Laminate vs. Acrylic

[Info]

It's me again, the guy with the "replace the bath tub with a threshold-free shower" remodeling job . Another contractor was here last week and suggested that once the tub is ripped out we use an acrylic shower pan, not cultured marble as the guy on the top of our very short list suggested. The new guy suggested that we use not only an acrylic pan, but acrylic all the way to the ceiling.

The acrylic guy is a franchise who doesn't get good reviews on the Internet, but, maybe there's an advantage to using acrylic?

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[tbasc]

[tbasc]

In 1979 we installed three Fiat brand tub / shower units and one shower. They are one piece acrylic units and look like new 29.75 years later. T

[creative1986]

Acrylic won't handle the pressure.

"Pressure", you ask?

Tire pressure.

Downward.

Take a look at your wheelchair tires, notice how much of the tire is actually touching the floor.

Not much is there?

All of your weight is concentrated in that small area.

Unless it is very thick, like 1" or more, the acrylic shower pan will snap the very first time you roll your chair in there.

Once it breaks you have BIG problems.

If it was me I'd go old school, mud base and tile.

Nuthin but the finest for my finest clients........

[Info]

Acrylic won't handle the pressure.

"Pressure", you ask?

Tire pressure.

Downward.

Take a look at your wheelchair tires, notice how much of the tire is actually touching the floor.

Not much is there?

All of your weight is concentrated in that small area.

Unless it is very thick, like 1" or more, the acrylic shower pan will snap the very first time you roll your chair in there.

Once it breaks you have BIG problems.

If it was me I'd go old school, mud base and tile.

Nuthin but the finest for my finest clients........

-------------------

The guy in the lead for us wants to use "cultured marble" for the pan, not a mud base. What's the difference?

[creative1986]

Take a look at each and see. I'm not familiar with CM shower pans. If they are anything like the CM countertops I'd advise against it. Again, it can crack. I hope the CM shower pans have some sort of texture on them and are not smooth like the countertops. Notice that both products probably have standoffs that hold them up above the floor, kinda hard to describe. Take a look at the backside of each and you'll see what I mean. They ain't solid. Again, go mud base and only do it once. Might cost a little more but you'll get that back by not having to repair it.

[gruhn]

The one thing I noticed is that you didn't offer any "why"s behind these. Contractor's rec may be "because I make more money that way" but they may also have some reasons for you to play with. I'd be shy about working with recommendations whose explanations are all prestidigitations.