Solid Surface Shower Remodels In Houston

If you’re looking for an attractive, easy-to-clean alternative to tile… this is it!  

We’ve built solid surface showers since 2014, and many of our Houston clients LOVE it.  With no grout, and no sealing required, solid surface saves time and hassle on maintenance, while looking great and feeling, well – solid.   

Solid surface has a few other benefits as well:

1.  Solid surface shower remodels can be built up to 50% faster.
2.  Because it installs faster, solid surface has a lower price point (even though the material is often more expensive than tile).
3.  Solid surface lasts forever.  This is NOT true of most tile showers – except, of course, those we build.
4.  Selections are easier, and you don’t have to go to a tile store.  We’ll bring samples to you, and help you coordinate with the rest of your bathroom.

Here are some key details about this product, and a few photos of solid surface showers we’ve completed in Houston.  

What Is Solid Surface? 

In short, solid surface is a thick, non-porous building material (hence, the name “solid” surface) that is ideal for bathroom remodeling.  The non-porous nature of this product keeps microorganisms, dirt, and grime on top of the material, versus allowing these things to embed inside, as more porous materials do.  And entire walls can be made from a single slab of material, which cuts down on seams.

The solid surface product we work with is made by The Onyx Collection, a family-owned manufacturer, right here in the USA.

It is formulated with a base of 63% alumina trihydrate, along with 37% polyester resins and other ingredients.  This is the same base ingredient as DuPont’s Corian®, which you commonly see in kitchen and bath countertops.  And while Corian® is great, Onyx solid surface is easier to clean and has a better guarantee.  This is why we install and recommend Onyx.

Solid surface is not a layered or printed material like acrylic, porcelain slabs, and Kohler’s Luxstone® (formerly known as Choreograph).  If damaged, printed surfaces are not repairable.  Instead, solid surface is the same material all the way through.  Onyx makes its product with a factory-applied gelcoat on top, which makes your daily cleaning much easier, and allows most scratches to be buffed out. 

Onyx solid surface shower walls are almost 3/8″ thick, which is three times thicker than the beefiest acrylic shower walls. The bases are also made with much, much thicker construction than acrylic bases.  This is partly why acrylic showers can be installed in a day or two, where this product can not.

Solid surface requires careful handling, but results in firm and substantial shower surfaces, without the “give” common to acrylic and fiberglass shower trays and wall surrounds.

If properly installed and maintained, you’ll never need to replace this type of shower.  The hard water we experience in Houston, along with soap scum, body oils, etc., are not a problem for this material.  

 

Solid Surface Shower Options

Onyx solid surface comes in over 60 colors, with everything from whites and creams, to grays and tans, and even black.  The lighter colors have been more popular recently, but we often build two-tone Onyx showers with a darker base and lighter walls.  

Shower walls can be ordered in smooth, or with one of four grooved tile patterns (subway, 12″ x 12″ stone tile, shiplap, or “wavy” tile).  Due to the gelcoat, all Onyx products have a glossy finish, as you can see in the pictures.

Onyx shower bases are available in three different threshold heights, or ramped for wheelchair access, in both custom and standard sizes.  Bases always include a non-slip texture, and drains can be located almost anywhere we need them.

This material is versatile and suitable for a variety of shower remodel situations: shower replacements, safety and accessibility showering, tub-to-shower conversions, and large walk-in showers.

There are three ways to go about having solid surface materials installed in your shower:

OPTION 1 – Complete Shower.  The most requested solid surface showers we build are complete systems, with solid surface shower walls and bases, and no tile whatsoever.  This is for best those who want a clean break with all tile, and the lowest possible maintenance.  This option offers the best price point and the fastest possible installation time.

OPTION 2 – Hybrid System.  The next most common solid surface showers are designed and built as hybrids of both tile and solid surface.

A splash of tile for some added jazz, usually in the form of an accent stripe or custom soap niche, can be very attractive, without adding a ton of maintenance. 

In the shower featured at left, we added both a vertical tile accent stripe and two custom tile recessed niches, framed in solid surface.  This shower is part of a secondary bath that gets used by a variety of guests, some of whom have safety concerns.  For this reason, it also has a folding bench and grab bars.

