Hi Stacy.

Thanks for the tip. I don't think we'll be DIYing the tile this time, but you never know. The budget might be too tight in the end. I love mosaic floors, or mosaiced anything really. Have you posted pics of that floor before? I know I've seen your daughter's bathroom. Yes, heated floors! I cannot wait! And yes to the niches too. DH poo-poo'd them the other night, but I told him he'd get used to them.

Oh, and a little ledge for shaving my legs!

IMHO, 30" deep is way too shallow for a shower when you have the space for a deeper one. That was the size of our previous shower, and my husband occasionally hit his elbows when he raised his arms, and when we were showering a child, the door would get pushed open (only a problem if you have little bitty ones). I had all the materials bought to rip it out and steal 3" from the room to make it bigger when we decided to sell and build. Those 3" were important enough to me to go to the trouble and expense of redoing the shower pan.
Like I said, just my opinion...

Arcylic for me...hands down. Been there done that with tiled floors.

A good arcylic base is not cheap by the way, rather pricey. But they last forever, remain clean, shiney, easy to clean, and they can be restored if abused.

We have black pebbles with black epoxy grout in our shower. We will never have anything else. not a single complaint and cleaning consists of spray and a quick brushing.

My Kohler cast iron shower receptor is 36x 60. It is gorgeous and luxurious with my marble subways and frameless door. I would never consider tile on the floor.

We've had experience with just about all the options already mentioned and I've listed my observations below. Keep in mind that we have a farm and DH gets very dirty working on it in addition to his regular job:

Fiberglass--Absolute pain in the rear to clean. Just cleaned again the other night & had to use 3 different cleansers (one after the other with thorough rinses in between) to get it sparkling. Also, at least with ours, if you don't get it sparkling clean, it has a sticky residue that your feet cling to. Several builders tried to talk us into those fiberglass inserts for our boys' baths--no way, no how! No more fiberglass for me!

Cast Iron--Great feel, easy install but the non-slip texture they put on it holds onto dirt like you can't believe. I've only found 1 product that will clean it thoroughly--Bar Keepers Friend--but you still have to scrub & scrub & scrub.

Concrete(experienced over 10 days in a rented beach condo)-- Interesting texture (light broom finish I think), but still slippery. Not sure if it was stained the dark gray color it was or if it was painted--paint would contribute to the slipperiness I guess. Didn't give it a thorough cleaning so can't really comment on that aspect.

Tile--small basket weave design with beige/off-white grout. The trick is to make sure the tile & grout are the same height--grout isn't 1 or 2mm lower than the tile. That helps prevent water from gathering and sitting in those depressed grout areas. Also, squeegee the floor after you've squeegeed the walls. That takes care of most of the issues if any standing water droplets have dirt in them. Dirt does sometimes show on the grout lines but not as difficult to remove as the other shower base materials we've tried. Needless to say, we're going with tile in the new house.

Stone/Corian--We've not experienced these first hand, but we have seen them at the annual home show. They are beautiful & seem to be very easy to install, but I do worry about slipping.

Good luck, Breezy & let us know what you decide!

I've been meaning to come back and let you know what we decided--tile floor! I ordered a custom tile-ready shower base from KBRS based on the recommendation from someone on the Kitchen Forum. The tile pans I'd seen online until then were pre-fab sizes that just didn't quite work.

KBRS can do whatever size and curb/thresholds you want. We decided to do a pony wall with glass above for a good section of the shower beside the toilet so we are having that section of the KBRS pan made with just the flange, no curb. Then we put the curb where we wanted it for the frameless glass door. The cost was barely more than the Tile-Redi pan that wasn't the right size and had a curb all along the front.

The pan should arrive towards the end of next week. I'll let you know what it looks like when it gets here. But I don't really know how to judge the quality of it just by looking it as I've never seen a tile pan before. ;)

Thanks so much everyone!

I'm new to shower land, just had to pull my old one out...
Surprised by the cast iron shower choice. I've had a cast iron white sink in my kitchen for 20 years. I've loved it, but don't think I would do it again. I'm into lower maintenance now -- must be middle age thing. I also made the mistake of using cleaners with bleach for the past few years, which is probably why it stains easily now.

But shower floor -- no idea -- going through the same thing. Why don't people choose corian? I was told this surface is tough enough you can use bleach on it (meaning it will last and look good), plus, no grout, seems more durable and easier to clean, doesn't it?

