# Acrylic shower base & wall system



## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

We’ve got a customer who wants an acrylic shower base/walls. They only have 70” height to work with. I don’t know how they’re getting the permit to do this (headroom doesn’t meet code), but I’ve been charged with finding a product we can use. They won’t accept fiberglass or tile or anything else. Any suggestions?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Eddie77 said:


> We’ve got a customer who wants an acrylic shower base/walls. They only have 70” height to work with. I don’t know how they’re getting the permit to do this (headroom doesn’t meet code), but I’ve been charged with finding a product we can use. They won’t accept fiberglass or tile or anything else. Any suggestions?


Contact your supplier, that's part of their job. They can look through the catalog or contact the manufacturer and tell you which models will work.

Who needs a permit for that?


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

Installation of a basement 3/4 bathroom. Requires a building permit, plumbing permit, electrical permit & probably an hvac permit depending on if they have a bathroom fan in there. Called suppliers, they can meet requirements except height. The models they’ve sent have a minimum height of 72”


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Glued wall panels and trim to any height you want.


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

These are “fancy” people. They won’t accept lick & stick walls. I think I’m going to face them with the fact that their height dimension will require a custom wall set. I can find a proper pan, just not walls.


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

contact Southern Pipe and supply
OR. goggle a cultured marble co in your area

You can get the shower surround and sink basin/countertop to match


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

The reason they are getting a permit with a low ceiling is the scope of the work is not the framing for the ceiling.


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

The minimum ceiling height allowed for spaces to be constructed in Minnesota is 6’10”. This is inclusive to all spaces. They make concessions at times, but it depends on the inspector.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Eddie77 said:


> These are “fancy” people. They won’t accept lick & stick walls. I think I’m going to face them with the fact that their height dimension will require a custom wall set. I can find a proper pan, just not walls.


then let them pay bathfitter 5k for custom walls...


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

I put “fancy” in quotes because people like this have a nice looking house in a nice looking area & don’t have any real money for things like a bath fitter or marble. They have champagne taste & mad dog money.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Tell them they could jack the house up 2”, or
they’re going to have to go with custom made shower walls, but prob best to just go with tiles.

if acrylic walls are fancy to them, I’d hate to see what cheap would be.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Eddie77 said:


> I put “fancy” in quotes because people like this have a nice looking house in a nice looking area & don’t have any real money for things like a bath fitter or marble. They have champagne taste & mad dog money.


house rich, cash poor.
I have an aunt like that, it’s all about how she looks to others, yet nobody is looking. Big fancy house, with moen fauctes and glacier bay toilets, from HD.
She will go to “real fancy” restaurant just to be seen there, but order an appetizer and a glass of tap water, and claim she’s not that hungry, or she’s on a diet.


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

I’d rather work for “normal” people that saved up to do beautiful jobs any day. They want the cheapest things done the cheapest way but they want it all done in the most elegant looking finished product to hide the fact it’s all the cheapest things. Bothers me to death.


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

Logtec said:


> house rich, cash poor.
> I have an aunt like that, it’s all about how she looks to others, yet nobody is looking. Big fancy house, with moen fauctes and glacier bay toilets, from HD.
> She will go to “real fancy” restaurant just to be seen there, but order an appetizer and a glass of tap water, and claim she’s not that hungry, or she’s on a diet.


Damn. At least your sister has a little change
My junky sister will steal you blind then come back and get what she left when you are gone
then shove it up her arm,then a week later say she is sorry can i borrow 20


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

If I know in advance those kind of people that play the game I want $10 000 bathroom but only willing to pay $250 I pass. No I'm not exaggerating, I used to get that all the time, it's one reason I don't do renos anymore.

Those and the F-N vanities with drawers and have to re-rough everything and the water pipes are coming through the floor. All that for 80$.... F-off.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Or the people who build their dream house, but blow the budget, then in the end they’re cutting corners and want the finish plumbing done for next to nothing. 
which is why I alway give separate prices for rough and finish plumbing.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Order the 72" walls and saw off 2".


