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Shower niche shelf - marble or granite?

15 years ago

Hi,

GC said he found a way to install a shelf for me in the shower niche. Tiles are white and he suggests Carrara or Thassos marble. I've asked him to price the Carrara (since it is cheaper!) but now wondering if granite is a better (and more economical) choice?

What do you have and why did you pick it, pls?

Thanks,

Amina

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Comments (7)

thetews
15 years ago
Originally I was going to use the same tile as the rest of the shower - Philadelphia Travertine. The width of the niche is 20" so I was going to cut down 2 of my 12" pieces and have a seam. Decided I didn't want a seam, and my tile didn't come in 20", so I decided to go with custom cut granite. It wasn't cheap. I got 2 niche shelves - 5"x20", a curb - 5"x36", a 12"x12"x17" triangle for my small better bench, and a thicker 5"x24" threshold for the bathroom door and it cost $600! which I thought was ridiculously high, but decided to get them anyway. I'm very happy with that decision and the niche, along with most of the shower is tiled, and looks fantastic.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Most people DO use whatever the tile is they're using throughout the shower. I'll use granite for a couple of reasons. First most bullnose these days is 3", which means a sliver going around the return of the niche, including the shelf. Using a piece of granite, you eliminate all the grout joints on the shelf. Secondly, I use granite specifically because it's a much more dense stone (doesn't absorb as much, and in some cases, not at all). However, you CAN use marble if you wish. Just keep it sealed. Same with some of the more absorbant granites.
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DH here. Conventional wood framing, then hardbacker, which adjoined to the rest of the hardbacker that formed the shower walls. In other words, the niche is simply part of the wall. Warning -- if possible, frame the niche at least 2 inches larger than your desired final niche opening dimensions, and don't seal with Hardibacker, nor sparkle with thin-set, until your tiler does the actual tile layout measurements. Depending upon where the tile lines lay, you may want to add layers of Hardibacker to fill so that you don't have to notch tiles at the corners. Then, we waterproofed the entire hardbacker surface (walls and nook) using three coats of Laticrete's Hydroban product (rolls on like thick goopy paint, dries to form a rubber-like seal). According to our tiler, if/when water gets behind the tile (wall or nook), it slides down the Hydroban and exits into the tub. Had to shim walls to make sure the Inside edge of the Hardibacker overhangs the raised lip of the tub, so that water sliding down behind the tile exits inside the lip of the tub. Apparently, an alternative to shimming the studs is to notch the framing so the tub lip sinks into the framing by 1/4", which lets the Hardibacker's inside edge sit inside the lip of the tub. That also helps the tiler bring the tile down inside the tub lip without angling the last row of tile in to clear the lip.
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....it only looks like that since you pointed it out. Anyone else would be looking at what you put on the shelf. How many people are viewing your shower niche on a daily basis? Don't mess with the grout, unless you want to paint it pink.... I hope you will smile every time you walk in there and think of a cream sandwich. IT makes that shower YOURS. I have one grout line in my shower that is larger than the others. No one in the whole world will see it and say gee, that line is wider than the others... Relax and I hope you will enjoy your new shower, w/o getting hungry whenever you shower! -Babka
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I feel solid surface is better than marble or teak in a steam shower. Marble is too porous and will get darker or possibly acquire rust spots from the moisture and teak would need lots of maintance if used frequently. I always have to resand my out door shower teak bench after just three months of use. Granite is harder and less porous than marble so it might be ok?
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Hello, I’d like to do something like the attached in our shower using a marble remnant from our kitchen. I was looking at the Redi Niche line from Lowe’s which advertises that all you need to put down before tile is thin set. Given this, how much should we subtract from the interior dimensions of the niche when cutting the marble? Thanks!
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MariposaTraicionera
15 years ago
Bill, 'IF' a person uses glass instead of the granite you show there, should they have it installed where the glass could be removed or set permanently?
Amina
Original Author
15 years ago
thetews - thanks!

Bill-don't know if you remember my niche problem but niche was tiled without the shelf. Contractor says he can get a piece of marble (as above) cut with 4 notches on the bottom so that it sits on 2 pins (sorry for the incorrect terminology) drilled into each side of the niche.

Should I just go for granite? Am looking at colours online to find something white-ish that won't be terribly expensive...

oh, and he said that he did indeed waterproof the niche area.

Thanks,
Amina
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Mari-- if I'm the installer and it's up to me, the glass will be installed permanently. I don't like the idea of screws or any other kind of fasteners going thru the niche.

Amina-- Either or. If you want something not real expensive, check into carrara. It's about as inexpensive as it gets. That, or Vermont Danby.
Amina
Original Author
15 years ago
Bill,
Thank you so much - I really do appreciate the advice and help. :)
Amina
MariposaTraicionera
15 years ago
Okay Bill. That is what I thought myself but needed some feedback from the pro ;-)

Mari

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