If you HATE, HATE, HATE grout in your bathroom, you’re not alone. And I’ll bet yellowed and dirty fiberglass shower surrounds or moldy and behind-the-times tile bathroom walls is NOT the look you’re after.
And if you’re not only wanting to ‘deep-six’ the moldy or mold-infested tub or tile shower surrounds but are looking for other places in the bathroom to rid yourself of tile, you’ve come to the right article.
Below I’ll outline 11 popular places to use grout free wall panels to not only make your bathroom simpler to maintain, but also more stylish and waterproof. I’ll begin in Section 1 with design ideas to add style and make maintenance a breeze. You’re probably saying amen to that!
Then in section 2 I’ll present ideas where to use grout free wall panels to make sure your bathroom is properly waterproofed in places people don’t think about until it’s too late or they’ve sprung a leak (ouch!).
At the end let me know in the comments which applications ‘speak to you’ (and yes, that WAS my attempt to sound like a fancy designer….is it working?) and/or which ideas you’d like to learn more about and include in your job.
Lets dig in.
Section 1 – Grout free bathroom wall panel ideas to add design, style, and simplicity to your remodel or new home
Idea #1: Use grout free wall panels behind a freestanding bathtub.
If you have the benefit of a larger bathroom – and have room to include a freestanding tub, it’s also a bonus to NOT have walls behind the tub which need to be maintained.
Today you can get realistic looking 3/8” thick bathroom wall panels (the same thickness as tile) with contrasting faux grout joints to use around your freestanding tub. They’re stylish and simple to clean.
Idea #2: Create a grout free full wall behind the vanity.
If you have kids – or a messy spouse or partner – who splashes water, toothpaste, and dreaded hair dye EVERYWHERE, you know cleaning the drywall around your vanity is a pain. And in addition, your wet drywall could get soaked and moldy as well.
Idea #3: Use full-length grout-free bathroom wall panels in a wet room
Perhaps you’re looking to create a one level wet room either for its sleek style, space-efficient, or to help a family member with limited mobility who needs an accessible or age in place shower.
If so you’ll be happy to hear how full bathroom wet wall panel systems are the NORM, not the exception for homes and apartments in Europe and Asia and gaining traction (and no I don’t mean this in a ‘medical sense’) in the United States as well.
Wall panels can be used not only in the shower alcove but for every bathroom wall as well. And the good news, it’s not much more expensive than doing the tub or shower alcove alone.
The key to using a system like this is to have realistic looking wall panels. A cheap fiberglass or acrylic system beyond the alcove will look especially TACK-E (Ok, I know that’s NOT the correct spelling for the English teachers out there)!
Two smart options are laminate wall panels or sculptured solid surface. They’ll create bathrooms which have ‘wow factor,’ and are stylish and simple to maintain (although I will admit the sculptured solid surface is pricey).
Image Credits: JTEK Solutions Group
Idea #4: Use grout free wall panels inside recessed niches in your shower or tub for increased storage
If your shower or tub is smaller than you’d like and you’re desperately looking for solutions to create style, simplify maintenance, AND add storage – for the perfect ‘storage trifecta’ –consider grout free wall panels inside the back of a recessed shower or tub niche.
They provide a fun look and increase storage. However, it does take ‘remodeling artistry’ and time to build correctly.
Idea #5: Use grout free wall panels as wainscoting (half high walls) in the bathroom
If you have an older home you may be ‘fighting’ the grout joints in the tile wainscoting which runs about 4’ from your bathroom floor and is attached to your bathroom walls. And if nothing says ‘old school’ like your existing tile design or color (and I’ll note, in my first home we had a dated dusty pink tiled bathroom, which was the height of style…..in the 1960’s- ha! ha!), you may be wondering what you can do to update the look without too much hassle.
One option (assuming there’s no moisture behind the wainscoting) is to use bathroom wall panels over your existing tiles which are grout free but have a modern design.
Idea #6: Create a privacy wall for your walk in shower or your custom glass enclosure with grout free shower wall panels
One of the misconceptions about grout free wall panels (mostly because people are most familiar with ‘standard size shower kits’) is they only can be used in common size tub or shower enclosures.
