only is the insert getting ripped out so is what ever is underneath so you essentially will than have to pay to have it done the right way.
Back to your question... if you have white tile leave it and replace the door you can by custom size glass doors from Kohler or sterling one in the same at both Lowes or Home Depot but they are not cheap...if you are lucky they will have your size and it should be in the 4-600 range if not more.... Subway tile is outdated already... if you have it anywhere in your house it will be ripped out when you sell it.. also if you change tile in one part of your bathroom the rest will stand out and you will be redoing it... further having your shower stall done right is not cheap... who ever had a leak had it done wrong or maybe code... the floor has to be cement than a rubber liner than more cement then tile set in cement... the walls have to be cement board NOT green board that is code or sheetrock that is just wrong.... if you decide to have it done ask questions if they say green board say BYE BYE... Green board is moisture resistant and will rot when it gets wet enough... your tiles can fall off the wall with cement board and it will not leak...

 

[pklein09]

Thank you for all the input. Whatever I do, it will involve taking the original tile off the wall. The question is do I replace it with more tile or go with a composite material.

 

[4kids4karen]

First off I would never go with any type of insert as it is exactly that... something that over your existing stall in which case of there was or is a problem you still have the same problem that existed before... and if your pipes have a problem and you do not access to them from behind and underneath not only is the insert getting ripped out so is what ever is underneath so you essentially will than have to pay to have it done the right way.
Back to your question... if you have white tile leave it and replace the door you can by custom size glass doors from Kohler or sterling one in the same at both Lowes or Home Depot but they are not cheap...if you are lucky they will have your size and it should be in the 4-600 range if not more.... Subway tile is outdated already... if you have it anywhere in your house it will be ripped out when you sell it.. also if you change tile in one part of your bathroom the rest will stand out and you will be redoing it... further having your shower stall done right is not cheap... who ever had a leak had it done wrong or maybe code... the floor has to be cement than a rubber liner than more cement then tile set in cement... the walls have to be cement board NOT green board that is code or sheetrock that is just wrong.... if you decide to have it done ask questions if they say green board say BYE BYE... Green board is moisture resistant and will rot when it gets wet enough... your tiles can fall off the wall with cement board and it will not leak...

Subway tile is extremely popular right now, especially Grey, but other colors as
Well. You should google it. The million dollar homes being built in my area are using it as well.

 

[afan]

Subway tile is outdated already... if you have it anywhere in your house it will be ripped out when you sell it.. also if you change tile in one part of your bathroom the rest will stand out and you will be redoing it

I agree that subway tile is slowly starting to see it's way out, regardless of what current builders are doing. I've read articles recently and am starting to see the same thing on some of the newer HGTV shows. Plus when it's everywhere and in every house it starts to be boring and "cheap". I think we'll start seeing the same thing with stainless steel appliances. They are starting to push black and matte black stainless or matte black something.

Thank you for all the input. Whatever I do, it will involve taking the original tile off the wall. The question is do I replace it with more tile or go with a composite material.

I would research and look into it along with contacting some contractors for bids. Then get what you like not what someone else thinks is a good investment. You're the one that uses the shower daily and need to be happy when doing it.

Along with that, paint the room blue or olive or whatever, it doesn't all have to be neutral. Live in your house and make it happy whatever that means to you, and I realize for some that means neutral

 

[TwoMisfits]

Along with that, paint the room blue or olive or whatever, it doesn't all have to be neutral. Live in your house and make it happy whatever that means to you, and I realize for some that means neutral

Amen - that was the biggest thing I'm doing for myself in my remodel. I was sick of having to maintain stuff (sealing, worrying about stains, worrying about chips, constant cleaning, etc), having stuff break, and I hated white b/c it looks dirty the fastest and tile b/c of the disaster...and my contractor was wonderful with choosing stuff that was VERY easy to maintain, very durable, and not tile or white (we have a beautiful ice gray and black motif going in the bathroom with literally not one drop of white anywhere - kids and white do not mix...I also needed it to be my mom friendly (since she's a not great mobility senior who isn't getting younger), so we are installing a 550lb shower bar and a very low shower threshhold (so it's not hard to step in) and a shower head that converts to handheld and a custom bench window seat (with towel storage which also holds 550lbs - my mom isn't that heavy (she's probably only 250-275), but when you have growing kids that can fit on it (the bench) or hang on it (the shower bar), I didn't want to take chances this was breaking - see my durable requirement...

I'm not sure any of that will resell well in a family-size townhome - okay, maybe the very easy maintenance will...but I lived with a sucky bathroom 11 years, and if I needed to have it fail catastrophically to get me to spend money to demo it, I was dang sure gonna get what I liked...

 

[lorijohnhill]

Bathrooms are the source of my nightmares right now. Lol. You would have to see the disaster that is my master bathroom to believe it. I have to gut it and start over. It’s unreal. The small bathroom that was “usable” is now barely so. It seems I have a roof leak, which is taking out the ceiling - yes, the ceiling is slowly falling apart. The toilet rocks side to side and has a handle contraption attached to it that I can’t get off; and the seat is not attached. Oh, and the vanity is all of 27” high. Lol. So, I am now facing two bathroom remodels at the same time. Yikes!

Anyway, in getting bids for the master bath, Bath Fitter came out. They quoted $10,000 just for the shower. Yeah, no thank you!

I agree with OP about not wanting an insert. They don’t seem to hold up very well over time. I had the acrylic walls with only seams at the corners in my last home, but I didn’t really like that either. It just didn’t have that look of quality. For this one I am going with a custom shower with tile walls and floor. I’m also in the camp of not liking subway tile.

What is the composit you mentioned?

 

[QueenIsabella]

Following this thread with interest--we'll be re-doing the kids' bathrooms next year, and eventually the master bath. I haven't started planning yet, but I should, I guess--I have no idea on the options.

In our case, the kids' bathrooms are okay, just dated. Plus, their entry doors are very small (??). I really, really dislike subway tile, so I'm glad to hear it's on its way out. In DS21's room (second master), we'll be replacing the tub with a walk-in shower, with the thought that we could age in place, and use the downstairs master at some point. So, that would be a good place for marble or composite--we intend to put in a seat. The other bathroom just needs updating--nothing wrong with the layout.

Our master bath upstairs is a different issue. On the good side, it's huge, and workable for now. But, it's pretty awful. DH found out that a previous owner worked with Habitat for Humanity, and put in the MBA using labor and materials from them. And it shows! The tub is built in, but they ran out of tiles. So, they filled in with grout--you know, instead of going to Home Depot and buying a few dozen 1" square tiles! And the tiling job (tub surround, floor, etc.) is very amateurish. In addition, although it's a huge room (14'x20', maybe?), the shower stall is tiny. And old and gross. (OTOH, we could afford the house, so there's that...). So, we need a bigger, better shower stall. Since the upstairs MBA is going to be a to-the-studs remodel, we're putting it off.

So, sorry, OP, no advice from me, but I'm interested to read about what you choose and why, etc. And I wish you luck!

 

[tvguy]

Subway tile is extremely popular right now, especially Grey, but other colors as
Well. You should google it. The million dollar homes being built in my area are using it as well.

LOL. My wife and daughter both YELL at the TV when we are watching any of the HGTV shows and "subway tile" or "grey" (usually "warm grey") are mentioned. I suspect neither will ever be in any house they remodel!
Oh, and "shiplap" and sliding "barn doors" too.