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re-doing bathtub surround -tile or marble?

17 years ago

Howdy all,

Due to lack of backer board, my 30 year old bathtub needs a new surround. Right now it has plain jane white tile with white grout that has been a bear to keep clean. This is a tiny bathroom and we have hard water issues. Even using the fan after baths and softening the water, we get mildew -especially at the caulk line.

The kit surrounds are out. My tub is only 4'8" and the kits are made for at least a 5' tub and there is no way to cut them down and be effective.

So, comparing apples to oranges, is the cultured marble easier to keep clean? I hear all these horror stories about marble tabletops, but it that a whole different category? And are there still grout/caulk lines to watch?

And, being lazy, does anyone know the difference in cost between tile and marble? I do mean a full wall of marble, not those lovely tumbled marble tiles.

Many Thanks!

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Comments (4)

meldy_nva
17 years ago
After each use, rinse the area with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution to eliminate mildew and molds. It's also a great general cleaner for hard-water areas and superb for eliminating soap scum. I use a spray bottle to spritz after each shower/bath, followed by a good squeegee to wipe down the walls and tub.

That comment aside, keep in mind that real marble is extremely porous -which is why you hear so many horror stories about stains and rings- but it can be sealed. I understand that the sealing must be repeated every couple years to remain effective.
krissie55
17 years ago
We put cultured marble in all our bathrooms, so easy to take care of. I would not go back to tile with grout for anything.

If you use liquid bath soap instead of bar soap you will not have soap scum on the shower walls.

On cultured marble use Gel-Gloss twice a year and rest of the time just rinse, squeege and enjoy not having to work so hard to take care of it. I found Gel-Gloss at Home Depot.
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dchall_san_antonio
17 years ago
My wife wants a cultured marble (aka plastic) tub surround, but I won't have it. We occasionally have people come clean our house, and they are used to using abrasive cleaners on bath walls. The first time an abrasive is used on plastic, it's ruined.

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JXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
17 years ago
I remodelled a bathroom in the last house that had a cultured marble shower that was somewhere between 20 and 30 years old and it was in great shape. The old pearlescent swirly cultured marble is still available, but there are newer patterns now, too. You also might want to think about other solid surfaces like Corian and Silestone which are also available as a thin product meant for cladding walls for showers and the like. Corian also makes custom shower pans as well as those nice, integrated sinks. The price, especially compared to installed tile, is not astronomical.

If you want to do tile, consider Spectralock grout. It's pretty tough to damage and although mildew will grow on it's rough surface, it doesn't discolor and a spritz of Tilex will clean it up perfectly.

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