My nieghbor has a question for you mom's.... What are your Pros & Cons of "INSTALLING" a tile shower verses a premade walled shower? We know the difference of upkeep & such. Let us know.
Tile looks SO much better! Those plastic ones don't always fit perfectly, so you might get little gaps and bubbles like we did and then when you stand and move in the shower it will pop. Plus they just look cheap. Not worth it at all.
My father is a contractor who has pulled out a lot of pre made wall showers because of water seeping behind the wall. What a mess and health hazard if you get mold. He always advises against them.
From an aesthetic perspective, there is no comparison. Tile looks so much nicer and less builder grade.
Tile is just (IMO) way more attractive. You have many more choices of pattern and color.
I would like to suggest another option! A year ago, we installed an onyx shower and I absolutely love it! Comes in many different colors (we went with a light brown speckle with bronze fixtures), never looks dirty, looks classy and rich like tile, but smooth walls and easy to clean! I have a teenaged girl that showers for half an hour every day, and I admit I haven't cleaned it for months and no one would ever know it by looking at it! Lowes has them, but we ordered ours from our local lumberyard for a lot less money!
We have installed both at our house and either one are okay. The premade is easier and looks good, install is quick. The tile is beautiful, more expensive, takes longer. If you do the tile, make sure when doing the grout you get inbetween the tiles really good and let it sit the time it tells you. Also for sealing put on more than what it says don't be afraid of it and as stated below a second coat wouldn't hurt. We did our shower and floor and love it. Then continued in the kitchen on the counter and backsplash! The smaller the tiles the longer it takes, also if you angle the tiles for a diamond look there are more cuts, just so you know.
I would think that the insallation of a premade shower is much easier and cheaper to install. In fact, I think it's quite simple since it's one piece. But if you can, go with real tile. It's so much nicer.
I can only give some advice for a tile shower - be sure to seal the grout really well and do at least 2 coats, allowing each to dry at least 48 hours inbetween. When my dad put our tile shower in, I'm guessing it took him a full two days for sure to get the tiles set and grouted. You have to let the grout set I think 48 hours before sealing too, so all in all, install might take you a week or better.
if you install tile you want to make sure you use concrete board, and line your stall in plastic sheeting to prevent water seeping out...
solid wall is easier to install and clean of course-
either one has pitfalls and drawbacks- really depends on what your end result is...
in my opinion, I'd rather do the extra work and have a tile surround in my tub. cleaning isn't an issue for me (magic erasers sponges are GOD SEND). I think tile looks classier. =D
We have a the surround...wish we'd have gone with tile. Even though it's more labor intensive to care for.
