Gas prices are through the roof (and how many people even knew what the Strait of Hormuz was months ago?)
Beef prices are making you think about buying tofu. Ok, maybe NOT!
And coffee and chocolate – essential ‘food groups’ – are rising faster than you can say, “Starbucks and get me a Hershey bar!”
And while your daily budget is tightening, you may have also concluded it’s finally time to replace the dingy and creaky builders-grade fiberglass tub/shower that’s dangerous to step into. Or you’re sick and tired of the moldy tile shower which (might have) looked nice years ago but now is a PITA to clean and looks HOR-I-BLE!
And while your budget says, ‘affordable shower,’ you DO NOT want to put in another cheap plasticky tub/shower you can’t clean or feels like it could crack at any moment.
You DO want affordable.
You DO NOT want cheap!
You know you can’t put lipstick on a pig and pretend a cheap shower system is durable and a pleasure to use. And the last thing you want to end up doing is ‘re-remodeling.’ And yes, I know it’s not a word. However, having to remodel your recently remodeled shower happens far too often.
So, how can you ‘sift through the rubble’ of cheap shower systems and buy an affordable shower which’ll be an excellent value? And dare I say one which will also look nice for years to come, and has a solid warranty? This is exactly what this article is about.
Below you’ll find 11 truthful tips (from a grizzled industry vet) to get a high value (yet affordable) shower and avoid expensive mistakes. Let’s dig in.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #1 – Focus on long term value, not just the cheapest initial purchase price of materials.
Ask any professional contractor why they avoid buying cheap materials in home center stores or from a ‘bargain-basement’ online retailer and they’ll tell you flimsy materials are a pain in the butt (another word for they take too long to install).
And if you’re paying a contractor – your finished price is the cost of the materials PLUS the cost of labor!
Also, cheap materials have short (or non-existent) warranties.
An affordable shower is one which has the ‘lowest cost of ownership.’ So, unless you’re flipping a home (and don’t have a conscious or concern about how long a shower system will last), read reviews, ask suppliers about warranties, and learn about the efficiency of the installation and experiences (positive or negative reviews) with the system you’re looking to buy.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #2 – Don’t screw up buying the wrong type of shower pan. It’s the foundation of your shower.
Thin, flimsy shower pans can crack.
And a cracked pan is a DIS-AS-TER! You not only need to replace the shower pan, but to get to it, you have to remove materials above the base (like your shower wall surrounds and glass shower door). And this does not include the cost of damage caused by water leaking onto rooms below.
While you don’t need to buy the Taj Mahal of shower pans, sturdy is key. Recommendations for sturdy shower pans which are reasonably priced include:
Stone shower pans which can even be cut to size to work in custom sized showers. The ability to trim a pan to a custom size can save A LOT of money.
Also make sure your pan isn’t slippery. And ask if a drain is included with the purchase. It sucks to get ‘nickle and dimed’ and learn later ‘batteries’ (‘err I mean a shower drain in this case) is not included.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #3 – Get a shower pan which’ll work with your drain location. Also make sure your pan will work no matter how mobile a family member may be now or in the future.
I know buying shower pans and drains isn’t sexy – but when you find the plumber ‘bending over’ (gotta love that visual!) while relocating your drain and you ask, “How much did you say this was going to cost me to move the drain?” – you’ll really start to understand the ‘total cost’ of a shower pan isn’t just the pan itself, it’s the pan PLUS the cost of labor to install it and the drain it must be connected to.
And while drain locations can take your budget down the drain with them – the curb height (AKA the threshold) of your shower pan can also become problematic. Whether you’d like to ‘age in place’ (a term I hate BTW) and don’t want a ramped roll in shower pan which looks like Grandma lives here, you need to think long term about your shower pan decision. Should it have a ramp or a low profile curb? Is it available with a ramp extension, or a taller curb?
A smart investment today is to use a shower pan with an optional ramp extension – especially if you’re designing this shower with elderly parents (or a less-abled adult or child) in mind. Don’t be short-sighted buying a shower pan.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #4 – Don’t get ‘sucked into’ (bad shower drain pun intended) features you don’t need
If you want an affordable shower, the last thing you should do is splurge on features which offer little long term benefits when it comes to adding value to your home and cost a pretty (or an ugly) penny today.