And the tile walls, to the poster that uses bleach now and then: if you use bleach on the grout, I'm told it erodes the grout. Yes/No?

I know you want answers, but I have only questions...

and curious of those that posted answers as to how long their shower has been installed? I don't want to have to do this again, so I intend to replace everything at this point, but is it possible to put in a shower to last and look good for a lifetime?

Regret it? Yep, my neighbor does. She had about the most incompetent company ever for her bath reno and her tiled shower pan meanders up and down with lots of spots that are lower than the drain area, so now she not only has to squeegee the glass but also mop up the floor every time she takes a shower.

We had penny tile under foot in our last shower and enjoyed them. Did NOT enjoy the white grout. We are using penny again, but with a darker grout.

I didn't regret tiling ANYONE'S shower floor!! :-)

We have a tile floor for the first time after our bathroom remodel. It's honed travertine 2 x 2 with an off white grout. I am really enjoying it. It doesn't show any dirt at all because of it's varied color and it's very secure feeling, not slippery at all. I had a prefab shower pan before some sort of vinyl or fiberglass. It was hard to keep clean. Scrubbing is scrubbing not sure I understand the diss on tile because we had to clean any surface we ever had by scrubbing. This is the least scrubbing surface ever for us! I guess it depends on the color and type.

kaysd, I am planning to use ming green marble too. Do you have any pic.s of your finished bathroom? I would love to see them. Are you happy with the way the green marble looks?

I sure do regret tiling the floor of our new shower. Yes, it was gorgeous when finished. However, in less than three months, we've had to let the grout dry out for three weeks and reseal it. I knew I should have gone with a prefab pan but let the contractor talk me out of it. Big mistake.

The problem is that grout sealer won't stand up to even moderate scrubbing or harsh cleaners. Once it has been compromised, the grout and the mortar substrate get wet. It simply won't stand up to everyday life.

Luckily, we had acrylic put in the grout so it can be removed. If we have more trouble, I'll have it removed and put in epoxy grout. That should solve the problem.

bk

I sure do regret tiling the floor of our new shower. Yes, it was gorgeous when finished. However, in less than three months, we've had to let the grout dry out for three weeks and reseal it. I knew I should have gone with a prefab pan but let the contractor talk me out of it. Big mistake.

The problem is that grout sealer won't stand up to even moderate scrubbing or harsh cleaners. Once it has been compromised, the grout and the mortar substrate get wet. It simply won't stand up to everyday life.

Luckily, we had acrylic put in the grout so it can be removed. If we have more trouble, I'll have it removed and put in epoxy grout. That should solve the problem.

bk

Does anyone have river rock in their shower? I've seen it in a show room and loved it, but wonder about cleaning it. Seems like lots of grout in between round or oval stones.

We did not do riverrock (I thought about the cleaning part too, and I would be worried about inconsistent porosity... founded or unfounded worry).

But, we did do round tiles... And, I love them. They do feel good on my feet. And, they are porcelain, so I feel like I got the best of both worlds...

I took this picture for another poster to show the drain. But you can see our grout/tile floor.

Lots of good info here - thanks,

Had a textured acrylic pan in the last house. It was a horror! No matter how much soaking in bleach cleaner and hand-and-knees scrubbing, it never really looked clean. Now I have tile. I spray with cleaner, let sit for awhile and rinse out, don't have to scrub. Everything is clean.

This post was edited by canuckplayer on Sat, Mar 15, 14 at 18:54

Just tile it. No one lives forever......

Barbie, I am installing this same shower pan. I have also considered marble subway tile but am scared about maintenance ---- how has that worked out for you? Do you ever regret the marble or wish you had used a faux marble?

I am not barbie, but my name is Barbara ;) I am installing a Kohler pan (in place already) and porcelain marble look alike. I am so very happy I went with the porcelain as it looks great and there will not be any risk of rust spots or water absorption, like there is with marble. The printing process on tile is wonderful these days. here is my partially done shower.

The shower pan is not visible but it is a 36x60" Salient from Kohler in Ice grey.

Enduring (aka Barbara), I am a fan of your incredible work! What is the name and maker of your tile?

This is Atlas Concorde, Marvel line, in the Calacatta Extra color. It is a matt finish. I believe I also saw the polished finish and it looked great too.

This is an Italian tile I found at RBC, which is in the midwest. I ordered it through Nebraska Furniture Mart. It is not their regular line but they are retailers for the RBC tile people and so they could get it for me through the RBC account (or something like that).

