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gretchenpetersen

Slippery Corian Shower Pan

5 years ago

We are finishing up a bathroom remodel, and one of the things I wanted most was a Corian Shower Pan. Unfortunately, it is the aspect of the remodel that has caused the most problems- it was the only thing delayed, and then it had to sent back due to improper templating by the installers. When the correct version finally came it was installed very quickly, and perhaps I did not inspect it as I should have. We wanted a non-slip surface, but did not get one. Although it's not much more slippery than a bathtub is, I hate to put a bath mat on my beautiful pan! Can we make this less slippery without ruining it. I know Corian can be refinished, so can it also be roughed up? Google results indicate mixed opinions, especially with dark colors. Ours is a concrete shade. We have the tools, but don't want to mess this up!

Comments (16)

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Have you showered in it yet, or are you just assuming it's going to be slippery?


    Corian is easily refinished and even a beginning DIYer can't screw it up. I'd try a 120 grit on a random orbital sander, then a red Scotch Brite pad. If you don't like it, you can easily sand it back to a factory finish.

  • 5 years ago

    Thanks so much! Yes, we've used it. We all find it a bit slippery, but my nine year old son really has trouble. It's possible he doesn't have enough gravity holding him down, and I'm pretty sure he moves around more than we do....but we still want him to be safe. We'll give it a try. Thanks again!

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    You could chuck a "V" bit into a laminate trimmer, hot melt a fence to the floor, and cut in grooves, however, that's in the advanced class.

  • 5 years ago

    You could use one of those teak bath mats, which would be functional and nice looking.

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    you can also pay a quality carpenter to make a FLAT level slip in wood slat floor for little guys satety Id make you one of mangaris or similar species custom for about 1K :)

  • 5 years ago

    HI, where did you get your Corian shower pan? Would you recommend it otherwise?

  • 5 years ago

    Our bathroom designer ordered the shower pan through the countertop company she works with, so I'm afraid I don't know who the manufacturer was -three steps removed. I really love it. It matches the floor nicely, feels great, and I love not worrying about leaks. We also have very hard water even with a softener, so I'm glad we can buff out stains if they even occur. Our old white tile was orange.

    To the other responders: my husband sanded it today, so we'll see how tomorrow's showers feel. The color is a bit lighter after sanding, but because he sanded almost the whole floor, you can't really tell unless you know what you're looking for.

    As for a teak mat, thanks for the idea, and the offer to make one, but he's got a pile of teak he's planning to do a stool with, and I'm sure would love to try a mat too, but I want to see my pretty shower floor!

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Grifform makes shower pans.

  • 5 years ago

    9 year old's shower was extra long because his "feet were stuck and I couldn't get to the shampoo." Thanks for the guidance!

  • 4 years ago

    Old post, but, I’ll respond for general knowledge. Solid surface material (Corian) can definitely be modified to create non-slip textures. They can sand, use routers, etc. Look for a contractor that fabricates composite countertops, etc. If you can’t find one, you can probably get a referral by calling Corian.

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hey!

    Yes Solid Surface Material (Corian) shower bases can be manufactured with slip resistant flooring.


    Through the Grifform websites custom shower pan builder you can choose to select slip resistant flooring for your solid surface shower pan! https://www.grifform.com/custom-shower-pans/ 

    View Video/ Visual Below:



    Our Shower Pans can be manufactured to work with any of your needs!

    Thanks- Grifform Team

  • 4 years ago

    We ordered and installed a custom Grifform shower pan without slip resistant flooring and had a similar experience as the original poster. 

    We made a short video to send to Grifform and then had a lengthy conference call with Grifform, our installer, and our bath designer to discuss possible remedies.

    Here's what worked for us in case anyone comes across a similar issue in the future - try scrubbing the floor with a Scotch Brite yellow pad (must use the yellow and green version) and Bartender's Friend powder cleaner (or similar, but must be a powder and not liquid cleanser).

    We use Neutrogena shower gel and we think the gel combined with our shampoo and conditioner created a slippery film that didn't come off with our blue Scotch Brite pad and liquid Soft Scrub cleaner!

    So now I use the liquid cleaner with the blue scrubber (we have Corian walls in our shower) and use the yellow pad and powder cleaner when it starts to feel a bit slippery.

    Hope that helps someone in the future! :)

  • 3 years ago

    Hi, Can you tell me if the sanding changed the color of your pan? Do you think in a black pan the new texture created by sanding would be visable?

  • 3 years ago

    With the light concrete color of our pan, the change in color is very unnoticeable, but there is a bit. I would think it would be much more noticeable with a black pan, but I'm not sure.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Darker colored solid surface appears lighter the more roughly abraded it becomes. The darker colors need a semi-gloss finish to look best.