Thread: Durability of Shower bases

I am trying to choose a shower base/enclosure for a bathroom renovation, but I am confused by the various descriptions;


i.e.

- Polymarble
- Acrylic
- Gloss polyester gelcoat surface backed with a sturdy re-inforcement of fibreglass


MarbleTrend have a "Marblelite" base that is described as self supporting solid cast base eliminating the need for a mortar bed.

Decina have a one piece moulded acrylic base that also does not need a mortar bed.
Their description is "The colour goes right through the material to provide a durability that cannot be achieved with surface applied coatings"

I was originally favouring the full shower enclosure style as they eliminated all seams and you only had to worry about leaks at the taps and shower head outlets. But even the narrowest unit (750 mm wide) would not fit through the bathroom door without taking of the door stops, beside 750 mm wide is too narrow for comfort when showering !
All the shower enclosures I have seen are the "Gloss polyester gelcoat backed by fibreglass" which I don't think will be as durable as some other materials.


Both Marbletrend and Decina have models with "tiling beads" on 3 or even 4 sides to reduce the risk of leaks, but I have seen other units - brands unknown (in Reece and Swan) - that don't have tiling beads and rely entirely on silicon sealant for the primary barrier !

I was also planning on using the prefab shower walls with moulded soap holders and no joins in the corner. These all seem to be made from 3 mm thick sheets of acrylic material.

Basically my question is what material is best ? The display units at Reece all were all very scratched from peope walking on the with shoes.

Which ones can survive cleaning with "Jiff" (abrasive ?) type cleaners


Trevor