Here is a link that might be useful: Atlas Concorde, Marvel, Calacatta Extra

And what are you doing with the rest of your bathroom? Floor? Countertops?

I am trying to design a similar bathroom, was originally going for a charcoal slate like floor but am now considering putting the faux marble on the floor as well to brighten the space. As of today, I am planning on carrara countertops but sometimes think I should use jet mist honed for durability. My bathroom only has a sliver of a window in the shower which faces northwest so the room is rather dark.

Locally, I have found at Lowes a faux marble by American Olean Mooreland Carrara Wall Tile and, at a design house, Mediterranea Marmol at almost twice the price. I am so frustrated.....

Enduring, I just left a tile shop with this exact tile. Do you have any photos online of your finished bathroom? Your sneak peek on this thread is absolutely gorgeous!

My shower is 72" x 30" and the 30" is plenty wide enough. I know when you're playing with it on the floor with tape it looks narrow, but it really isn't.

I'm not home now but will get back to you.

I never regret doing a tiled shower floor . The problem is not the tile , but the grout . Consider epoxy grout as a compliment to the tile .

Mom2sulu, here is my shower. Hard to get a long shot because of the narrow room. The tile was very strong when I installed it a year ago. I am very happy with it. I used a Kohler shower cast iron pan, and love that too.

Enduring,

Thanks so much for posting your shower pics! It is stunning! When you say it was "strong" what do you mean by that?

I am working kind of backwards here on my plan. This is my third tile I have attempted and I have design elements that I am stuck with. I already have a carrara hex pan and my corner bench is a small slab of Calcutta gold. I had chosen a faux porcelain tile to go with that but when it came in, it just didn't have enough variation and looked cheap next to my other elements. So then I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and just get the rest of the matching Carrara. Well, natural stone foiled me. While my hex floor has both warm and cool(gray and gold/beige) the new Carrara was all bluish gray. So that brings me to the Atlas Calcutta Extra. My brain is tired and frazzled a bit from this rushing around. (I have a tile guy waiting on me.)

I did take it over to the new house last night and it looks pretty good. Btw, I have the polished version in 24 x24. I have a few questions for you though.

1. The sample I have has primarily gray streaks but it also does have some of the warm golden undertones too. Is that true to your tiles? My concept from the beginning has been warm and cool(silver and gold)--my floors are a light gray and my walls are Accessible beige. It is really a pretty combination.

2. Since I have the 24 x 24 size, how do you think that will affect the design compared to your bathroom?

3. Any other thoughts you have?

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly. I have to move on this quickly and I need all the help I can get! :)

Birch point & enduring: We still don't regret the cast iron shower pan, not terribly difficult to clean. However, the real marble subway tile does require daily drying off with a towel after each shower (along with the glass door) but still looks as if it is brand new.

Enduring, I just wanted to show you my almost finished shower. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge regarding the Atlas tile. I just love it!

Mom2sulu, that is lovely! I can see the shine and the size. I didn't see your post from 4-28-15 above, all my alerts from GW are going to junk, and I didn't think to look. So glad you posted.

What did your tiler think of the tile? My tile looks like your tile except matte finished, and 12x24. I did my own tiling and yours is a lot nicer install, LOL. I did a very good job with cutting my tiles and fitting around my niche, but I have a bit of lippage in the field. I just am not that strong or skilled with the large tiles. I havent quite finished my outside wall of my shower alcove. It will wrap around the alcove wall and end at the cabinets on the back side where my laundry setup is. Just haven't got to it yet :/

Did you use the trim pieces for the doorway, or is that cut from the main tiles? For my wraparound I will be cutting all my tiles to fit. This tile finishes so nicely at the edges.

I think this tile has a beautiful warmth to it. I did have a carrara backsplash. They miss cut the first counter, so there was an extra backsplash they left. I used it to make my niche shelf and Its a fairly good match.

This tile looks marvelous with my walnut! You can see the walnut entry door in this shot. Also the shelf of carrara. It just happened that the tile I used at the back of the niche was more subtle and ended up almost matching my carrara shelf in pattern. The doors are low iron shower doors. These ended up being free, after the forth set. The manufacture just didn't have good quality control, so once they got it right they gave everything to me for free. Of course I had a thread with their name on it on GW, describing my troubles.

Hi Enduring,

Thanks for the compliments! I am so pleased with how it turned out. It was my third tile selection and my tiler was extremely patient with me, but I am sure he was getting tired of me as well. (The other two tiles did not look/match the boards in the store--so frustrating!). When I finally saw the Atlas in person I was immediately in love! Anyway, yes, I have the high gloss. I loved the look of your honed as well-they just didn't have it in stock and by this point I was just going to go with what I had seen with my own eyes.