However, nothing could be further from the truth with the right choice of systems. For example, if you have a walk in shower and are looking for a privacy wall at your entry, grout free wall panels which can be customized for your shower are a smart alternative.
Or if you’re looking to add a half wall with custom glass sitting on top (or will serve as a ledge for soap and shampoo), once again grout free wall panels work well there also.
Idea #7: Use grout free wall panels as a backsplash for your bathroom vanity
What’s nice about this application is it’s small and with certain wall panel materials (like the laminate panels which come in 23.6” x 94.4” panels) a small vanity backsplash can often be completed with leftover material from your shower or tub surround.
It’s a nice finishing touch and prevents the drywall behind the vanity getting dirty or absorbing moisture.
Image Credits: J & A Designs
Idea #8: Use grout free wall panels to dress up around your toilet
There’s no reason the area surrounding your toilet has to be boring. When you add bathroom wall panels around the toilet, clean up will be simpler, while you’re also adding style.
Image Credits: J & A Designs
Bottom line: you can make your ‘John,’ look ‘Johnnier’ (whatever that means).
Section 2 – Grout free bathroom wall panel ideas to do a thorough job waterproofing your shower or bathroom
Below you’ll find 3 ideas to do a professional job of waterproofing your tub, bathroom walls, shower, or even a steam shower!
Idea #9: Use grout free shower wall panels as ceiling panels
Do you look up at the ceiling in your tub or shower today and ‘get the pleasure’ (sarcasm intended) of seeing water spots or a ceiling which is dirty or yellowed?
This is, unfortunately, the situation in many existing shower or tub enclosures.
Idea #10: Use grout free shower wall panels inside a steam shower
Have you gone into a friend’s steam shower (or one in a health club)– which has been around a while – and the tile grout joints are YUCKY? This isn’t an uncommon. And it detracts from the experience of the steam room… beyond having to see people you wish were fully clothed!
One cool option are high gloss acrylic wall panels. They create a clean, contemporary look – yet are simple to maintain without evil grout joints. Their only negative is they aren’t a ‘cheap date.’
Idea #11: Use grout free shower wall panels (and a stone sill) to create a window trim kit
While it’s not hard to find bargain-basement, wafer-thin fiberglass or acrylic wall panels at your local home center, the biggest problem is they don’t come with kits to waterproof around your double hung, slider, or transom window in your shower. And if the window will be getting wet – it’s critical to have a solution to make sure water doesn’t get behind the wall panels. That could be a disaster.
With laminate wall panels, you can (often) take excess materials from your tub or shower surround panels and use them to create a waterproof ‘return’ to the window, then use a stone sill underneath the window. And Wala, it’s waterproofed!
For solid surface wall surrounds, there are solid surface window trim kits using the same material to waterproof around a window.
So, which of these unexpected places to use grout free wall panels would be of interest to you? Do you need help with your bathroom remodeling project?
While reading about these ideas can be interesting, the key question is where could you use grout free wall panels to improve your design, ease of maintenance, or waterproofing so your bathroom stands the test of time?
If you’re struggling thinking through what to do about your old bathroom with ugly yellowed fiberglass walls, a rotted wood window in the shower, or moldy tile grout joints, maybe the time has come to develop a plan to remodel your bathroom.
And if you don’t know where to start, this is where a Shower Specialist at Innovate Building Solutions would be glad to help (and yes, I’ll come clean and yes, that’s a bad shower pun, I know….) and tell you this is my company. But seriously, our team works with all facets of bathroom remodeling including shower bases, grout free shower and bathroom wall panels, glass doors, shower accessories, you name it.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
Gene – thanks for your question. We try to keep our pricing consistent – unlike traditional retailers who mark things up to give a ‘sale.’ If you want to get pricing for your project – feel free to contact us and/or send pictures or drawings of your shower and one of our team can pull numbers together for you.
Mike Foti
Gene – thanks for your question. We try to keep our pricing consistent – unlike traditional retailers who mark things up to give a ‘sale.’ If you want to get pricing for your project – feel free to contact us and/or send pictures or drawings of your shower and one of our team can pull numbers together for you.
Thanks -Mike (and you can reach us at 877-668-5888 or by filling out this form – https://innovatebuildingsolutions.com/contact/free-estimates/
Gene Cabella
Does your company ever have sales going on?