Help me solve a shower debate

[Moxie]

We currently have old 70's brown tile in our shower. We're planning on a bathroom remodel in the next year.

 

One of us thinks that some white subway tiles would be perfect.

 

One of us thinks that grout is evil and eventually looks gross without constant vigilance. This person wants a big plastic, easy-to-clean box.

 

What says the Hive?

[FlyingMOm]

Before I had a bathroom with tile, I would have been all about the white subway tiles because they are beautiful!  

 

Now, having  a bathroom with tile... I would give me left arm to have a nice,white, easy-to-clean box.   Hate the tile, hate it, hate it, hate it.   Did I mention how much I HATE the tile?

[ktgrok]

We currently have old 70's brown tile in our shower. We're planning on a bathroom remodel in the next year.

 

One of us thinks that some white subway tiles would be perfect.

 

One of us thinks that grout is evil and eventually looks gross without constant vigilance. This person wants a big plastic, easy-to-clean box.

 

What says the Hive?

 

Are you me and my husband?

 

Tile is nicer. It its. 

 

However, I have a phobia of mildew, so the plastic easy to clean box is my preference. It won't happen, because my husband does the remodeling and thinks it is tacky. But I hate grout. 

 

That said, is it a tub/shower, or a walk in shower? Tub/showers I have less of an issue with, as the vertical walls stay pretty clean. Walk in showers gross me out (we have one) as there is the floor grout, the edges where the floor meets the wall, etc. Honestly, I can't even keep typing about it, I'll puke. 

 

Ugh. 

[Ethel Mertz]

If I'm the one cleaning, I would vote for the easier to clean box. Although, if the one who wants the tile is willing to be responsible for cleaning it, then I'd go with the tile.

[BlsdMama]

Compromise?  My mom did her kitchen - it was gorgeous, complete with white grout.  Three years later she found it worthwhile to break up every inch of the tile and retile.  The only difference?  She did an ivory/brown toned tile with sand colored grout.  Now she loves it.  White is too hard to keep clean.

 

I've bought the tile for my main bathroom remodel and we went with ivory and browns and will do sand colored grout.  The compromise DOES exist. ;)  Just a suggestion and it didn't even cost you a cup of coffee, lol! (Which means it might not even be worth .02.)

 

:hurray:

[JustEm]

If I were shelling out money to redo an ugly outdated bathroom I would go the tile route. I think the big plastic boxes are so ugly.

[marbel]

My last two houses had tile showers.  Hate hate hate cleaning that grout.   Current house has tile on the ceiling too.  Big fun trying to keep that clean.

 

(We do live in a humid place so mildew grows fast.)

 

2nd bathroom has a plastic box.  So much easier!

[fairfarmhand]

I'd compromise. Drop in tub with walls of tile. Walls are less icky.

[Rachel]

I found the grout between the white tile impossible to keep clean over time. We had to buy a special tool to scrape it, then reseal it. It was pretty but a major pain to keep clean.

[zoobie]

I have white subway tiles with a warm gray grout. It's less of a pain to clean than white grout.

 

If someone wants to clean it, knock himself out. I'd say that and be stuck cleaning the damn thing anyway because he'd wait until trees grew in the shower moss.

[Guest]

I hate cleaning shower tile. If I ever have the money I'm going to try for the giant slabs of granite for walls. Then I only have to worry about the edges. I will probably never be able to afford it, but I can dream!

[Guest]

I hate cleaning shower tile. If I ever have the money I'm going to try for the giant slabs of granite for walls. Then I only have to worry about the edges. I will probably never be able to afford it, but I can dream!

That is the compromise currently on the table. Large tiles so less grout. Maybe I'm a pathetic housewife but I can not keep mildew at bay. And once it stains the grout, there is no way to fix it.

[Garga]

I prefer the plastic box.  All I can do is picture myself bumping my elbow into the wall as I shower.  Bumping into plastic doesn't hurt as much as bumping into tile. 

