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Remodeling Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Pros/Cons of using 2CM quartz slab in shower

last year

last modified: last year

Researching installing 2CM quartz slab on shower walls and bathroom counter. Does any have experience installing 2cm on shower walls and if so what were the pros/cons of doing so. Did the walls need to be reinforced due to the extra weight of the 2cmm (3/4” of 20MM). Thank you in advance for your input.

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Comments (4)

PRO
3 Peaks Renovations
last year
Hello HU, off the top of my head... full stone slabs have been considered normal practice in the higher end building industry for many years now. Having previously installed full slabs of granite/quartz/rugged sandstone/semi precious stones etc in clients showers before, I'd tell you to definitely consult your building plan and/or a structural engineer if you're uncertain...Some showers slabs can be 12 feet long & when stacked on top of each other can weigh half a ton. Most of the stone slabs I've used in showers were 1" to 1.5 " thick. Since you didn't mention any dimensions, we can only speculate...Your walls need to be built solid & your shower base level, but the reinforcing should all be done mainly in the floor below....don't forget, the walls holds almost none of the weight, it's all in the floors. If you have another story/s below, typically a new structural beam or beefing up in the ceiling below is in your future. If you're on slab, cutting it, tying in additional rebars & repouring, or whatever your structural engineer wants to see in order to stamp & pass it. Additionally, the plumbing must be done PROPERLY & pretested, there's no going back once that slab goes on. A couple of positives are a complete minimum amount of grout/joint lines, as well as an no sealing slabs, as this is pre done during fabrication. Still, I'd advise you to pick your stone carefully, as some cosmetic choices can become a long term disaster in regards to practicality, cleanliness etc. This is mainly due to porosity issues. Lastly, If you're using a very light natural stone or semi precious & want lighting to illuminate from behind, please be aware of using only very specific mortars for this effect to work. Good luck !
Diana
Original Author
last year
Thank you so very much for your input. My slab size 64” x 127”. The largest wall is an outside wall and I have concret floor, single story. This is polished quartz from Bedrosians and only comes in 2 and 3CM opal background with very light veining.
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Sheila - you know how to et a hold of me...HA! Poppy09 - do NOT use 2CM without a subtop - if you do - I'll hunt you down and give you proper batch of NOOGIES!!! (ala Bill Murray) ..HA Your "fabricator" is a pretender... ALL - I SAY AGAIN - ALL 2CM stone that is used as a countertop on cabinets - MUST - I SAY AGAIN - MUST HAVE SUBTOPS of 5/8 inch ACX plywood.....THIS is NOT NEGOTIABLE!!!! If you do things the way he's telling you - the job WILL FAIL!!! I get called to look at failures all the time - I have nothing to gain here by telling you the truth.. the job should NOT be done the way the guy there is telling you he does all the rest of 'em.... I can pretty much assure you that the guy you're talking to has not been in business very long, and won't be for long either if this is the way he does his installs...... It's just that simple.... any person that is calling themselves a Fabricator (with a capital "F") should know that - otherwise - they're just a pretender... I make no apologies when it comes to this kind of scenario - there's the right way to do things or not at all - Mercedes Benz says it this way: "Das Beste Oder Nichts" (The BEST or NOTHING) Poppy09 - where are you located? I could refer you to some "more qualified" personnel that do things the way they're supposed to be done - the right way... hth kevin
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
HU:

No wall or floor reinforcement is necessary for the installation of slab walls on a modern building.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
You bring walls to the panels with shims, not panels to the walls with rebuilding..

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