Fiberglass surround or tile shower

220-221

Planning to remodel master bathroom in which there is an old fiberglass stand up shower. My question is which option would everyone recommend for DIY project? I am pretty confident in my abilities tiling, but have heard bad things about tiles cracking and grout lines. Thinking the fiberglass may hold up better, but would like input from others. Thanks in advance for everyones advice.

fungku

Tiles are much more desireable, and if you are confident in your tiling then why not go for it?

unless of course you actually are not confident in your abilities tiling.

Why not look for a good "how-to" book on tiling to make sure you aren't missing anything vital and then go for it.

Remember that tile choice is important. Don't get smooth, glossy tiles for the floor, and I would avoid large tiles for wet floor areas. The smaller they are for wet areas that you walk on, the better. You will be much less likely to slip and break a hip ;-)

You can get different sizes for inside the shower area on the floor. Mosaic tiles are good and easy to work with sloping floors for drainage while providing good traction. You can use larger ones on the walls and the floor outside. Also, the chances of cracking smaller tiles is less if you are worried about that.

Outside of the shower you could have a combination large and small tile or however you want.

Some of the natural stone is nice because it is more porous and not is cold on the feet, just make sure whatever tile you choose is good for wet conditions while still providing traction and not feeling too "cold" on the footsies.

cheers,

-Ryan-

also, just noticed this thread, you may want to look at: Remodeling a walk-in shower

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ccarlisle

That question is similar to the question: "how long is a piece of string?". It all depends...budget money-wise and time-wise, expected use, number of family members, how long you're going to live there, personal preferences etc etc...

These days tiling a bathroom in a way that will give you no further headaches, that will make your shower remain waterproof and mold-free for decades, new and effective fixtures (toilets etc), warm floors, exhaust fans...(I could go on) are now weekend warrior projects. OK may take you a week...but if you have the means, we have the method. These are fun projects for those of us who have done some and now do this for a living, using all the resources we find to give better choices to consumers.

See? now if you're a college student living in an apartment for the next few years, we'd hardly recommend a top-of-the-line redo. Yet if you're a parent of young kids in an upscale home, we probably wouldn't suggest fibreglass that your significant other hates...

You'll need professionals anyway; plumbers and electricians are but 2. The rest you can do yourself, so it becomes affordable and done right. That's not to mention the personal satisfaction of doing it according to your own budget/schedule/tastes. For some, nothing beats that!