 

We stayed in Las Vegas at the hotel with the Roman decor.  The floors in the bathroom were marble.  Gorgeous, but all I could think about was slipping and falling on that hard marble while wet from the shower and how much it would hurt.  I felt fluttery every time I was in there, as if my blood pressure was dropping or something from the thought of the pain.  Sort of that fluttery feeling that you get before you are going to get a shot.  I couldn't stand to live in a place with marble in the bathroom.

 

My MIL has a granite top for her kitchen counter.  All I can picture is setting a glass down a litte too hard and it smashing on that hard, hard granite.  I feel antsy every time I work in her kitchen with her.

 

So...I'd go with the plastic rather than the hard tile because I'd feel fluttery every time I showered in the hard tile stall.  But now that you've read my post, you know I am weird!!  So take what I say with a grain of salt. 

 

Also, I hate cleaning the shower.  I only clean my plastic insert tub/shower every two months.  And that's not a big deal.  I squeegie the thing after every shower, so cleaning doesn't have to happen that often, and I use a paper towel to wipe up the fuzz that accumulates from somewhere.  It only needs a good spray with cleaners every now and then.  With grout, I'd have to be cleaning all the time.  No.  I don't want to do that.  I wouldn't.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Garga

[The Girls' Mom]

I have had both.  I currently have a big plastic box, by my request.  MUCH easier to clean.  However, make sure you properly support the bottom.  My dh and the contractor both ignored my well-researched advice and did not put a concrete base under the shower, stating that the supports that were built in were enough.  Well, my dh is a big man, and I'm not tiny, so now we have cracks.  Our replacement shower will have concrete under it.

[Okra]

Walk in shower or tub with tile walls?

 

Walk in shower tiles are gross.  Seriously hard to keep nice.

 

Tub with tile walls?  Easy to clean and look pretty.

 

Elaine

[magnificent_baby]

I am not a fan at all of our plastic, "easy" to clean (it gets gunky very easily). I feel like I'm showering in our camper trailer. 

 

I also loathe our shower doors. Impossible to clean in the grooves where the doors overlap. Ick!! I would choose a shower curtain in a heartbeat over those doors. 

 

My vote would be colored tiles. 

[The Girls' Mom]

If I were shelling out money to redo an ugly outdated bathroom I would go the tile route. I think the big plastic boxes are so ugly.

That's why they make pretty shower curtains :D  

[Guest]

That is the compromise currently on the table. Large tiles so less grout. Maybe I'm a pathetic housewife but I can not keep mildew at bay. And once it stains the grout, there is no way to fix it.

You're definitely not pathetic. It is a never ending battle. We need more engineers who have kept house themselves for a few years, because whoever designed tile showers in the average sized and wimpily ventilated bathrooms of today, definitely never had to clean a tile shower. In this day and age certainly they can come up with something better than grout....maybe it's a Scrubbing Bubbles conspiracy. :) If they invented easy to clean, yet attractive showers P&G and all those other companies would lose billions.

[Amy in NH]

I'd go with large tile/non-white grout.

 

I don't like the look of white subway tile anyway, though.  I think it will quickly go out of fashion and look dated.

[ktgrok]

I am not a fan at all of our plastic, "easy" to clean (it gets gunky very easily). I feel like I'm showering in our camper trailer. 

 

I also loathe our shower doors. Impossible to clean in the grooves where the doors overlap. Ick!! I would choose a shower curtain in a heartbeat over those doors. 

 

My vote would be colored tiles. 

 

I made my husband tear out the doors on ours because I honestly COULD NOT HANDLE IT!!!!! Like I said, i have a mildew phobia. And bathroom moistness phobia. Ugh. 

 

Shower curtain has been better, but I still HATE our walk in shower. Give me a tub any day. 

[Guest]

I am not a fan at all of our plastic, "easy" to clean (it gets gunky very easily). I feel like I'm showering in our camper trailer.

 

I also loathe our shower doors. Impossible to clean in the grooves where the doors overlap. Ick!! I would choose a shower curtain in a heartbeat over those doors.

 

My vote would be colored tiles.

