Are you planning to replace your shower sometime in the next few months? While fiberglass shower inserts are a popular option with many homeowners, we believe they’re not always the best choice. Instead, we recommend high-quality acrylic showers.
Continue reading this in-depth guide to learn more about why you should avoid fiberglass shower inserts and why acrylic might be a better choice for your needs.
No matter where you are in the bathroom remodeling planning process, our experts at EZPro Baths Express are here to help make it easier for you. If you’d like to learn more about how we can transform your bathroom with a new acrylic shower, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call your local EZPro Baths Express location.
What Are Fiberglass Shower Inserts?
Fiberglass is a popular shower option because it’s a relatively low-cost material. Fiberglass is also a lightweight material, which makes for an easy manufacturing process. Fiberglass shower inserts are made with a molded fiberglass base, which then has a gel coating applied over it.
While fiberglass is a popular shower material, unfortunately, it’s often not the best option for local homeowners.
Problems With Fiberglass
Before you decide which type of shower to install in your home, consider the following disadvantages of choosing fiberglass for your upcoming shower replacement project.
Vulnerable Finish
As we mentioned above, fiberglass shower inserts are finished with a gel coating. While it looks nice at first, you’ll quickly realize that this coating is prone to developing scratches, cracks, and chips.
Fiberglass is also a very porous material, especially compared to other popular shower options. As a result, it’s more likely to develop mold and bacteria growth. Finally, keep in mind that fiberglass is not UV resistant, so your shower will start to fade and turn a yellow shade over time.
Lack of Customizations
When you’re planning a bathroom remodeling project, you want to be able to create a beautiful space that you truly love. As the centerpiece of your bathroom, you likely want your shower to make a design statement, but when you choose a fiberglass shower, that’s not always possible.
In most cases, fiberglass showers are one-color units, usually in white or off-white. And, unlike other shower materials, fiberglass doesn’t have different patterns, textures, or variations for you to choose from, so you’re much more limited in what you can choose.
Aside from color and textures, fiberglass showers also have fewer customization options, so you may not be able to get the shower of your dreams if you choose this material.
Issues When Cleaning
Between work obligations, spending time with your family, and your hobbies, you probably don’t want to dedicate what precious free time you have left to think about the best way to clean your fiberglass shower.
The unfortunate reality, however, is that you have to take special care when cleaning fiberglass. The gel coating on your fiberglass shower will start to break down when you scrub the shower walls.
Over the years, as the finish wears away, water can start to seep through the walls, eventually leading to water damage and mold growth. Because fiberglass tends to turn yellow easily, you’ll likely find yourself cleaning it more often compared to other materials, which will only exacerbate the issues.
You Get What You Pay For
One reason that homeowners choose fiberglass showers is that it’s a relatively low-cost material. If you’re remodeling your bathroom on a budget, it can be tempting to choose the cheapest material to keep costs low. However, when it comes to fiberglass, you get what you pay for.
While it’s true that fiberglass is cheaper than most other materials upfront, it’s also more prone to damage. So, you might end up spending more over the lifetime of your fiberglass shower to make repairs than you would if you chose a slightly more expensive, yet durable, material from the start.
Short-Term Warranty Coverage
When you invest in installing a new shower in your home, you want to make sure that your investment is protected should anything go wrong. Unfortunately, most fiberglass shower options only come with a short-term warranty option.
This puts you at risk of being on the hook for paying for most damage that may occur in your fiberglass shower.
How Acrylic Showers Compare to Fiberglass Showers
As you can see, fiberglass showers are not usually a great option for local homeowners who are planning a shower remodel. So, what’s a better alternative? Here at EZPro Baths Express, we believe that acrylic is the best shower material on the market.
Below, you’ll learn more about what sets this material apart from fiberglass so you can decide if it’s the right choice for your needs.
Nearly Endless Customization Options
When you choose acrylic for your new shower, the only real limit to the design is your imagination. Acrylic shower walls come in a wide array of patterns, colors, and textures, so you can create the shower of your dreams with no issues. Some acrylic shower walls mimic the look of other materials like tile and marble, so you can get the look of other materials with all the benefits of acrylic.
But, the customization options don’t stop there. You can also design your acrylic shower so that it includes comfortable seating, built-in shelving, and more, so your new shower perfectly suits your needs.
Cleaning Is a Breeze
One of the many reasons our customers love their acrylic showers is because they’re extremely easy to clean. All of the acrylic showers we install are easy to maintain because the material is non-porous. They also contain silver ion technology, which helps prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria, even after years of use.
To keep your acrylic shower clean, all you need to do is use a gentle cleaner and wipe it down with a sponge and some water. What could be easier than that?
Durable Finish
Aside from being easy to keep clean, our acrylic showers are also incredibly durable. Because acrylic is much thicker than fiberglass and the color goes all the way through the material, you won’t have to worry about your acrylic shower fading over time.
They are also designed not to crack, chip, scratch, or dent, so you can feel confident that your new shower will look great for years to come.
Cost-Effective Price
Although acrylic is a bit more expensive compared to fiberglass, it’s still a relatively low-cost option, especially compared to something like tile or marble. Perhaps best of all, your acrylic shower is designed to last without the need for repairs, so once you pay the upfront cost, you shouldn’t have to worry about other costs popping up over the years.
Still not sure if an acrylic shower will fit your budget? EZPro Baths Express proudly offers a wide range of financing options like zero-interest payments so it’s easier to get a new shower for a price that works for you.
Size Options to Fit Your Space
When you’re planning a bathroom remodel, you’ll want to take the time to ensure your new shower perfectly fits in your space. Good news! All of our acrylic shower options are designed to fit in your bathroom, regardless of the size.
When you hire our experts for your acrylic shower installation, we’ll take accurate measurements to ensure that your shower looks perfect within the space.
Designed With Safety in Mind
As you get older, staying safe in the shower can become much more difficult. Fortunately, acrylic is a naturally slip-resistant material. This can help you stay upright while you bathe, preventing a dangerous slip and fall.
Are you looking for more ways to stay safe in the bathroom? Consider installing an acrylic walk-in shower with a low-threshold entry, so you don’t have to worry about tripping when stepping in and out of your shower area. We can also install grab bars in your new shower to give you extra stability.
Excellent Warranty
Here at EZPro Baths Express, we always want you to feel good about your investment. That’s why we are proud to install virgin acrylic, which has a thicker top layer compared to other types of acrylic. This virgin acrylic is backed by a lifetime warranty against cracking, discoloration, and fading, so you can have the ultimate peace of mind.
If that wasn’t enough, we also include a 20-year labor warranty on our shower installations, so you can rest easy knowing that your investment is protected.
Forget Fiberglass and Choose an Acrylic Shower Instead
After reading through this guide, we hope you have a better understanding of why fiberglass shower inserts are not the best choice for your home and why acrylic is a better option. Are you ready to give your bathroom the transformation it deserves with a high-quality new shower?
Our experts at EZPro Baths Express are here to help! To set up a free consultation with our experts and request a free estimate for your new shower, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call your local EZPro Baths Express location.