If you’re thinking of remodeling your bathroom or building a new shower room, it’s crucial to consider your shower wall options. Shower walls make or break your bathroom, room aesthetics, and budget, so check out these ten popular shower options for shower walls and see which fits your needs:
Acrylic
Acrylic shower walls look like tiles and surpass them. If you choose a large, seamless acrylic panel that perfectly fits your shower wall, you don’t need to worry about moisture or mold issues. If you opt for separate acrylic pieces, you can solve future problems using a durable and watertight seal for the panels’ seams.
Acrylic shower walls guarantee high durability, resisting cracks, scratches, stains, and chips. They’re also affordable and easy to clean, so they suit homeowners who prefer low-maintenance yet appealingly simple shower walls.
Glass Tiles
Glass tiles are elegant shower walls that look better than acrylic panels. They’re waterproof and easy to clean, but they’re more expensive than acrylic panels and require professional installation. Glass tiles suit homeowners partial to clean, high-quality aesthetics, and low-maintenance shower walls.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass shower walls offer better durability than glass tiles, and they often come as a large sheet ready to be installed in your bathroom. They’re also thick, soundproof, and more affordable than glass tiles while providing you with excellent water resistance.
Homeowners need to note, though, that fiberglass doesn’t tightly seal with adjacent walls and ceilings. Fiberglass shower walls are also quite bulky and prone to scratches, so they suit homeowners willing to replace them as needed.
Ceramic
Ceramic shower walls suit homeowners who love do-it-yourself projects. You can quickly obtain ceramic tiles of any design, texture, or size and install them yourself. Ceramic shower tiles add sophistication to any bathroom, and they’re perfect if you want inexpensive yet natural-looking stones in your bathroom.
They’re also affordable and water-resistant but be warned that mold and mildew may eventually grow on them. Ceramic shower walls can withstand harsh cleaners, though, so you can deal with eventual mold growth without worry.
Porcelain
Porcelain shower walls add a classic look to your bathroom without the expensiveness of natural stone walls. They’re considered a higher-end version of ceramic, and they provide outstanding durability and water resistance despite their delicate appearance.
Porcelain shower walls suit homeowners who prefer a timeless bathroom design and an easily repairable shower wall. The only downside to porcelain is that they tend to get slippery when wet, but you can quickly fix that by texturing them.
Natural Stone
Natural stone shower walls are highly coveted, giving any bathroom an elegant, luxurious look. Stones like granite, marble, onyx, and travertine last for decades, and you can find them in different styles. Natural stone shower walls are perfect for homeowners who prefer high-end materials and aren’t afraid to splurge.
Expect to spend a lot on materials and installation, but it should be worth your money if you consider natural stone’s lifespan and appearance. When choosing natural stone as your shower wall, though, ensure that your bathroom can withstand the stone’s weight.
Single-Sheet Plastic
Single-sheet plastic offers homeowners an inexpensive and easy-to-install shower wall. You’ll need to apply an adhesive to your sheets, and you don’t need to think much about it afterward. Single-sheet plastics are easy to clean, highly waterproof, and very lightweight.
They also come in different colors and patterns, but it tends to look tacky. Homeowners who value function overlooking classy will benefit from single-sheet plastic shower walls. The only downside to this shower wall is its transportation due to its weight and size.
Laminated Wall Panels
Laminated wall panel shower walls suit homeowners who don’t like single-sheet plastic walls but can’t afford ceramic panels. They’re easy to cut and install, and they look as authentic as stones or marbles with matte finishes. A downside is that they’re more expensive than acrylic shower walls.
Vinyl Wallpaper
Vinyl wallpaper shower walls may seem questionable at first, but they offer decent water resistance and plenty of pattern and color options. You can use a mold-proof primer before applying the vinyl wallpaper, but you’ll still need to constantly maintain your shower walls to keep them dry and moisture-free. You’ll also need to seal your surface with varnish.
When installed properly, vinyl wallpaper shower walls last long. They suit homeowners who enjoy seeing beautiful patterns on their walls and don’t mind high-maintenance materials.
Solid Surface
Solid surface shower walls take little time to install. They come in ready-to-assemble panel kits, making them perfect for homeowners who enjoy do-it-yourself projects or homeowners with limited time to allot for professional installation.
Solid surface shower walls come with a wide range of pattern and design options, but some realtors warn homeowners that these walls can lower a home’s value. While solid surface panels are easy to clean and convenient, they’re hard to repair when cracked.
Choosing Your Shower Wall Material
Choosing your shower wall material requires attention to your budget and preferences. Ask yourself if you want low-maintenance walls or don’t mind cleaning sessions. You should also factor in your potential shower wall’s durability, water resistance, design, and installation process.
You’ll see acrylic, glass tiles, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, single-sheet plastic, laminated wall panels, vinyl wallpaper, and solid surface as popular shower wall options. Still, you’ll also notice there are plenty of other materials to choose from. If you’re unsure about the shower wall that suits you best, you can contact us for guidance.