Upgrading your bathroom?
10 Bathroom Materials That’ll Withstand Any Abuse!We all want durable, easy to clean and a bathroom that can take the steamy showers , bah tub splashing and drenching bath towels strewed around! So what type of materials can live up to the task and not cost an arm and a leg?
#1 Engineered Stone CountertopDying for a white marble countertop? Join the club. But get ready to seal, reseal, and reseal. Then repeat. Year after year.Or, gofor engineered stone, which can mimic marble (and other stone materials) for about the same cost, but minus the hassle. It’s non-porous so it resists bacteria, mold, stains, and water damage better than the real thing. Better! And it never needs sealing!
#2 Glazed Porcelain Tile FloorMoisture is Enemy No. 1 for bathroom floors, and glazed porcelain tile is its most-worthy adversary.It won’t hold onto water like laminate and porous materials, and porcelain tiles glazed with glass are nearly stain-proof — as are today’s high-quality epoxy and urethane grouts, which don’t require sealing.
#3 Vinyl FloorTime to rethink vinyl. Hear us out. Luxury vinyl tiles, which mimic stone and wood, are awesome at resisting moisture.Other affordable options like laminate just can’t keep up. Plus, vinyl sheets are so large, you can cover a small bath without a single seam or grout line, making it easy on the eye and easier to keep clean.
#4 Plywood CabinetsYes! Plywood. But today’s “grade A” offering isn’t your grandmother’s plywood. (Or the Swedish cousin’s, which is actually pressed and glued particleboard.)Composed of pressed layers of alder, birch, or cedar, “grade A” plywood (also known as furniture-grade) remains more stable in the face of moisture than solid wood, which will shrink and swell in response to bathroom humidity (causing cracks in painted surfaces and even warped panels).
#5 Tempered Glass Shower DoorsWhile you need your glass to be tempered for safety, you don’t need a special spot-resistant treatment or upgraded texture to have crystal-clear shower doors.“Glass is easy to clean,” you can get a squeegee and you can save $2,000. It’s a lot of money when you can just wipe off your glass.’” So definitely get tempered glass, but skip the add-on treatments that promise no spots.
#6 Glossy or Semi-Glossy PaintMold and mildew are real concerns, even on the walls, thanks to bathroom humidity. So paint sheen matters.A full-on glossy paint has a shiny, sealed surface that blocks out moisture and wipes clear of residue, say from hairspray, without leaving a mark like a matte finish will. But the sheen can be a bit overbearing on anything more than trim, and calls attention to wall flaws. Prep the walls well so they are smooth and opt for a quality gloss paint.
#7 Cast Iron TubA tub forged from moulded liquid iron is likely going to be the toughest thing in your house. You may need extra support for your floor (and your pocketbook) to bring it home, but cast iron won’t chip, scratch, or dent like fiberglass, acrylic, and even porcelain can. And the old fashioned look has a cool vibe and is totally kid proof. And will last forever!
#8 Porcelain-on-Steel TubDon’t let its acronym, POS, misguide you: Heat-fused enamel on steel will resist corrosion, abrasion, and chipping better than synthetic materials, and it is much more affordable than cast iron.
#9 Acrylic Panel Shower WallsDespite their lightweight, acrylic wall panels, often called shower surrounds, are not lightweights. They resist chipping, cracking, and peeling, and are much easier to maintain than stone tiles or slabs. Unlike tile, they nail directly to wall studs or glue to the wallboards, so they don’t require grout. Acrylic is tougher than fiberglass and coloured all the way through — so it’s less likely to scratch, and even a deep cut won’t be as obvious. They’re also more affordable than tile and available in textured patterns, if you want to look like you splurged on a fancy design.
#10 Stainless Steel SinkStainless: not just for kitchens anymore. Corrosion- and stain-resistant, it won’t melt under a hot curling iron like acrylic can, and won’t dent or chip like porcelain if nail clippers plummet down from the medicine cabinet.And it’s the perfect match for the industrial-chic look that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
10 Bathroom Materials That’ll Withstand Any Abuse!We all want durable, easy to clean and a bathroom that can take the steamy showers , bah tub splashing and drenching bath towels strewed around! So what type of materials can live up to the task and not cost an arm and a leg?
