custom showers

[v65]

Because of the layout of our bathroom we are forced to have a custom shower, no stopping at Home Depot for a drop in unit. The old unit was tiled, but it sprang an unrepairable leak (mostly do to installation errors as I later found out). After having done extensive internet research this is what I have found:

1) I can install a tile shower myself. It looks like a huge pain in the posterior, but doable. The tile shower websites say this is absolutely the way to go, and cultured marble showers suck because they leak at the seams.

2) Cultured marble is an option. Similar in appearance to Corian, it's a lot cheaper (we priced a Corian shower, that quote should have come with lubricant!). Although still pricey relative to tile, the installation and maintenance look easier. The cultured marble websites say this is absolutely the way to go and that the tiled showers are prone to leaking. In other words the info out there is contradictory.

If indeed the culture marble showers are low maintenance(occasional resealing of seems?) and reliable then that is the route I will go. So, anybody out there have experience with culture marble showers?

FWIW the cultured marble dealer I am talking to is a member of the international cast polymer alliance, which supposedly means they are reputable.

 

[sonicspeed]

use tile in the floor and marble for the sides

trust me on this

if your base is not exactly perfect you can and will have cracks in the marble

also i can supply just about any info you need in print form

my family owns a flooring and cabinet store where i can get all the info you need

 

[Kilroy]

I prefer tile, even though it's usually more work. You didn't really say whether your existing shower floor is tile or a pre-made fiberglass base. If it's a fiberglass base, I'd stay with that (if it's in good shape) and go with tile on the walls. If you don't feel comfortable or want to minimize working with tile, go with a ready-made or tile floor, and install cultured marble on the walls. It's a pretty decent product, obviously has very few seams, and when installed correctly will not leak.

Tile is really not that difficult to work with, though, and the selection of tile available out there is incredible (especially compared to marble), and it's very satisfying work (at least to me). You can be as creative as your wallet allows!

Good luck.

 

[Bounce]

One thing to consider is traction. A single slab of CM can be slippery as a floor. A tile floor will give you traction at each seam where the grout is. That means not only tile, but small tile for the floor is something to consider. I can report my Mom's house has a 3/4 bath with small tile (1x1" or 2x2") on the floor and larger tile (3x3" or 4x4") on the walls that's been fine since it was built in the early 70's. So it can be done and can be something that you can live with.

The idea of large-slab walls with small tile floor seems worth looking into for me (as remodeling the master bath is a project we have to start considering).

 

[TheAxeman]

The shower is only as good as the shower pan and substrate that is below the tile. Make sure that whoever is doing the shower pan knows what they are doing, that the drain is correctly installed, and that the slab on top of it is poured and finished correctly. Make sure that the walls are cement board with all seams sealed. I agree with Bounce that you should probably go with smaller tile on the floor for traction and larger tiles on the wall for easier cleaning. Nows the time also to think about putting in multiple sprays, a shower seat, bracing for future grab bars etc... and maybe a steam unit if the shower is large enough. The difference, I think, between cultured marble and corian/silestone products is that once chipped, the cultured marble will show white underneath whereas the corian can be buffed out.

 

[twowheelnut]

Cheap bastidge! Cultured marble is low rent. Plus, you need to be particular about cleaners and cleaning procedures, not to mention thermal cracking.

In order of preference, I typically guide my clients to a mud tile installation. Properly executed, you should have a minimum 50 year life with typical maintenance procedures. Your big variable here is the cost of the tile. You can get commodity ceramics such as Daltile for a pittance (and it is good stuff, just inexpensive) or go nuts on exotic tumbled stones and such.

Next, I would advise Corian as a great option. Depending on the area, you can buy the kits yourself and DIY. Easy-peasy and you don't need to do the overlapping joints for a cleaner look and easier clean-up. You can pair the walls with a Corian base or opt for a tile, terrazzo, fiberglass (yuk) or acrylic one. These combos are pretty low maintenance, too, but again, you need to be careful on the chemical cleaners.

