Your bathroom sees more daily use than almost any other room in your home, and your shower is the focal point. A cramped, dated, hard-to-clean shower affects the whole appearance of your bathroom, and it can set the wrong tone before your day has even begun.
Your bathroom sees more daily use than almost any other room in your home, and your shower is the focal point. A cramped, dated, hard-to-clean shower affects the whole appearance of your bathroom, and it can set the wrong tone before your day has even begun.
Start with the Layout First
It’s tempting to dream about the finished look, picking out new towels before you’ve even priced out the project. But starting with the bathroom layout first ensures that the room size and plumbing lines can handle your ideas. This is when you’ll decide things like:
-
Walk-in shower or shower-tub combo? Tub-to-shower conversions are a common choice for homeowners looking for more open space during a shower remodel. If you have young children at home, you may want to keep at least one tub in the home.
-
Shower size: How big do you want your shower space to be? Your existing plumbing will limit your options somewhat, as moving water lines for a new drain or faucet could be costly and complex. For reference, a standard tub alcove is 30” by 60”.
-
Special features: Are you dreaming of a built-in bench, a zero-threshold entry or a modern linear drain? You’ll need to specify features like these before ordering materials, not after.
Choosing the Shower Surface Material
With your layout finalized, you can choose the shower surface material, color and design. You have several options for your shower remodel; the right fit will be based on your personal style and maintenance preferences.
Standard Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is a common choice because it’s familiar, widely available and relatively affordable. You can buy tile in a variety of colors and shapes to fit your design.
However, if you install tile, you’ll need to use grout, and that can be a maintenance-heavy decision. Grout requires weekly scrubbing and disinfection plus regular sealing to avoid mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. It also chips more easily than other materials, which could be hazardous for kids and pets.
Porcelain and Dekton
Large-format porcelain slabs offer a more luxurious look than traditional ceramic tile, with better durability and lower maintenance. Porcelain showers are also more mold- and mildew-resistant than ceramic tile and have no grout lines to fuss over.
For even greater durability, there’s Dekton. Dekton is a high-performance porcelain-blend shower surface that’s ultra-compact, nonporous and as elegant as porcelain. Crafted through a sinterization process that combines porcelain with a blend of other natural minerals, Dekton is one of the hardest shower surfaces on the market.
Dekton offers a wide range of color and style options to suit your space, and it’s heat-, stain- and scratch-resistant too.
Natural Stone
Many homeowners enjoy the warmth and beauty of natural stone showers. As a shower material, natural stone (such as granite, marble and soapstone) provides character and authenticity to what can sometimes be a cold and echoing space.
Each slab of natural stone is unique, with natural veining and variations that add a spa-like quality to your shower remodel. Some natural stone surfaces require periodic sealing to maintain their charm and finish.
Meridian Solid Surface®
Solid surface showers offer a customizable look with minimal maintenance and incredible durability. Meridian Solid Surface® showers also offer built-in safety features, long-lasting durability and a seamless design, so you never have to think about scrubbing grout again.
Whether your style is elegant and refined or more family-friendly, a solid surface shower is built to look good and last a long time.
Quartz
You’re likely familiar with quartz countertops, but have you considered quartz for your shower? This beautiful, natural-blend material lets you achieve a modern look that’s sleek and seamless.
Quartz showers are the perfect canvas to show off an incredible vein pattern for visual punch or to provide a consistent neutral background to your design. There are no special sealing or cleansers required, either. Just soap and water are all you need.
The Shower Remodel Timeline
When planning your remodel, it helps to understand how long the process should take.
Planning and material selection
1-3 weeks
