Bathroom renovation

[Totalrod2]

I've looked everywhere for an alternative to tile in my shower. Here's the deal, I need something that looks like tile, without the maintenance. Basically, fiberglass paneling. Which isn't a problem if you like WHITE. There doesn't seem to be any other colors available except white/off white. I was looking at Matrex FRP (fiberglass reinforced panels) by Kemlite which seemed very promising. But I was informed by one of their vendors, that it isn't recommended for showers. I'm not being real fussy, I just don't want white! Does anyone know if anything even exsists? (shower paneling with the "tile look"). I've seen tileboard in a friend's house and that stuff clearly was not made for the shower. After 2 years it was crumbling.There's got to be something out there. Any ideas? Bryan

[Bobk207]

Bryan-

[RicodJour]

Why do you want something that's not tile to look like tile? It'll look like plastic trying to look like tile. If you like the tile look, go with tile and pay attention to the installation. It's low maintenance if the installation is done correctly.

An alternative would be to do the walls in Corian or other solid surface material.

R

[Totalrod2]

Tile itself is great. My shower had it until the late 1980's. But the grout had mildew and it was falling out in many places. Then I got this one piece fiberglass unit and couldn't believe how easy and maintenance free it was compared to the tile. I've never had to wipe it down when I'm finished using the shower. But I've always prefered the traditional look of tile over the cheap "prefab" look of those one-piece units. I suppose nothing looks EXACTLY like the real thing. But "close" would be good enough for me. Let me throw an idea on the table and you guys can tell me if you think crazy OR if you think this idea might actually work: Seeing as white is my only color choice for fiberglass faux tile, would any of those concrete epoxies/floor paints (for garages floors) work on fiberglass? I'd have to do each square individually and it would probably be a major pain in the butt, but it would certainly give me and endless color pallet. Hell, I could even do that black/white checkered pattern like some of those old victorian bathsrooms. That would be cool as long as the paint didn't start peeling after a month or so. Low maintaince is the whole point here. Will the paint idea work? If not, I'll probably just reuse my one-piece unit and forget the whole thing. Bryan

[RicodJour]

You can paint anything, but how long it will remain looking good is problematic. Let me translate - don't do it. Bathrooms need to be scrubbed. Paint does not like scrubbing. In your pursuit of maintenance free you'll be opening a major can of maintenance dealing with scratched and peeling paint.

Especially don't do the black and white checkerboard thing. It looks great when you're first done, but it's not a pattern that you'll want to live with for very long. Waking up in the middle of the night and sitting down in room with such a between the eyes pattern and the light is always too bright... I'd hazard a guess that the suicide rate in those bathrooms is much higher than in a normal color scheme.

R

[Totalrod2]

It would certainly give me more colors to pick from if I used tiles. This route gives me zero choices. I can't believe they don't make fiberglass paneling with the classic 4x4 ceramic tile appearance in something other than white (almond, bone, neutral, boring, whatever the hell they want to call it). I'd take blue or green or yellow....anything, I'm really not that fussy. Screw it, I'll drive myself crazy trying to find this crap if it doesn't even exsist. Actually, that WAS the renovation right there. So that's one less thing I have to do I suppose. If I were a married man we wouldn't even be having this conversation. I'd be buying her $15,000 granite shower walls (that's the only bright side to this). Bryan

[Ron]

Try this

Available in white, alm ond and biscuit. Not tile, but the "tile look" that you seek.

[Mark]

But I _do_ recommend the 1920's style black & white herringbone mosaic style for the bathroom floor. We had one when I was growing up, and I discovered that if I sat on the throne and stared at the floor and crossed my eyes, the floor would magically "float." Great fun!

[CWatters]

Corian tiles perhaps?

Quote:

You can make Corian Tiles. They are easier to cut and install than ceramic:

1) Cut to size. 2) Bevel to the depth desired with a 90 degree router bit. 3) Stick each tile down with construction adhesive putting a thin bead of 100% silicone sealer between the tiles. Push them tight together. 4) Clean up the adhesives per container instructions and let stand for 24 hours. With this you can mix and match colors - do mosaics and cover many different surfaces. You will have no nasty grout lines. You can even cut these tiles with a scroll saw. Enjoy Next... Drilling Corian

[CWatters]

or if you don't like the idea of joints try routing fake grout lines into a larger sheet?

[RicodJour]

Are you recommending the technique or mocking it?

R

[CWatters]

Niether.

[RicodJour]

Hmmm, by any chance are you running for office? ;)

R

[CWatters]

:-)

The OP asked for ideas.

Seriously though there are lots of man made materials that are being used for shower cubicles. Some look very good, some less so good. Corian comes in a wide range of colours but some are far too bright for a bathroom (eg dayglow orange)

This is whay Dupont suggest for baths etc..