 

[Kilroy]

I would agree with TWN about tile and thin- or thickset. There are a myriad of choices out there and, properly installed, will last a long long time. You (or your SO) will get tired of it long before it wears out...

Some of the things worth considering for a project like this include which bathroom it is (primary or secondary, heavy or light use), budget, how much you want to do yourself, and how long you plan on living in the house. My advice to those I've done work for is to go with the best materials you can possibly afford. You won't regret it. On the other hand, I've seen plenty of cases where a client chose a less expensive material and regretted that decision from then on.

 

[v65]

The shower is only as good as the shower pan and substrate that is below the tile. Make sure that whoever is doing the shower pan knows what they are doing, that the drain is correctly installed, and that the slab on top of it is poured and finished correctly.

Heh Heh, that would be me. Tremendous amounts of experience have taught me that I cannot screw it up worse than our local contractors, who I can guarantee have never heard of cultured marble.

The base has to be custom made, from what kilroy and sonic are saying it sound like tile is the way to got there. If I am tiling the base I will likely do the whole thing in tile.

Cheap bastidge!

I live in the sticks of NY, no ho's to pimp out for a new shower I appreciate the advice fellas, I definitely do not want to lay out several grand to get a cracked base in the shower.

 

[Jaycen]

We recently had a quote for a Corian surround put up in our bathroom. The surround went with our existing tub, with 1/4 inch corian on the walls. There were some seams, but they were hidden in the corners by some Trim peices. It was gourgeous, but way out of my price range. I think it was around 3500 with all the bells and whistles and extra trim I wanted.

 

[Tbird]

You can do it...I just got through completely tearing out my built-in tile shower (cause it was originally

constructed poorly and leaking) and rebuilding it. FROM THE STUDS AND FOUNDATION! It was a

lot of work and a steep learning curve. But taking my time, doing a bunch of research, and being

diligent to go step-by-step I've got a shower I am VERY proud to say I built from scratch. I spent

a little over a grand on it (got some good deals on the tile).

Probably the most intimidating part was building the base. Packing and floating it with grade to get proper

drainage to the drain. Remember to use a good, thick vapor barrier over the base and the lower sidewalls.

Use cement backer board for the substrate for the tile. I bought a couple of do-it-yourself books and

found a lot of how-to's online. It was quite time-absorbing...but it is done very well and I love it. This

was my first time ever to work with tile...so I am quite the novice. One drawback...My wife is VERY

impressed with the finished result and has now lined up quite a bunch of other complicated home projects

for me. :huh:

 

[krashdragon]

wow!!! that is nice...

My ex and I did sorta the same thing about 20 years ago.

the fiberglass tub/shower had small holes in it when we bought the house, we tore it out, cemented in the floor and tiled everything...

Built a tub, too... about 4" wider than stock, I like a big tub. <G>

found some 1x1" white and blue tiles for $1 sq foot.

Used the cement board backing, and got a lot of lectures about how we needed some kind of special film or whatever before we installed the tile,

or it would leak and fall apart, etc etc...

So.... . being as no one said we couldn't or shouldn't , we fiberglassed everything first. Only mistake was not using thick woven instead of mat, we had to do a lot of sanding, but everything worked out fine. all 1x1" tile..

We made sure we used the sealer in the grout and resealed it again.

Was fine for about 20 years, then the lady I rented the house to washed her dog in the bathtub, the little sucker's claws ripped part of the trim off...

But it was 20 years later, so I guess that's good enuf...<G>

Only thing was I never go the lever for the drain to work properly, so we just used a rubber bathtub stopper...<G>

It took a while to finish, but we got a lot of compliments when it was done.

Mary

 

[v65]

I think it was around 3500 with all the bells and whistles and extra trim I wanted.