My tiler said that he enjoyed working with the large format tiles. He said it wasn't bad to work with. However, he said the doorway was a real pain! It is cut tile, but the outer pieces that frame the doorway are actually the bullnose from Atlas. He did do a great job except the niche isn't perfect. Those are real marble barnes framing it and there is some not so perfect gaps there but I am okay with it. I am more concerned with the floor--there have been several posts popping up about the hex. They are older posts that have been resurrected. I missed those when I was researching everything. I do think my tiler has done a great job underneath it all so we will just have to wait and see if that marble becomes an issue or not.

Regarding the warmth of this tile--you are so right! I was looking for gray and those warm gold tones too. My bench is actual Calcutta gold and it is not a perfect match but blends nicely. My goal for this entire bathroom was "silver and gold" and "old & new." My floors are gray but my walls are Accessible Beige and it does all have a warmth to it which is exactly what I was shooting for.

Your tile looks wonderful to me. I'm no expert :) but I think it is lovely! I also adore your niche! The veining is perfect and it just looks wonderful. I am even more impressed that you did it yourself. You DIY-ers are so brave and fearless! I wish I had some of that. :)

Thanks for the pictures. Looks really well blended with all your elements. The calacatta bench really looks good with the porcelain. And the carrara does too. I can see what you mean about the carrara being more gray. Its just like my shelf in my niche. I don't think anyone will notice. I don't notice anymore.

Thanks for the shot that shows the interior door frame. How the tiler did that area will be like mine, except I will be having the approx. 8" tile that will cap the end wall, covering the 2 tiles on either side of the wall. Because it protrudes into the room an just reads the need to have it capped. But I can see his technique, and it gives me confidence.

Will you be putting a shower door on the entry?

Would you like more pics of how the tile was done around the door? If so, I will take more next time I am at the house.

Yes, I am putting a frameless door on. I may copy your handle. It is very cool. :)

It's a matter of the personal preference, to tile or not to tile.

Our small guest bathroom, no problem after one year and half with a minimal maintenance.

Small Guest Bathroom · More Info

Small Guest Bathroom · More Info

Guest Bathroom Remodeling Do's and Don'ts, Mission Completed

If you have hard water, know that it will leave deposits in the grout which will require the use of CLR and some elbow grease. We remodeled this entire house built in 1989 except for the master shower. It's HUGE, tiled with seats and the double sink counter matches it. I wasn't a fan of the existing tile, but could live with it. It is rather light beige with bunches of flowers here and there. The cost of replacing all that tile would have been prohibitive! Just know hard water will make it harder to keep clean. This is how it looked during our remodel. Took a long time to get rid of those hard water stains. The junk is from them replacing the fan and light in the ceiling. This shower has no door. It doesn't need it. HUGE!

Suzi, what is CLR?

"Calcium, Lime, Rust." It's a cleaner that trades under "CLR."

You can get it at Lowes or HD or even the Grocery store. It's pretty amazing stuff. On accident we spilled some on our old gray teak table, and washed it off, and where it was, the teak looked like new! I wouldn't drink it............

Sure....why not? (Probably clean out your system REAL well!) LOL

Hi Enduring, I am back to copy you again. :)

I love your shower door handles. Do you know how tall they are? My door will be 72" and I am thinking about a 12" bar pull handle as well. Do you think that is the appropriate size? TIA.

Hi mom2sulu, the bars are from the shower door shop. The total length is 12" with 8"oc mounts. The company is C.R. Laurence. I have polished chrome. Same with the hinges. The glass is 77" on top of a 3" shower pan, so the top is 80" off the ground. I tried to imagine a shorter door and I thought the handles would be fine. Do you have an option to see them that tall in the shop?

Thanks for measuring and giving me the extra info. :) Unfortunately I will not be able to see it. I do have the option of an 8" vs the 12" but I like the idea of the larger.

Beautiful shower mom2sulu! We have worked with every material possible for shower floors. Our customers prefer acrylic and natural stone slabs over tile. Kohler makes a line of contemporary shower pans that have a much sleeker more modern look. We use ForzaStone for our natural stone floors. Depending on the size of the floor...we will use a linear drain to relieve some of the force of the stone. Either way...they look amazing.

Wouldn't have it any other way.