Acrylic shower surround or tile?

January 20, 2023 8:01 AM

We are getting our bathroom remodeled. Currently we have tile, which is over 50 years old and quite gross. It has to be removed because it has leaked so we need to assess the condition of the wall behind it. Should we replace the tile with new tile, or have a shower surround put in?

I'm in favor of the surround because I think they are easier to clean. We may stay in the house for a long time, or we may rent it out, so acrylic/plastic/whatever would also be more economical and easier for a renter to maintain. I like the look of tile, but, like, not several thousand dollars like. Am I missing something? Is there a good reason to go for tile over acrylic? Thanks!

posted by chaiminda to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

Tile reads as fancier. That's pretty much it. Acryllic/fiberglass lasts a really long time, is generally leak-proof, and relatively easy to clean with lots of different products. The downside is tile reads as fancier, and therefore is worth more at resale.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:07 AM on January 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Also, unless you go with something pretty generic (like white subway tiles are generally always available, so are various colors of square tile, like white) they are both equally difficult to repair or remodel if damaged.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:09 AM on January 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Tile is far better. All plastics degrade within 10-20 years, depending on the quality. Color and translucency or transparency change, they get scratch marks, where grit and bacteria and mold thrive.
Tile shouldn't change at all, so it confuses me that yours are gross. My bathroom tiles are about 50 years old, and they are good as new. I've been in bathrooms with 100 year old tiles that are good as new and good looking. A plain standard tile is best for future repairs, as The_Vegetables say.
posted by mumimor at 8:31 AM on January 20, 2023 [8 favorites]

I have an acrylic surround in my bathroom shower and I hate it. It's on my list of priority things to tackle this year. They are ugly, and get uglier with time.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:38 AM on January 20, 2023 [7 favorites]

Kohler (and some other companies, I just happen to know about this one) now make shower panel systems that might fit your requirements and look much fancier than acrylic while also having no grout lines etc.
posted by aramaic at 8:41 AM on January 20, 2023 [8 favorites]

Tile shouldn't change at all, so it confuses me that yours are gross. My bathroom tiles are about 50 years old, and they are good as new.

Mine are 50 years old (square off yellow/piss yellow) and very gross. Also the color isn't available (good?). Go in a old public restroom some time or a subway, with subway tile. Tile can get really gross. Also grout gets very gross, and the only option is to cut it out and replace it.

My parents have a fiberglass panel and it's 40 years old and still looks ok.

I personally wouldn't choose a fiberglass liner for an appreciating home, but again, only for price appreciation reasons.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:59 AM on January 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Mine are 50 years old (square off yellow/piss yellow) and very gross.

You have described our exact tiles. They were probably not properly installed, nor maintained, so they are just disgusting. Falling off of the walls, grout full of mold, etc. I appreciate the suggestions and ideas so far!
posted by chaiminda at 9:04 AM on January 20, 2023

This is probably a different issue with out fiberglass shower, but it feels very “hollow” underneath. For all I know this is due to rot in the supports underneath or something, but it’s just a very cheap feeling experience, I don’t know how else to put it. I’ve felt the same at hotels where they have fiberglass versus a porcelain tub or tile shower.
posted by raccoon409 at 10:21 AM on January 20, 2023 [5 favorites]

Plastic scratches. If you, or a cleaner (very likely) uses an abrasive cleaner like Comet, tiny scratches can develop which look like "dulling" and essentially mean the surface will never be like new again; it will develop mold/discoloration much more easiliy.

Plastic surrounds, they flex (on edit: the comment just above relates to this). They look gross to a lot of people; they may look good to you for now, because anything will look better than old gross grout.

It's the grout/installation of your tile that is "gross" -- meaning unsanitary -- not the ceramic tiles themselves. The color may look gross, but it sounds like that's because it resembles something that's putrid or yellowed over time - much like some plastics do. White tiles are that color forever.


Then, too, you have the general risks of "if there's a fire, plastic is the most toxic thing". Limiting plastic in households may not prevent fires, and you may have a lot of plastic in the house due to construction choices you had no control over, but if you can avoid adding another giant plastic piece, awesome.

Also: it's pretty easy to choose a ceramic tile style that will still look good when trends change in 15 years. Plastic surrounds won't endure, stylistically, that way, and are likely to look "gross" to people when styles move on.

You're going to find much more lovely and understated (or not) styles in tile, and you're going to have a lot more opportunity to make it exactly right for your house.



Finally, if you ever do end up renting out your place, there are three benefits to ceramic tile:
- It makes your place look more solid and like a "real home" rather than a "cheap rental" (I'm not saying your place ever would really look cheap, just that this one element makes a difference); If you have a really nice environment, you can choose better tenants.
- Tile is harder to damage, and will generally look better over time. Keeping the grout in good condition is predicated on good ventilation (put in a really good fan!), but most people will do this if they understand. The tiles themselves will be impervious. Choose a timeless style, so it won't look "gross" to someone in the future.
- When tile is damages, it's pretty clear that's happened -- it cracks. You can identify this and deduct from a deposit. Damage to a plastic surround will usually be more subtle and open to interpretation, and might seem more like "normal wear and tear" to someone who wants to see it that way. Using an abrasive cleaner? Scratching it? Small spot of paint (which would scrape off of ceramic easily?)


Also: the environmental impact of plastic just adds another factor.
posted by amtho at 10:22 AM on January 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

Tile definitely looks better than plastic, and if it’s well installed, it should last a long time. You might also want to look into the cost of a porcelain slab, which has the advantage of no grout. For us, the cost of tiling the shower versus porcelain slab came out to be the same, so we went with the porcelain. It’s extremely easy to maintain and looks great.
posted by Atrahasis at 10:28 AM on January 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I did a bathroom remodel 2 years ago and had the same dilemma. We ended up going with Dumawall in a dark gray that looks like slate. It allowed us to decide how far up and out we wanted to go from the tub, looks way nicer than the surrounds, was a much faster install than tile, and eliminated having to grout. A contractor did the install and it took less than a day. 2 years in and it looks great, it’s easy to clean, and I would make the same choice if I had to do it again.
posted by August Fury at 12:42 PM on January 20, 2023

I went with FlexStone as sort of an in between option.
posted by Xany at 12:47 PM on January 20, 2023

I don't think anyone mentioned it yet, so I apologize if I'm repeating info. Old showers often had tile mortared right to drywall, which will mold and deteriorate if there is any moisture that gets behind the tile (or behind the wall from other sources). However, if the shower surround walls are replaced with cement board, it will be waterproof. Using cement board, good tile/sealant, and good grout/sealant should keep the tile from being gross for a good, long time! I did my first bathroom tiling about ten years ago (high-quality travertine and glass tile), and it still looks like new. Good luck!
posted by Don_K at 11:53 AM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]