Tiled Shower Stall VS Prefab Stall

Adding a tiled shower stall or prefab shower stall to a half bath increases both value and utility in a home. Which form of shower stall you should choose will depend on your space and budget.

he two types of shower stalls are prefab or tiled or custom stalls. Prefab is short for prefabricated, meaning that the shower stall comes in a few large pieces that can be easily and quickly installed. Prefab shower stalls are made out of a few different materials, but most ofen you will find them made out of acrylic or fiberglass. Custom stalls are usually made out of tile or a stone as granite or marble.

While prefab stalls have long been shunned by the design world because of their limited colors and styles, new manufacturing techniques have widened the options available to a home owner considerably. There are a large variety of colors and patterns now available, although the standard white or ivory remain the most popular color choices.

One of the largest advantages of prefab shower units are the potential cost savings. A homeowner with some previous home repair skills can usually install a prefab shower unit in a single afternoon. This can be a very attractive option for a do it yourselfer looking to save money.

Also, prefab units are often much cheaper than the materials used to build a custom shower units. They can often be purchased at a home improvement center for only a few hundred dollars and only require some caulk and some screws to complete the installation. They come in single piece and multiple piece units. Multiple piece units are preferred because they easily fit through doors.

Prefab units have a few disadvantages. First of all, because they are made to standard sizes, it may be difficult to install them in an older house where most of the walls are not square. Also, if your prefab stall get damaged in any way, chances are you will have to replace it. Although spot repairs are possible, cosmetically they are seldom desirable as anything more than a temporary fix.

By Amy Whittle