Shower doors are just evil.

[City Mouse]

Our compromise was to go with composite wall panels. It was more expensive that plastic, but easier to keep clean that tile.

It also looked nicer (to us) that the plastic surround.

[mamaraby]

I have a cast iron tub with tile shower walls. The walls are not easy to clean. Some day I'm getting a new bathroom and I'm getting the easy to clean box.

[solascriptura]

We redid our shower with subway tile and a beige grout.

[zoobie]

All glass doors are great. The metal track ones are horrible to keep clean. Shower curtains blow in and touch you. Nooooooooooooooooo. The bowed out shower rods help with that, but it skeeves me out to be touched by the shower curtain!

[Guest]

Our compromise was to go with composite wall panels. It was more expensive that plastic, but easier to keep clean that tile.

It also looked nicer (to us) that the plastic surround.

Please explain.

[ktgrok]

All glass doors are great. The metal track ones are horrible to keep clean. Shower curtains blow in and touch you. Nooooooooooooooooo. The bowed out shower rods help with that, but it skeeves me out to be touched by the shower curtain!

 

If you have a tub that is metal you can get shower curtains with magnets that stick to it. Or you can get weighted ones, that don't blow in. 

 

But yes, shower curtain touching the body is GROSS!!!! (but I also won't touch the shower walls. Ick.)

[EKS]

The person who cleans the shower gets to decide.

 

That said, it also depends on your house.  If the plastic box doesn't go with the rest of the house and tile does, you might want to get tile.  

[Annie G]

Huh- I'm surprised that most of you guys like plastic.   We just redid our master bath and changed our tub/shower combo to a tiles walk in shower. But it has a solid surface floor, not tiled floor. There is some subway tile but most is a larger tile. Floating glass doors, so no track at the bottom to get gunked up. 

 

Never had a problem with mildew on the tiles- do you guys have damp bathrooms or is it because of our climate here?   

 

We did the tile because we're planning to sell in a couple of years...sounds like we should have done the much cheaper plastic inserts!

 

[Mimm]

Haven't read the whole thread but I did hear of a couple who installed new tile in the shower and then covered the whole thing with car wax to make cleaning super easy. I've never tried it myself, but I've always been curious about it. :)

[sassenach]

Those boxes are so ugly. It wouldn't feel like a remodel to me if that was the end result.

 

I vote different tile with different grout. Our bathroom has earth tone tiles and sand colored grout. It looks great and is holding up wonderfully. Don't forget to seal the grout occasionally.

[skimomma]

Black grout?  Ha ha!

 

That is my best suggestions.  I have been in a 12 year battle with our cheap plastic drop-in unit so have tile envy but it sounds like the grass only looks greener.....

 

 

[sassenach]

Please explain.

Found this. That seems like a compromise. http://m.lowes.com/pd/MirroFlex-Subway-White-Fiberglass-and-Plastic-Composite-Bathtub-Wall-Surround-Common-60-in-x-32-in-Actual-96-in-x-60-in/50201553?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA_ONLY-_-FashionFixtures-_-SosBathing-_-50201553:MirroFlex&CAWELAID=&kpid=50201553&CAGPSPN=pla&k_clickID=382b6f50-8192-0688-d210-00006da78cb9

Edited September 15, 2016 by Sassenach

[catz]

I haven't read other responses.  But like 3-4 years ago we completely gutted 2 bathrooms.  DH wanted the plastic box shower.  I wanted white subway tiles.  We have the plastic box wraparound shower in our junky basement bathroom and it's just hideous and gross IMO.  I talked DH into the subway tiles.  We've been very happy with them.  I will say, I do NOT like white grout.  Honestly, with white tiles and white grout, it looks like the cheesy plastic things to me anyway even if it's not and the white grout discolors much faster.  I think we got like a cement gray grout.  And it looks great 4 years in.

 

The only place we've had issues is the caulk seal along the tub.  The contractor used a clear caulk and when we get around to replacing it we will not use clear.   (ETA - we did something like have our grout professionally sealed when it was done, etc.  I don't remember what exactly).

