How do you know when your bathroom needs to be updated in Ann Arbor, MI?

A good rule of thumb: Every ten years, evaluate your bathroom for updates and upgrades.

Styles and colors are always changing. Are you old enough to remember the 70’s — when everything wood was moving to light colors, like oak and beech? Suddenly, it was out with the dark colors!  In the 1990’s, the trend was reversed and the dark wood was back in vogue. Today, it’s natural stone.

Lighting fixtures, tile, faucets, and flooring can suffer the same fate. More than style, however, consider the condition of your bathroom. Many older tub surrounds were made with inferior plastics that show stains and wear. Baths and showers with old tile and grout often have cracks; they’ve become unsightly and unhealthy with stubborn mold and mildew.

There’s a simpler way to update your shower or tub with current products that will keep their “like new” finish for years. While you’re looking at your tub, consider why many people are opting out of ceramic tile and porous natural stone.

Q: I really like ceramic tile and want to update our shower. What do you recommend?

A: Ceramic tile is old school.  Along with natural stone, it is hard to keep clean and requires continual routine maintenance.

Here is the main problem with ceramic tile in your shower or bathtub:  three days after installation, when the grout finally has dried out completely it must be sealed with a grout sealer designed specifically for the type of grout used.  

Three days after install, the installing fabricator is LONG gone and is unlikely to return to the job.  So the grout lines never get sealed properly, plus they are supposed to be resealed every six months or so. People rarely complete this important step because they don’t know, it’s too much work, or life gets busy.  

Because the grout lines never were sealed properly they attract dirt, mold, and mildew and that is why struggle trying to keep the grout lines clean.  Dirt, mildew, and mold may land on the acrylic surface but will not penetrate it, so it is easily wiped off for a clean, smooth surface.  Imagine not having to scrub and toil with grout lines anymore!  

What do you recommend for use in the bath or shower area?

We recommend a beautiful and durable product: acrylic.  

Acrylic in your shower or bathtub…

…is easy to clean because it cannot stain

…is very low maintenance

…it comes in many patterns and colors

…has designs with faux grout lines that enhance the appearance of the walls aesthetically, without the extensive requirements for upkeep

…is warm to the touch, unlike ceramic tile which pulls heat away from the body.

…is slip resistant even when wet

…is not porous so it cannot attract dirt, mildew or mold  

…can be completed in about a day!

Contact us for a no-obligation in-home estimate for your tub or shower makeover.