When it comes to bathroom renovations, aside from changing out your shower curtain or slapping on a fresh coat of paint, most remodeling projects are costly and time consuming, often requiring the services of a professional. One of the main eyesores in most peoples bathrooms is the bathtub area. If you have an older home, the previous owner’s love for bright peach bathtub wall tile may not exactly be as close to your own personal tastes as you would like it to be. Even if the tile is neutral in color, you may still want to spice things up a bit with a more modern and sleeker look. Tub surrounds are the perfect choice for giving your bathtub enclosure a new look at a fraction of the cost of replacing the tile itself. Acrylic tub surrounds, especially, are affordable, easy to install, and even easier to maintain.
What Are Tub Surrounds?
A tub surround is essentially a series of acrylic or fiberglass panels that are installed directly on top of your existing tiled wall. The panels are designed to fit together and can be secured with a watertight silicone gel that acts as an adhesive while also creating a barrier that prevents water from being able to penetrate the tub surround and reach the wall behind it. While most do it yourself tub surround kits come with individual panels for each wall, custom surrounds can be ordered that are molded specifically to your tub’s measurements, potentially eliminating any connecting seams.
What Are The Benefits Of Acrylic Tub Surrounds?
Acrylic tub surrounds are not only the most affordable option, often costing less than $100 for basic models, they are also the easiest to install. If you are selecting an acrylic tub surround, keep in mind that the thicker the acrylic, the longer the unit will be able to hold up to use. If you are purchasing the surround for a guest bathroom, a thinner, and less costly, acrylic should suffice. If the surround will be installed in a main bathroom, however, you should pay the extra cost for the thicker acrylic models since they are able to better withstand daily use. While fiberglass surrounds may have a better touch to them, acrylic surrounds are now available in a variety of textures that help distract from their plastic feel. Just like the more expensive fiberglass models, acrylic surrounds easy to clean and maintain, can be found in a range of colors, and have numerous optional design features that can be incorporated into their designs.
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