Edited September 15, 2016 by WoolySocks

[OneStepAtATime]

Our compromise was to go with composite wall panels. It was more expensive that plastic, but easier to keep clean that tile.

It also looked nicer (to us) that the plastic surround.

I had not heard of this so I looked it up.  Like this?

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-Choreograph-60in-X-32-in-x-72-in-5-Piece-Bath-Shower-Wall-Surround-in-VeinCut-Sandbar-for-72-in-Bath-Showers-K-97618-W09/206055478?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D29B-Fixtures&Toilets%7c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwjem-BRC_isGJlJ-0h-MBEiQAbCimWDj5CUUPyMgk-mU8AIVDulI18NOYGb__mbqDtDJ7dxQaAlPV8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

This actually looks really interesting!

 

 

OP, not only are the floor tiles in a shower hard to keep clean, grout can fail and cause pinhole leaks that create damage behind the walls.  Damage you may not have any outward physical evidence of until substantial damage has been done.  I love tile but the shell showers (if it is a good quality product and not the low end stuff) have less risk of leaks, are easier to clean, and not that hard to install compared to tile.

[mamakelly]

We just redid our entire downstairs in new wood look tile and a bathroom shower in white subway tiles. You can buy special grout from a tile store that is stain and mildew resistant. It was expensive but totally worth it!!

[catz]

I'd go with large tile/non-white grout.

 

I don't like the look of white subway tile anyway, though.  I think it will quickly go out of fashion and look dated.

 

Well, we redid the bathroom in our 1915 house with subway tiles and hex tiles on the floor.  So I picked it because it was reminiscent of the original era of the home.  If we owned a newer home, we probably would have selected something different.  So when you say it looks dated, to that I say good.  LOL.  I think it really depends on the look and feel of the house as a whole to pick something.  I don't pick based on trends though.  I intentionally pick stuff I think will be timeless and for our particular house that typically means going to historical colors and trends.   We used to live in a house built in the 90's and that made for different choices when we were making changes there.

Edited September 15, 2016 by WoolySocks

[ErinE]

The plastic boxes get gross very fast (the bottom especially) and they're impossible to clean. I wouldn't do subway tile it's too much grout. We did large tile, non-white grout with a smaller tile, accent strip right at eye level.

 

Like this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=shower+tile+accent+strip&espv=2&biw=1536&bih=759&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjx9YDCw5HPAhVJWSYKHW2yC1MQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=skXnt7dOjV5u4M%3A

 

 

[kewb]

We redid our bathroom with white subway tile a few years ago. I love my bathroom. I have not had any issues with the grout in the shower. If I had it to do over again I would do grey grout on the floor instead of white. That was a mistake.

 

I detest the plastic box. It feels gross when you stand in it and eventually it looks grody even when clean.

[Guest]

It's funny because grout bothers me not at all. I do like for the grout spacing to be small, and I'm a fan of tan/beige/grey tile and grout, but I do have two white tile shower/tub combos and they are no big deal. I tink fiberglass inserts are so ugly and only choose those for certain situations. (For ex., the showers at the family beach house are plastic inserts, which makes sense. It is impossible to get so many people on the same page about how to clean a shower. It's less of an issue with an insert.)

[Guest]

Well, we redid the bathroom in our 1915 house with subway tiles and hex tiles on the floor. So I picked it because it was reminiscent of the original era of the home. If we owned a newer home, we probably would have selected something different. So when you say it looks dated, to that I say good. LOL. I think it really depends on the look and feel of the house as a whole to pick something. I don't pick based on trends though. I intentionally pick stuff I think will be timeless and for our particular house that typically means going to historical colors and trends. We used to live in a house built in the 90's and that made for different choices when we were making changes there.

Adore!

[JustEm]

That's why they make pretty shower curtains :D

True. And if I were moving into a house with a plastic box I'd simply keep it and get a pretty shower curtain but if I'm shelling out money to make a bathroom look nice I'm not going plastic box route.

