At first glance, a bathroom may not seem like an important room within the home. Upon further inspection, however, bathrooms are one of the most vital rooms in terms of usage. In this area we spend long amounts of time getting ready, cleaning up, or spending (a little more time than we should!) playing phone games on the toilet.
Because of a bathroom’s importance to the home, you should always ensure that all of its plumbing systems and appliances work in harmony to make getting ready easy and efficient. This includes one of the most integral components of the bathroom — the shower.
If you are replacing your shower during a bathroom renovation but are unsure about whether or not you should remodel it with laminate or tile, no need to worry because we here at Joseph Kitchen and Bath are here to help you decide which choice is best for your situation.
Laminate Shower Panels
Whilst traditional tiles are installed one at a time, creating a more complex pattern, laminate panels come in larger sheets that are installed onto the wall via an adhesive. Like every type of shower tile, it works to add a certain aesthetic to your shower while protecting your walls from any serious water damage.
Installation
When it comes to a faster and simpler installation, laminate panels are your best bet. Since they are larger in size, they are much easier to align with other panels on the wall. Their size also means they cover way more surface area, making the process much quicker and easier.
Budget
When it comes to cost, laminate shower panels are highly preferred as well. If you have a certain dream aesthetic in mind, chances are there is a shower laminate to match it. The best part is that on top of the cheap cost of laminate panels to begin with, installation costs for laminate are much cheaper as well, since they are bigger in size and require less equipment to install.
Durability
Whilst every other aspect is important, durability is vital if you want a shower that lasts for a long time. If you want durability, laminate panels are great as they require little maintenance due to their lack of gaps and grout lines. Mould loves to seep inside of small areas, and the more grout you have in your shower the easier it is for mould to fester and spread.
Aesthetic
Whilst laminate panels can look great inside of a bathroom, they offer a bit less versatility than their tile counterpart. Tiles give people the options to become creative with their shower design, and while laminate panels can give you that opportunity, it is not as varied. Even so, you can still create a beautiful, luxurious shower with laminate panels.
Shower Tiles
Tiles are a great option for creatives, as it gives people more freedom to create a shower in their desired way. With all of the choices on the market, they are widely accessible and come in a number of different shapes, sizes, colours, patterns and textures. Alternatively, laminate panels don’t give you as much versatility.
Installation
Whilst installation for laminate panels are easier, tiles are a bit more complicated to install. Since most tiles come in smaller sizes (many being about the size of the palm of your hand), they require more time, effort and attention to detail to be installed in the right way. When it comes down to it, we highly recommend having your shower remodeled by professionals, but especially so when tiles are involved.
Budget
Whilst shower tiles can be pricier due to their unique look and quantity needed for a shower project, with the right research you can find affordable, stylish tiles to decorate your shower with. Each tile’s cost will depend on the material used, the style, the size, etc. When in doubt, make sure to create proper plans on how many tiles you will need and budget accordingly.
Durability
Although shower tiles themselves are widely considered as quite durable and strong, the grout lines (aka the gaps in between each tile) are hard to clean & maintain. Without the proper maintenance, these grout lines can become dirty and look uneven and messy. Wait too long to clean them and it can, in some cases, affect the tiles and their durability. So long as you make sure to clean these shower walls periodically, shower tiles should last you quite a long time.
Aesthetic
As we have mentioned in previous parts of this article, shower tiles offer much more in terms of creative freedom and versatility than shower panels. Because of this, you can go online and find hundreds of ways to design your shower to a dream vision you’ve always had. If you tend to be a creative person with your home projects, this is the choice to go with.
Let Our Team Help
For years, our remodeling staff here at Joseph Kitchen and Bath have made people’s home renovation goals come true. With all of the best equipment, skills, experience and education, we know just how to make your home stand out amongst the rest, whether it be for your home vision or for a potential future buyer. To learn more about how to book a bathroom renovation in Toronto with us, be sure to call our team at (905) 707-7756 today!
