We will be building a new home soon and are watching our budget. We plan to have a 3' by 4' shower. I was wondering what the cost difference would be between a tiled shower with 12" x 12" tiles and a pre made fiberglass unit. We currently have a fiberglass unit, but am unhappy with the stains. I think the tiled shower would last longer and look great. Any thoughts on the cost of each as well as durability and ease of cleaning would be appreciated.
Thanks!
2007-08-25 16:06:39 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I recently put in a four square foot shower in a laundry room for about $1500.00 for a man. This was all ceramic tile. I could have installed a cheaper surround and been done faster but...? that's what he wanted. The tile of course was better, will last his lifetime. The surround is noisy, cheaper and flimsy in comparison. I could have purchased one and installed it for about $600.00 t0 $800.00
2007-08-25 22:57:12 · answer #1 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without question the fiberglass is much less expensive than the tile shower unit. At least 2 to 3 times more expensive. Acrylic units are better than fiberglass units and are slightly higher in cost. Either fiberglass or acrylic units need an occasional cleaning and seal job. Home improvement stores carry both the cleaner and sealer that repels water and stains. Tile will last a long time but the vinyl shower pan will last only about 15 to 20 years. Tile requires maintenance too, especially the grout. Good luck in your decision.
2007-08-25 17:05:55 · answer #2 · answered by Turnhog 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would never use a fiberglass shower in my house. There are too many problems with them. I have seen 30 year old tiled showers that are still functional and great looking. The price difference would not matter if you are building a new house.
2007-08-26 03:56:24 · answer #3 · answered by jack-copeland@sbcglobal.net 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are much better off going tiled for the long run. make sure it ia grouted properly and make sure you get a water proofing company to water proof the shower. if in future something happens to the combination in your wall (the pipes feeding your taps and shower head) it is much easier to replace this through tiling, they will break a certian amount of them and replace it that way, then you only have to replace a few tiles, but with the pre fab fibreglass ones sometimes they can break and if you need a quote to get your combination replaced a plumber will never take responsibilty for the pre-fab because they are too risky. if that breaks then you gotta replace the whole thing. tiling looks nicer anyway.
2007-08-25 20:24:54 · answer #4 · answered by **Jemma** 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow, some of these answers are terrible, I like the one where the guy says dont worry about taping and mudding the seams or the other one that said just double up the backerboard lol. Anyway, you should have a vapor barrier of some sort. Since you already put up the backerboard, you should tape and mud the seams then put a coat of Redgard(made by Custom Building Products, at Home Depot) over the backerboard. You can paint it on, its very easy. As far as the electrical box, if it was dry before then I would leave it as long as its not wrapping around any plumbing pipes.
2016-03-13 00:33:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fiberglass is much less expensive in the beginning, but much harder to keep clean, also very prone to cracking and breaking. I would go with the tile. as it is a mess to try and fix the fiberglass if it cracks, then keeps on cracking later down the line.
2007-08-26 02:16:38 · answer #6 · answered by llittle mama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depending on the type of tile you are considering and if your house has a concrete foundation or a wood( if wood you would have to prep the shower floor for the tile which would raise the cost) the fiberglass is cheaper. but tile would last longer
2007-08-25 16:27:19 · answer #7 · answered by Robert P 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