One of these features – in my opinion – are linear drains. Yes, they look cool. However, they often require the drain to be moved (which is expensive). They add little resale benefits when you sell.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #5 – Tile will be the ‘Fram oil filter’ feature of your shower. This is especially true if you’re having the tile shower pan and/or wall surrounds professionally installed
OK – I know this reference will ‘date me.’ And yes, I DO admit I’m a 66 year old guy – but I’ve chosen to give myself a ‘50% discount’ on my age – making me a 33 year old, who also brags about having the maturity of a 16 year old. However, enough about me.
In the 1970’s the well-known Fram oil filter commercial warned car owners to “pay me now or pay me (more) later” if you used a cheap oil filter (see the commercial below).
And with the failure rates of tile showers and high installation costs, you not only will pay more now in your remodel, but also more later to repair tile, regrout joints, or clean moldy tile grout joints.
It’s for this reason grout free shower surround panels are selling as well as energy drinks in a convenient store. And while this is true – the quality of shower surround panels range from excellent to terrible.
If you’re looking for a higher value- yet affordable shower surround line, one option are rigid PVC shower surround panels. They’re strong and thick enough to not crack during installation (like the cheap acrylic or fiberglass systems you find in home centers) yet have lifetime warranties and cool styles.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #6 – Don’t be a victim of a (supposedly) affordable shower wall surround systems – or buying from ‘well-known bath-in-a-day franchises’ who charges you an arm and a leg to install
To be brutally honest, there’s a lot of deceptive sales practices (in my opinion) and/or outrageous prices charged for shower surround, base, and glass door systems.
For example, let’s say, you buy from an on-line retailer a shower surround system only to find it does NOT reach the ceiling (more finishing work for you), it doesn’t include trim pieces around the edges, or sealant or adhesive to finish the installation.
Or let’s say you buy an installed system from a well-known bath in a day franchise only to find out you could have chosen a respected local company who would’ve charged 25-30% less.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #7 – Affordable grout free shower systems can be the key to a quick turnaround bathroom you WON’T regret buying years later.
Maybe mom’s coming home from the hospital after a fall, and you need to do a tub to shower conversion or a ‘resized shower to shower conversion’ ASAP. You want a high value system (and you need a high value system – a little play on words from the movie A Few Good Men) but can’t pay ‘through the nose’ for it. What can you do? Follow 3 steps:
Step 1 – Look for shower surround suppliers who have bases, shower surround panels, and shower doors available from stock.
Step 2 – Look for suppliers who have ‘trimmable shower walls’ and ‘trimmable shower bases.’ The ability to cut walls to fit your space allows the project to be done quickly and installed cost effectively. And in some cases, you won’t need a custom size.
Step 3 – Look for contractors who have experience with age in place or accessible shower remodeling. Fortunately, there are age in place contractors – or those who specialize in accessibility. Ask for referrals to these contractors. Look for a CAPS contractors through the home builders association or through a member service organization like VGM Live at Home.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #8 – Faux is fine, Fake is NOT when choosing shower surround panels!
I’d argue the most noticed feature of a shower are the surround walls. And the reason for this is they’re at eye level. While you shouldn’t diminish the importance of the shower pan – which is the ‘foundation’ of the shower – the thing driving the ‘shower curb appeal’ will be the walls.
And nothing says cheaper than molded wall panels which look like you bought them at a home center or bargain-basement on-line retailer. And this cheap look will even extend to molded cultured marble shower walls as well, which, while thicker than acrylic or fiberglass, still look plasticky.
So, the question is how can you get ‘less expensive faux shower walls’ which imitate real tile or stone? Here’s how. Look for shower surround panels which are not ‘molded,’ but have faux grout joints which are CNC (Computer Numerical Control) routed, or at a minimum, laser etched into a molded panel with a contrasting color.
One shower surround line which does this – at an affordable price – are CNC made PVC shower and tub surround panels. They’re 36” wide x 96” high sections. They’re a sturdy 41 lbs. per panel with a tongue and groove joining system (which allow you to cover any sized wall).
The bottom line is – faux is fine, fake is NOT (or at least not Ok if you need to sell any time soon).
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #9 – You don’t have to buy a shower door right away, but if you do, don’t screw it up because it’ll be an expensive mistake.
