BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
I see so many comments that tile showers are better than shower inserts.
For ease of installation as well as cleaning and mold/mildew resistance, I like a shower insert better. While I'm taking a shower, I don't look around and think, "oh, it's just an insert, that's bad."
Why do people like tiled showers better, and does anyone have any recommendations for a tile-look shower insert?
You want something that's easy to clean and beautiful? Check out Tadelakt. We even made our own out of a Portland cement and sand mixture. It wasn't harder than skimming the walls and will last 500 years.
Is this product for floors, too or just for walls? This looks too good to be true! Does it go on top of cement board? Do you need to RedGuard the cement board prior to installation?
Yes you do the entire bathroom in it! It gives you a super custom look and costs a few hundred bucks if you're brave enough to do it yourself. When I do it I just stack two 2x4's as the transition between the shower floor and the rest of the bathroom floor, cover everything in cement board, then slap this junk on there. I usually pay a mason to do it. Then you pay a glass company to cut you a rectangle of glass for your 1/2 shower wall, and you're done. The trick is do it all in 1 coat. Multiple coats will flake off over time. But now your entire bathroom is water resistant! Here's our last project (we used cement tile for the floor, but this stuff works for floors too):
Assuming we're talking about the floor tiled vs pan- not the walls- I've been wrestling with this discussion for the past few weeks for a new condo: a shower pan with tiled walls versus a custom tiled floor with tiled walls. On the Walls I go tile because that's what you're looking at visually, and makes a big impact on the feel of a bathroom. On the floor, it seems like I could 'get away' with a shower pan and it will look 90% as good, but it just feels wrong.
I came across this product - https://www.tileredi.com/ - which is a shower PAN which can be tiled over, which should save time and money and leaks. It is less flexible than other pans, therefore the tile on top does not crack (allegedly). Has anyone out there used this or anything like it? Would be very interested to see how it went.
My wife and I have been dreaming of remodeling our master bath to have tile surrounding a tub and glass. The current configuration is 2 inserts tub and tiny shower. I am definitely worried of leaks with the inserts. The cheap system of the current configuration doesn't allow much room for new design to take place.
Now come to think of it we don't have any property that has a custom tub with surround tile and tile shower, they are all inserts. Maybe thats why we want the custom.... I think our desire comes from a more luxurious look or increase in value appeal.
Depending on the rental and the surrounding area would determine if we keep inserts.
@Mindy Jensen people would typically like a light colored tile above a white tub, usually white. A fake tile shower insert might look a little like the fake block foundation skirting! Shower inserts are fine like you say, but where people are trying to create ultimate beauty, they will tile. Shower inserts in a really nice home would be like eating at a nice restaurant and they bring you a plastic cup.
@Brian Ellis I spray bleach on it all and leave the room to do other things, then go back and rinse. And for the pesky shower door, I use a magic eraser. U can also use the magic eraser on the tile floor in the shower.
These tips will be your life savers if u have tile. 🙏🏽
If you do have tile, you can quickly dig out grout with a carbide blade in an oscillating tool and do a secondary application of a premixed grout like FusionPro or SimpleGrout from Custom Building Products (Home Depot product). Premixed grout has pretty much turned grout application and repair into a craft project.
For my personal residence, it has to be tile or stone slab. My wife is a potter with a deep aversion to all things plastic. If I told her she had to take a shower in a plastic tub surrounded by a plastic surround because I couldn't make her something better I'd end up as a handful of ashes in the kiln.
I learned the trick from a professional cleaner to use lemon oil on a cloth for soap scum on glass. A simple wipe cleans it off easily, plus leaves a fresh scent, plus acts as a bit of a barrier against new scum accumulating.
@Mindy Jensen, I've done both and from my limited experience, it seems that while tenants kind of go "oooohhh" when they see the tile, it doesn't add value from a rent perspective. Thus, factoring in the added cost of materials and labor, and the added effort to keep clean, I plan to go with inserts for most renos in the future.
The funny thing is, I just finished a reno where I decided (for some stupid reason) to go all tile. It will be a long time before I do that again.
If you have a B or C rental, the shower insert is probably going to be fine. There are different quality inserts, so top of the line looks pretty good.
Inserts leak, tiles generally don't. Plus the tile looks so much nicer. Bathrooms/kitchens sell houses and fill rentals. I never go cheap on those rooms.
