For shower walls that are easy to keep clean, consider investing in porcelain, ceramic, PVC laminate, or even glass. Depending on the material, there is a wide variety of colors, patterns, tiles sizes, and shapes to complete the renovation project.
Porcelain tile is often the best choice for a number of reasons. First, porcelain is extremely durable and it can withstand heavy traffic. Second, it is resistant to moisture and mold, making it an ideal choice for a wet environment. Third, porcelain tile is easy to clean and maintain.
Porous surfaces are also more prone to staining and attracting mold and mildew growth. Shower materials that are easier to clean are therefore those with smooth and nonporous surfaces such as glass, fiberglass, and acrylic.
Simply put, acrylic panels have the look and style of tiles but without the mold, moisture, and cracking problems. A completely non-porous and waterproof material, it can be used to cover a full wall or as a decorative wainscoting wall accent. Acrylic is one of the most cost-effective materials for your bathroom.
Acrylic showers are nonporous, so they won't absorb soap, water, bath salts, or any other material. It also means that water and other liquids won't stay on the surface. They'll just flow down the drain, leaving you with a cleaner bathroom that isn't favorable for the growth of mold and mildew.
Low budget options include solid surface, fiberglass, PVC laminate, and acrylic, while glass, marble, granite, and natural stone tiles are premium shower wall materials.
Fiberglass insulation helps resist any water damage and mold growth. Fiberglass is resistant to mold by its nature, and some companies produce an added layer of protection by treating their products with an EPA-approved fungicide.
Can Fiberglass or Acrylic Pans be Used With Tile? Yes. Matching tile walls with a fiberglass or acrylic shower pan is not only possible but is a common practice.
iDesign PEVA Mold and Mildew Resistant Plastic Shower Curtain Liner for Use Alone or With Fabric Curtain, Set of 2, 72” x 72”, White.
Durability. Ceramic tile is one of the most durable materials you can choose for your shower. It will stand the test of time against daily wear and tear, and with the right grout and regular care, ceramic tile will be fairly low maintenance.
Bottom line is that acrylic is a stronger material than fiberglass. Acrylic tubs effectively resist wear and tear for years on end, while fiberglass is prone to scratching and cracking. Fiberglass also fades more quickly, especially if exposed to sunlight coming in through a window.
Generally, liquid waterproof membranes can be applied by home owners for a basic, quick, and economical means to waterproof your shower. If you are looking for a much more robust and longer-term service, going with some sheet membrane or foam backer board is most likely your best bet.
Unlike traditional showers, walk-in showers and wet rooms do not have a door; instead, they use glass panels to partition the shower from the rest of the bathroom. They don't only offer better accessibility than a regular bath and shower, and they also offer a more modern, sleek style.
Both tile and acrylic have their benefits when it comes to durability and longevity. Tile cracks and chips, but it can still be maintained with proper care. It can also be repaired more easily than acrylic. However, acrylic is resistant to scratching and chipping, making it a better long-term choice.
Acrylic shower walls are one the most durable and resistant materials, and for that reason you can expect them to last anything from 10 to 20 years from the day they were first installed. Due to its properties, acrylic showers don't tend to chip, crack or fade over time.
A full list of the best shower cleaning products (and those to avoid) is available on our blog. Remember: do not use abrasive cleaners like Soft Scrub or scouring pads to clean your acrylic. These will wear down any protective or antimicrobial coatings.
Install cement board or an equivalent moisture-resistant backing material on walls behind tub and shower enclosures composed of tile or panel assemblies with caulked joints.
It was concluded that brick, linoleum, and tile were all free of mold, while drywall, wood, and finally masonite, with the most, had considerable growth. Therefore, the hypothesis is partially accepted, as the experiment determined which building materials are most resistant to mold growth.
Mold Resistant Drywall
Use non paper faced gypsum wallboard, water resistant fiberglass facing gypsum wallboard or panels, or cement board. These products may provide more resistance to moisture and mold than regular dry wall faced with paper. This is because paper facing provides a food source for mold.
Can a grout be Mold resistant? Yes, a cement based grout is naturally mold resistant. Mold and Mildew cannot live or grow on cement, this is a misperception because soap, cleaning fluids, oil, food, and other contaminants are left on the surface of the grout, feed the mold and mildew, and allow it to grow.
Although ceramic tile itself is very easy to clean, tile showers have grout lines that need to be maintained. Unless regularly sealed, they will be prone to mildew, cracking, and possible leaking. A large ceramic tile shower puts many hundreds of pounds on a floor structure.
Eliminate tile and grout – and everything that comes with it.
Leaking walls, leaking pans and leaking onto floors below. If you don't realize it, you're taking a BIG risk putting in a tile shower. That big risk is leaking. The grout joints in the wall are porous.