The good news is a shower door is installed after the shower base, and shower wall surrounds which are essential for a functioning shower. And if your budget is very tight you can always add a door later (and install curtains for now) especially since its one of the most expensive elements of the entire shower.
However, if you want to get a door now you’ll need to balance the cost, operating style, thickness of the glass, and privacy to name a few factors. To learn more read How to Choose the Right Shower Glass Door or Wall.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #10 – Don’t forget about the accessories (or I might say ‘necessities’ if you’re doing an accessible or age in place shower) or ‘weird features’ inside your shower. Get expert insights so you don’t screw up.
While ‘pre-packaged shower kits’ seem like the ‘bomb-diggity’ (‘err a cost-savings) when you buy them – it’s a bad day when you (suddenly remember) you have a shower window to work around, or a sloped ceiling, or ledge, or soffit, only to find out your wall surround system won’t accommodate it.
Or you learn the door you’ve chosen forces you to get doused with cold water because you didn’t think about the location of the shower valve to get the water warm before you step in, subjecting you to ‘cold-water shock therapy’ every morning.
Or – you end up – once again buying a hideous ‘plastic shower caddy’ at the dollar store because you didn’t think about storage and now tacky is your new shower’s middle name.
All these problems are avoidable IF you get smart advice BEFORE YOU BUY!
Find a shower design expert who’ll ask you about the craziness which is your bathroom. Send them pictures of the space.
They’ll have trim and stone sills to waterproof your grout free wall panels around your window. They’ll have shower shelves, niches, seats, and grab shelves to choose from. They’ll have solutions for your sloped ceilings, ledges, and soffits.
Ask the shower design expert how (and where) to put t
he larger recessed niche your spouse wants to store their beauty products before you finish your walls. Ask for help identify the backer needed behind the wall to properly support a fold down seat or decorative grab bar(s) you may add in the future.
Truthful Affordable Shower Tip #11 – Ask, and research (if you’re buying wholesale products) how will I receive the materials, and how often are they broken in transit, or during installation?
How often were you excited to receive a new couch, a refrigerator, or construction product, only to open the box (or crate) which had the Italian words ‘fragile’ printed on it (pronounced fra-gee-lay like Old Man Parker said in a Christmas Story) and it was broken, dented, or dinged. Or worse, you or your contractor gingerly tried to install the flimsy material only for it to break in the process. Then the retailer forced you to buy an ENTIRE NEW SYSTEM! Ouch!
Affordable, high value shower products are only affordable and high value based on their total cost. This not only includes the cost of the material but with today’s high shipping costs also includes the delivery charge, and cost of installation.
When buying shower surround panels, shower bases, or complete shower kits ask if delivery is included. Read reviews to see how previous customers graded the packaging and if they were successful receiving and installing the products without breakage.
See if you can find installation videos and installation instructions and/or if there are ACTUAL LIVE HUMANS (before you buy) who you (or your contractor) can call their cell phone for technical advice.
Cheap products with no service can become a big problem. And if you’re installing a shower for the first time, you could end up a shower creek without a paddle (‘er nobody to help you figure out a problem, or how to install the job properly).
Make sure you understand delivered costs, the policy if something arrives broken, and the support you will (or will not) get.
Don’t go down a ‘shower creek’ (or Schitt’s Creek…love that show) without a paddle! Make sure you have a high value system AND support before buying.
Did you get practical tips to find an affordable shower system? Do you need help with your shower or bath remodel?
I hope you found this article practical – and of value to you. There’s more to buying an affordable (and NOT cheap) shower system than meets the eye.
If you’d like help with your shower remodel, contact Innovate Building Solutions at 877-668-5888. One of our Shower Specialist will be glad to assist. And if you need a referral to a contractor in your area, call us and we’ll look for one of our PanelPro shower dealers near you.
If you have additional questions – or want to add your own ‘truthful, yet affordable’ shower tips, comment below.
Thanks for reading and putting up with my humor along the way! As a 66 year (‘er I mean 33 year old), I like to learn (and laugh) along this journey we call life. Being ‘mature’ and serious is waaaay overrated…don’t you think?
Mike
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If you want more advice (with less wacky humor because you’ll see the ‘buttoned-up’ business version of me) follow me on LinkedIn @MikeFoti.
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
