Shower combo of solid surface and tile?

last month

DIY-ing a small bathroom and want to make sure it is waterproofed well, and has a nice shower. The solid surface options are appealing for the sake of waterproofing, but to me they look like hotel showers. I love the look of tile, but not the work of hanging it and waterproofing it....We were thinking about a compromise, can someone tell me if they have experience with this:

Pre fab pan with a flange

Solid surface on 2 outside edges of walk-in shower

Tile on the back wall as an accent

how would joints work etc.

thanks!

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Comments (7)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last month
The shower has to be waterproofed no matter which you choose . I like 12 x24 tile for bathroom floors and shower walls to keep grout to a reasonable amount .I do like prefab shower pans I think simple no accent is better long term .
chispa
last month
I would do solid surface on all of it OR large tile on all of it.

I used 30" x 30" porcelain tile in my master shower and most good tile setter can work with 24x48, but make sure it fits the shower layout/size.
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Lyn Nielson
last month
as others have stated, you still have to waterproof regardless of the finishes.

Schluter Kerdi shower system from lowe's or Home Depot. $700. worth every penny.

The finish is only as good as the prep. If using a solid surface, put the back wall on first so you aren't looking into the corners (the sides will cover the back edge) . Measure twice, cut once!!!!

NEATLY caulk the seams.
PRO
Minardi
last month
Hot mess express. Learn to tile correctly. Or, pay for tile.
Kendrah
last month
Can't stress enough that waterproofing is a must no matter how you construct. You simple cannot get around that. Point blank. Don't complicate matters by mixing materials. Go with one or the other. If you don't like the look of Corian tile the whole thing.
Shauna Owens
last month
I totally agree with @Kendrah ! Waterproofing is a must.
PRO
Handyman North Vancouver
last month
Hi there,

That’s a smart compromise! Combining a prefab solid surface pan + two sides with tile on the back wall as an accent is totally doable and looks great when done right.

The key for waterproofing is making sure the joints between the solid surface and the tile are sealed properly. Most pros use a high-quality silicone caulk (color-matched to your grout or solid surface) with a backer rod in the joint. Also, ensure the solid surface pieces overlap or properly integrate with the pan flange.

This hybrid approach gives you the easy waterproofing of solid surface where water hits the most, plus the beautiful tile look you want on the feature wall.

We do a lot of bathroom renovations and shower builds in North Vancouver and have installed many of these hybrid solid surface + tile showers. They turn out really nice and are very durable.

If you're in the Lower Mainland and want professional help with the install (or the whole bathroom), feel free to reach out.

Handyman North Vancouver

📞 604-200-6490

🌐 https://www.handymannorthvancouver.ca/

Good luck with your project!