Ditto for me -- I did a custom tile install for a duplex that originally had inserts that had broken apart and were patched together with silicon and bubble gum. I seriously pondered installing a new insert, but wanted to offer something a bit more sophisticated for when the units were ready to market. I did the labor myself (with some inexpensive assistance) and managed to keep the costs down as a result.
And as a side note -- familiarity was key influencer. I know that my tile installs will hold up over time and I know how to install them. Based on the at least one of units, I was doubtful I could have the same level of assurance with an insert. That, or I'd have to pay someone do to the work for me (I didn't have time to experiment with something new).
My first handful of deals I always tiled the showers, even the "kids" bathroom. I met with another investor for lunch one day who is also a realtor and he said why tile, I see shower surrounds in 700k homes for sale all the time. Ever since then I stopped tiling and installed the surrounds. Not once has a buyer commented whether they bought the home or not about it being a surround instead of tile. Last but not least saves money too!
@Mindy Jensen I think your question at the bottom of your post answered your question. Many people like tile better because it looks better :)
Shower inserts are less maintenance, typically cheaper, and install quicker but we live in a generation where "pretty" sometimes wins over functionality.
Cararra marble is an example of this for counter tops. We installed it in a house to "look pretty" but 2 years later I bet they are already scratched and/or stained.
Oh, you're talking about digging out the grout on a tile floor. It depends on how you built the thing. If you're talking about a paintable membrane like Redgard or HydroBarrier, yes, there is a risk if you don't know what you're doing and go deep on the grout, through the mortar and hit the membrane layer, which you don't have to do. But if you're talking about a PVC shower pan, no, there is no risk no matter if you dig all the grout out and dig into the mortar below. You then have to go through two layers of deck mud and a wire mesh to get to the PVC pan. I still build mine that way, I do not have pure and perfect faith in paintable membranes.
Try Magic Eraser and also Bar Keepers Friend (liquid). Works well on my glass door & wall. Also, I know use Rain-x to help as water repellent after a good cleaning.
@Justin F. I've personally used Tileredi pans several times and they work great. Hit me up in a PM if you want to know more, I don't want to hijack the thread.
@Mindy Jensen
I’m doing a bathroom remodel now kept the tub
It’s a porcelain tub will clean up great and doing a 6” tile new cement board new plumbing and no worries for 20 years or more. If I did a insert
I would have to do it two times at least I’ll bet.
If you're doing it yourself I think the tile is easier to work with rather than a big piece of plastic. Also looks better. Tile is also pretty cheap. When I do the "inserts" I use the 4'x8' sheets of plastic and cut them to fit. They are $20 a sheet which is about the same price as cheap tile per square foot. I am not sure if it's meant for surrounds or not but it seems easier to work with. I am pretty sure actual inserts costs more than these sheets and are probably harder to work with if your surround is a non-standard dimension. I've also used vinyl siding and corrugated panels for surrounds and it didn't look too bad but it requires marking the studs. If a few tiles fall off in the future, I found that regular caulk works pretty well to reattach them.
You want something that's easy to clean and beautiful? Check out Tadelakt. We even made our own out of a Portland cement and sand mixture. It wasn't harder than skimming the walls and will last 500 years.
Wow, that's so cool. Plaster finishes are so in style right now. I'm going to check it out Thanks for the tip!
I've always liked quality products, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. I didn't know if they really helped increase rentals but knew that they helped resell. It wasn't until my buddy rented out his 2 bed 1 bath apartment for $2000 instead of the $1400 everyone else's rents for. (His apartment is in a three flat and the other units are rented at $1400.) The reason he was able to get so much more rent is that the apartment was definitely luxury. New everything with high-end materials. So it does make a difference in our market. I'd go tiles.
I worry about the plastic surrounds leaking or cracking. That is why I've never used them. I don't trust tenants to tell me when the silicon fails.
I've always used cheap subway tile and/or decorative tile on sale. Always with proper installation and prep work. Also never use white grout to avoid stains, and still use the sealer. I want it to last 100 years not 10.
What is the time to actually be able to use the shower?
Thanks!
I usually let it sit for a week while we finish the rest of the top out. The first time we did it, we had the other sides of the shower wall studs all exposed, ran the shower for several hours to watch for any signs of moisture, and saw nothing.