[Spryte]

We have white tiles, solid floor, grey grout.  We bought the house recently, and I love the bathroom.  Okay, by recently - just a little more than a year ago - so I've had some time to clean, but haven't lived with it for years.  So far, I prefer the tile to the plastic box.  I am slightly insane about mildew, and I just sort of work on it every day without thinking about it, while I'm in the shower.  Is that insane?

 

If we were to remodel, I'd go with large tile, and darker, sandy colored grout.  Probably something that would match the travertine floor, I think.  I would change out our solid white shower floor to something easier to clean - our floor is actually harder to keep clean than the tiles/grout - it has this textured surface that just makes me crazy.  And I'd try a new type of door, because the grooves in ours are annoying.

 

Our last house had the plastic boxes.  I did not love them.  They were easy to keep clean, but in one bathroom the box developed some discolored spots - only noticeable to me, but enough to make me twitchy.  And both developed some cracks.   We had both fixed by a Tub and Tile company that repairs fiberglass tubs - and they looked as good as new.  But I still prefer what we have now.

 

 

[The Governess]

We did white subway tile with charcoal (nearly black) grout. For the floor we used charcoal hex tiles. It hasn't been too bad to keep clean. We had slate tiles before and they were horrible, the stone was too soft; it absorbed the soap and always looked like it had a film on it that wouldn't come off.

[Bluegoat]

I like tile.

 

My mom has a lot of tile, and the guy who put it in for her told her in no uncertain terms it would be foolish to use bright white grout, because it is impossible to keep bright white. 

 

unfortunately when my dh redid our bathroom tile he didn't listen to my views on this at all.  But - I would have tile, with grout in a darker colour.

 

[Bluegoat]

I am not a fan at all of our plastic, "easy" to clean (it gets gunky very easily). I feel like I'm showering in our camper trailer. 

 

I also loathe our shower doors. Impossible to clean in the grooves where the doors overlap. Ick!! I would choose a shower curtain in a heartbeat over those doors. 

 

My vote would be colored tiles. 

 

I hate the doors, they are impossible.  And I agree, the plastic boxes aren't as easy as one might hope either.

[Miss Peregrine]

I would do solid panels of stone.

 

http://www.forzastone.com

[goldberry]

Am I the only one who thinks plastic is hard to clean?  Our current house m/bath has a walk in shower with natural stone tile walls and a plastic bottom.  In addition, the plastic has some kind of confetti texture to it.  The plastic bottom is almost impossible to get the hard water gunk off it.  We have done all the tricks, sprays, etc.  Yuck.  I hate it.  The only thing that even helps at all is using a shower spray every.single.time. on the plastic part after showering, and I hate all those chemicals.  I wish it was tile or something else. 

[Bluegoat]

Well, we redid the bathroom in our 1915 house with subway tiles and hex tiles on the floor.  So I picked it because it was reminiscent of the original era of the home.  If we owned a newer home, we probably would have selected something different.  So when you say it looks dated, to that I say good.  LOL.  I think it really depends on the look and feel of the house as a whole to pick something.  I don't pick based on trends though.  I intentionally pick stuff I think will be timeless and for our particular house that typically means going to historical colors and trends.   We used to live in a house built in the 90's and that made for different choices when we were making changes there.

 

Yes, this is also my approach for expensive remodles like a kitchen or bathroom.  I think it can look disconcerting to have an oh so 2016 bathroom popped into an older home - it looks trendy for a few years and then it soon looks dated.  Whereas good quality but in tune with the house style will look good as long as it is in good shape.

 

My house is about 1960 so I just went with white, square tiles for the walls, and in the future I'll add a wall-hung style sink, and I will do hex or other small tiles in period colours for the floor.  The bathroom was redone in the early 80s and it just does not fir the ambience of the house, it screams once trendy renovation.

[bibiche]

I don't like the look of white subway tile anyway, though. I think it will quickly go out of fashion and look dated.

This made me laugh because my 1910 bathrooms all have their original subway tiles. It's a pretty timeless look. :)