Are smooth acrylic shower pans slippery?

2 years ago

They look much easier to clean than textured ones but I can't help but wonder how slippery they get once wet. Any experience or product recommendations to share? Considering one with a magnetic concealed drain from Zitta.

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Comments (5)

tartanmeup
Original Author
2 years ago
Bumping this. Would love to hear from homeowners who have smooth acrylic shower pans. When I expressed my worry that such a pan would be slippery when wet, a HD salesperson told me they sold texturized anti-slip strips to solve the issue. Found one online Kohler product review that said the pan turned into a skating rink when wet. Am I right to be wary? Can anyone recommend a quality textured acrylic pan?
HU-867564120
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Yes, smooth acrylic pans can be slippery. We have 2 Kohler acrylic showers, one a steam shower with a smooth pan and one a normal shower with a textured pan. I slip easily on the smooth pan when there is soapy water underfoot and have to be very careful (I'm gravitationally disadvantaged). The textured pan, not an issue. BTW, Kohler stopped making acrylic showers years ago.

Also, I really dislike those anti-slip strips. They seem to catch crud and grow mildew over time. Besides, they just look like a tacky add-on.
tartanmeup thanked HU-867564120
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We purchased a Kohler acrylic (?) Archer shower pan, sight unseen. We immediately returned it--it had no non-slip, the color doesn't go through and through, and we were concerned about the possiblity of cracking (despite spectrolight--sp? underneath). We ended up getting a Kohler cast iron pan instead (~3' X 4'). They had two in the size we needed--both are the same, but the no-slip grip pattern is slightly different in each (we got the one with the "grid" pattern). The shower hasn't been used yet, but the pan looks good, and we are more confident about its longevity than we were with the other one.
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I'm debating the exact same issue today Fori. I was thinking about posting the same question. Mine is new construction though. I wanted a cast iron pan, but Kohler only has a couple of sizes for big rectangles. They seem too narrow. The deepest I could find was 30" from front to back. I was hoping for bigger. I don't want squishy. NO WAY. So I guess fiberglass is out. I was thinking acrylic, but I didn't realize they scratched. I guess I'll research the Swanstone pans. I've never heard of them. Are they weird colors? Please share what you decide. I should have made this decision last week and ordered something, but other decisions have gotten in the way.
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Need quick answer: are acrylic shower pans slippery?
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I would not have recommended acrylic. We had an acrylic tub and surround that did not last. Acrylic has some disadvantages: - It is very brittle and will require support underneath to remove any possibility of flexing, which would make it crack over time. Our surround cracked within five years under very minimal use in an unsupported spot. - Be very careful to use ONLY recommended cleaners. I damaged the acrylic with a brand-name cleaner and ever afterwards, could not keep it looking good. It would look dirty within a week again. - Your salesperson is talking out of his hat. Acrylic is not quite as slippery as cast iron, but it is still slippery enough to be dangerous with water and soap. I'm actually very surprised the surface of your showerpan is not nubby-feeling. I thought all horizontal surfaces in mfg'ed tubs and showerpans were federally mandated to have a non-slip coating. It's usually a plastic overcoating with a "pebbled" feel underfoot that works very well against slippage.
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tartanmeup
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks for sharing your experience with a smooth shower pan, @HU-867564120. I'll limit my search to textured ones. Never heard that Kohler stopped making acrylic pans before. Is this in the US? I'm in Canada and their Canadian website lists acrylic as the material for many of their pans (e.g. Archer and Groove models).
Anne K
last year
Hello Tartanup, Im from Canada as well, B.C. and researching shower pans as well since I want to avoid cleaning grout. Kohler still sells acrylic shower pans. The Kohler Signature Store in Vancouver has the Ballast, Groove and Archer on display and I believe they are all smooth not textured. If you go to Build.com and type in Kohler Ballast, you can scroll down to look at the reviews. I would say 20% comment them being slippery but others say no so I am hesitant as well. I would take safety over not having to clean grout though. I have those anti-slip strips and I don't like them for the same reason that HU-867564120 mentioned. Have you found any textured ones? I haven't seen one on display and would prefer to inspect one in person. Kohler does have a cast iron shower pan but it's pricey and I haven't been able to find a showroom that displays this product.
cat_mom
last year
Koer cast ron shower oans with no slip grips baked are good. We originally bought and returned their acrylic pan but returned it when we discovered the smooth surface. We knew it was likely to be slippery during showers.

The cast iron pan is sturdy and solid, and the no-slip grips are easy to keep clean.

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Are smooth acrylic shower pans slippery?

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tartanmeup
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HU-867564120

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Are smooth acrylic shower pans slippery?

Comments (5)

tartanmeupOriginal Author

HU-867564120

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tartanmeupOriginal Author

Anne K

cat_mom

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tartanmeup
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