#1 Engineered Stone CountertopDying for a white marble countertop? Join the club. But get ready to seal, reseal, and reseal. Then repeat. Year after year.Or, gofor engineered stone, which can mimic marble (and other stone materials) for about the same cost, but minus the hassle. It’s non-porous so it resists bacteria, mold, stains, and water damage better than the real thing. Better! And it never needs sealing!
#2 Glazed Porcelain Tile FloorMoisture is Enemy No. 1 for bathroom floors, and glazed porcelain tile is its most-worthy adversary.It won’t hold onto water like laminate and porous materials, and porcelain tiles glazed with glass are nearly stain-proof — as are today’s high-quality epoxy and urethane grouts, which don’t require sealing.
#3 Vinyl FloorTime to rethink vinyl. Hear us out. Luxury vinyl tiles, which mimic stone and wood, are awesome at resisting moisture.Other affordable options like laminate just can’t keep up. Plus, vinyl sheets are so large, you can cover a small bath without a single seam or grout line, making it easy on the eye and easier to keep clean.
#4 Plywood CabinetsYes! Plywood. But today’s “grade A” offering isn’t your grandmother’s plywood. (Or the Swedish cousin’s, which is actually pressed and glued particleboard.)Composed of pressed layers of alder, birch, or cedar, “grade A” plywood (also known as furniture-grade) remains more stable in the face of moisture than solid wood, which will shrink and swell in response to bathroom humidity (causing cracks in painted surfaces and even warped panels).
#5 Tempered Glass Shower DoorsWhile you need your glass to be tempered for safety, you don’t need a special spot-resistant treatment or upgraded texture to have crystal-clear shower doors.“Glass is easy to clean,” you can get a squeegee and you can save $2,000. It’s a lot of money when you can just wipe off your glass.’” So definitely get tempered glass, but skip the add-on treatments that promise no spots.
#6 Glossy or Semi-Glossy PaintMold and mildew are real concerns, even on the walls, thanks to bathroom humidity. So paint sheen matters.A full-on glossy paint has a shiny, sealed surface that blocks out moisture and wipes clear of residue, say from hairspray, without leaving a mark like a matte finish will. But the sheen can be a bit overbearing on anything more than trim, and calls attention to wall flaws. Prep the walls well so they are smooth and opt for a quality gloss paint.
#7 Cast Iron TubA tub forged from moulded liquid iron is likely going to be the toughest thing in your house. You may need extra support for your floor (and your pocketbook) to bring it home, but cast iron won’t chip, scratch, or dent like fiberglass, acrylic, and even porcelain can. And the old fashioned look has a cool vibe and is totally kid proof. And will last forever!
#8 Porcelain-on-Steel TubDon’t let its acronym, POS, misguide you: Heat-fused enamel on steel will resist corrosion, abrasion, and chipping better than synthetic materials, and it is much more affordable than cast iron.
#9 Acrylic Panel Shower WallsDespite their lightweight, acrylic wall panels, often called shower surrounds, are not lightweights. They resist chipping, cracking, and peeling, and are much easier to maintain than stone tiles or slabs. Unlike tile, they nail directly to wall studs or glue to the wallboards, so they don’t require grout. Acrylic is tougher than fiberglass and coloured all the way through — so it’s less likely to scratch, and even a deep cut won’t be as obvious. They’re also more affordable than tile and available in textured patterns, if you want to look like you splurged on a fancy design.
#10 Stainless Steel SinkStainless: not just for kitchens anymore. Corrosion- and stain-resistant, it won’t melt under a hot curling iron like acrylic can, and won’t dent or chip like porcelain if nail clippers plummet down from the medicine cabinet.And it’s the perfect match for the industrial-chic look that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.