I know this is an old thread... but just wondering what you ended up with in your shower luckystar22? And why in the world is the US not getting on board with the acrylic wall panels for showers, backspashes, etc. They look so snazzy and easy to clean! Give me some affordable competition for Lustrolite PLEASE!

I think tile can be quite beautiful. But for ease of maintenance we went with cultured granite surrounds (already had a Corian granite-look sink vanity) and for the shower, a cultured granite showerpan. Contractors used cement board. Due to high labor costs in our area going with Swanstone or CG worked out to be cheaper than a professional tile installation. With CG the cost included installation, no small matter. It took three strong men to move in a 38" custom neo-angle pan! We considered Swanstone - we have Swanstone kitchen countertops and sink - but they did not do custom sizes, so we went with the CG which looks similar. Most people, even contractors, think it's Corian. It's very slightly shinier than Corian due to the gelcoat. My spouse loathes tile. If we bought a house with a tiled shower surround the first thing we would do is rip it out; he will not tolerate it in bathrooms or kitchens (he went to hotel & restaurant mgmt school so he's big on the whole non-porous idea). We have had the CG surrounds for 13 yrs and they are almost effortless to maintain. We don't even have to squeegee it. Just spray after use, maybe 2x/yr I run a wet sponge over the walls before I exit. Still look brand-new, too. Recently my spouse remarked it was the best of all the changes we've made to our home in the 25 yrs we've been here.

If this is an acrylic solid surface, where it is solid/patterned all the way through the material, like a Corian, then that is much superior to the cultured marble. Cultured marble has a gelcoat finish where the pattern and color does not go all the way through, and it can be damaged by some cleaning materials and methods. With a solid surface acrylic type material, it can be buffed out to be renewed. It's a "lifetime" choice for your shower surface. If it's a very thin acrylic type wall panel, the kind that kinda "flaps in the wind" it's so thin, then the cultured marble would be a better choice than that. It's not a renewable surface however. Did you not want a tiled surface? With the new grouts with built in sealers, it's care is about as easy as that of a panel wall system.

Thanks everyone. I asked a new question, "[Which solid surfaces are refinish able? Sandable polishable[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/which-solid-surfaces-are-refinish-able-sandable-polishable-dsvw-vd~4260627)" because Iv read the onyx collection has a sealer which I assume would need to be reapplied if you polished out a stain. Joseph Corlett replied, "You want to get an acrylic or polyester sheet with an aluminum tryhydrate filler, Corian, Avonite, Staron, LG Hauseys HI-MACS available at lowes, Livingstone, Wilsonart" Im not sure why he didn't include Swanstone. I imagine the above manufacturers are quite expensive. But so is replacing another shower when it starts to look crumby. Mixing a shower pan with different walls is a possibility and if I did that, I would lean towards a cast iron receptor like kohler makes maybe. Swanstone refinishing I'm not sure why swanstone and cultured marble aren't considered SS. But Iv read cultured marble also has a sealer or clear coat like the onyx collection, which would make refinishing difficult. Ahh decisions decisions.