Because we need a custom base, the Corian quote we got was for $6k. All that with a five year warranty. :glare: What I was hoping for was to hear someone say cultured marble is great, silence speaks volumes I think. In the tile shower I pulled out there was no pre-slope, and the weep holes in the drain were cemented over. Ten minutes of internet research tells me that installation was screwed from the beginning.

Tbird that is a great looking unit, well done! If I go that route I hope mine comes out as well.

 

[Kilroy]

You can do it...I just got through completely tearing out my built-in tile shower (cause it was originallyconstructed poorly and leaking) and rebuilding it. FROM THE STUDS AND FOUNDATION! It was a

lot of work and a steep learning curve. But taking my time, doing a bunch of research, and being

diligent to go step-by-step I've got a shower I am VERY proud to say I built from scratch. I spent

a little over a grand on it (got some good deals on the tile).

Probably the most intimidating part was building the base. Packing and floating it with grade to get proper

drainage to the drain. Remember to use a good, thick vapor barrier over the base and the lower sidewalls.

Use cement backer board for the substrate for the tile. I bought a couple of do-it-yourself books and

found a lot of how-to's online. It was quite time-absorbing...but it is done very well and I love it. This

was my first time ever to work with tile...so I am quite the novice. One drawback...My wife is VERY

impressed with the finished result and has now lined up quite a bunch of other complicated home projects

for me. :huh:

Very nice work. Tile work is great fun. I'm a woodworker but I enjoy tile-setting almost as much (I guess I'm just a do-it-yourselfer). If you like being able to put your personal stamp on your dwelling (like farkling your FJR) and save some coin in the process, doing these kinds of projects can be very rewarding.

 

[ponyfool]

Um, even if the marble "leaks at the seams", if you install it the same way you install a tile shower, it won't matter. Follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Don't do any short cuts.

If this is your only tile job, rent a high quality wet tile saw. If you have others, buy it.

I have done three showers now, and the hardest part is getting over the fear factor. Besides, IMO, if you do it yourself, choose not to cut corners, follow the instructions, possibly take a class at Home Depot for the "art" or "skill" of tile work, you'll do a better job than most (other than a real pro), and with the labor costs out of the way, it'll be less expensive.

Also, since it is a shower, consider using epoxy grout like Laticrete SpectraLock or similar (available at Lowe's). The hardest thing about this product is again, getting over the fear factor. It applies very similarly to grout, but will be completely maintenance free when you are done, which is ideal for a shower! If you do go this route, just make sure you follow the finishing procedures. They are different than grout. If you let it haze like you do grout, you have some problems. Fixable, but not fun.

 

[jwilly]

v65: Do the right thing and make it a man bath! Go with Stainless Diamond Plate. Then for traction on the floor go with Rhino Liner.

JW

 

[v65]

Then for traction on the floor go with Rhino Liner.

Actually I am saving that for my roof! :lol:

 

[Waaane]

Tile has a learning curve to it but is certainly doable. This is a little of my last project.

The entire bathroom is done in the same tile. The floor, counter, and shower / bath. This tile is very hard Italian Ceramic floor tile. Bellagio Walnut from ACIF. If you decide to use something like that you will need some tools. You cannot drill this stuff with a $5.00 masonry bit from Home depot. Harbor freight sells a workable tile saw for $300.00 and The Tile Setters Toy Store has everything you could possibly want.

The photo was taken for the guy down in mexico that sold me the copper sinks. There is a ton of info about tile settings online. I say go for it. Just be patient.

Clickage for Tile Setters Toy Store

 

[v65]

I guess I should have pointed out that I am not a complete novice to the tile game, I tiled the floor in the kids bathroom. Actually that was another case where I had to clean up after a contractor, my work has been significantly more reliable. :angry: I also have a friend with a tile saw, tools are really not on object. After some extensive reading I am pretty confident I can do the job.

This is more a question of which type of shower will last the longest with the least maintenance. The tile shower I took out lasted for about fifteen years from what I understand from the previous owners, with a number of patches in the last few years of life. 'Course like I said before that shower had some installation "issues".