OPTION 3 – Shower Base Only.  This option is popular with our clients who lean more towards tile, but don’t want the hard maintenance of a tile shower floor. 

These showers, like the one you see here to the right, have a solid surface base, while the walls and any other surfaces are constructed from tile.  We often use a low-maintenance grout that does not require sealing, which helps keep overall maintenance with these showers lower.

For some of our clients, this is the best of both worlds.  You get the varied and customized look of tile walls, plus an easy-to-clean and solid shower floor.

These bases look sharp.  They can be color-coordinated to pair with any type of tile design, or, you can even install thin stone or porcelain slab shower walls with them.

 

 

Here are a few options we offer with solid surface showers:

• Custom glass to enclose the shower
• Many varieties of soap dishes, niches, and shelves, including custom recessed niches, with or without LED lighting
• Real tile stripes or inlays, or solid surface stripes or inlays (for those who want some color pop but without any tile)
• Hand-held showers, jets, rain shower heads, additional valves, and other special plumbing features
• Many types of bench seats and fold-down seats
• Trench drain / line drain shower bases
• Decorative crown molding, inside corner trim, and chair rail trim
• Finish upgrades to matte black, brushed nickel, or bronze
• Grab bars, towel bars, foot rests, and the like

We can also install a coordinating, or matching, solid surface countertop to go with your new shower or tub remodel. 

Also, your solid surface walls do not arrive ready to install; our team has to cut, modify, and set each wall carefully, for your unique application.  

 

Is this product too heavy for my home?

A: No, unless you’re living in a shack!  Seriously, any stick-framed home, townhome, or condominium built to code in the last 100 years can support this product.  It is heavy, but typically not more so than the tile or cultured marble that you may already have.

 

Do you install waterproofing behind your solid surface walls?

A: Yes.  We follow TCNA (Tile Council of North America) guidelines when building with this material.  For example, even though the manufacturer says it is OK to install this directly over sheetrock, we put up a complete waterproof membrane behind the solid surface, just in case something ever happens.  We call this the “belt and suspenders” method, and it gives you extra insurance for the future.  We’ve heard of other Houston contractors who simply throw up greenboard (a moisture-resistant, paper-faced sheetrock) and keep moving.  This will certainly result in a faster install; however, greenboard is NOT code compliant for use in a wet area, and hasn’t been for many years.  We aren’t willing to sacrifice durability for a faster, cheaper install.

 

Will I still have grout in the corners and joints?

A: No.  As with a proper tile installation, you will have a color-matched 100% silicone applied to corners and joints.  Grout should never be used in joints and corners – it will always crack!  100% silicone is a special elastomer that is not like regular caulk, paintable caulk, or even acrylic siliconized caulk; it is completely inorganic and non-porous, which makes it perfectly suited to this application.  As far as cleaning, you simply wipe down the silicone in your corners and joints with the very same cleaners you use on the rest of your shower, as part of your regular cleaning.

 

How do I clean solid surface?

A: Onyx recommends a weekly (or so) cleaning with gentle, non-abrasive household cleaners such as white vinegar, or Eliminate, or any other non-abrasive cleaner.  You do not want to use anything that feels gritty or any type of steel wool, or anything else of this nature.  Many of our customers tell us they use only white vinegar, with great results.  

 

Does solid surface require sealing?

A: No.  An extra wax coating such as Gel Gloss is can be applied, to help make your periodic cleaning even easier, but this isn’t required. 

 

What happens if I scratch my solid surface shower or countertop?

A: Most scratches are easily buffed out.  If this happens, we’ll set up a service for you through the manufacturer.  To avoid this, do not use metal squeegees or other metal implements in your shower or on your countertop.  These will not damage the material itself, but the protective gelcoat can be scratched, and this is what will need to be buffed.

 

Do you offer Corian® or other solid surfaces, as well?

A: We do not.  Although we’ve worked with some other solid surface manufacturers in the past, Onyx’s gelcoat is a game changer.  Corian® and its analogues are also non-porous, but they do not have this protective gelcoat.   Minor stains, scratches, and discoloration in the material itself are therefore possible.  These can be buffed out with a very fine-grit sandpaper, but the lack of a gelcoat makes Corian® more maintenance-intensive over time when used as a shower or bathroom remodeling product.