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## Eddie77 (Nov 6, 2013)

They all have nailing flanges & locking bottoms. Can’t cut them up. They’ll have no integrity.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Eddie77 said:


> They all have nailing flanges & locking bottoms. Can’t cut them up. They’ll have no integrity.


Cram it full of hydraulic cement eazy peazy


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

Central Marble Products | Cultured Marble, Onyx and Granite | MN


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

sparky said:


> Cram it full of hydraulic cement eazy peazy



Forget Betty Crocker

Sparky's famous concrete mix!


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

chonkie said:


> Order the 72" walls and saw off 2".


Break off a piece and make it fit lolololololo


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tango said:


> Forget Betty Crocker
> 
> Sparky's famous concrete mix!


Works every time lololololo


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I would look in to an Onyx shower product. It's a stone like man made material that comes in many different colors and patterns. I have installed them before and they are pretty solid. Technically its glue on walls but they are thick and heavy and good quality. The Onyx Collection

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

So what is wrong with Kohlers Sterling acrylic shower bases and stalls....??


We put about a hundred of them in over the years with no complaints...
just put a bucket of sand mix concrete under the base and its hard as hell
you can install them in the nastiest rental properties and unless someone takes
a hatchet to them they are nearly impossible to destroy


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

So cultured marble base & walls. Done deal.




Eddie77 said:


> These are “fancy” people. They won’t accept lick & stick walls. I think I’m going to face them with the fact that their height dimension will require a custom wall set. I can find a proper pan, just not walls.


, or tile?


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

The Dane said:


> I would look in to an Onyx shower product. It's a stone like man made material that comes in many different colors and patterns. I have installed them before and they are pretty solid. Technically its glue on walls but they are thick and heavy and good quality. The Onyx Collection
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


Hey I just remembered some tile look a like panels, can be custom ordered.

There's also a new company near me, they are starting to make sheets of 4x8' 3/16" tiles or any size you want. No more grout other than corners.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Tango said:


> Hey I just remembered some tile look a like panels, can be custom ordered.
> 
> There's also a new company near me, they are starting to make sheets of 4x8' 3/16" tiles or any size you want. No more grout other than corners.


That's what Onyx is. A big sheet of maybe 1/4" thick material. 1 base and 3 walls + 2 corner trim pieces where the walls meet. I prefer tiles but this would be next on my list before getting normal shower wall panels. The base is pretty much a 2 man job to set because of its weight. There are a couple things to remember with this Onyx product that people normally don't think about but other than that a great product. If they don't come in the exact size that fits your application they can be cut to fit.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> So what is wrong with Kohlers Sterling acrylic shower bases and stalls....??
> 
> 
> We put about a hundred of them in over the years with no complaints...
> ...


Yes these are good,fairly easy to install and not that expensive


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> So what is wrong with Kohlers Sterling acrylic shower bases and stalls....??


The problem is he's dealing with a 70" height restriction.


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

Master Mark said:


> So what is wrong with Kohlers Sterling acrylic shower bases and stalls....??


Whats wrong? nothing, except they are square and in a remodel nothing is square usually
which makes installing them a huge pain in the buttock
The cultured marble can be cut to fit , dusty as hell. and use blue tape on the cut line


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Frodo said:


> Whats wrong? nothing, except they are square and in a remodel nothing is square usually
> which makes installing them a huge pain in the buttock
> The cultured marble can be cut to fit , dusty as hell. and use blue tape on the cut line



I know that nothing is ever square but we have had freaking good luck with them over the years

if it is not artsy fartsy enough for them , let them shell out the big money


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## Drwright68 (Sep 23, 2018)

Logtec said:


> Tell them they could jack the house up 2”, or
> they’re going to have to go with custom made shower walls, but prob best to just go with tiles.
> 
> if acrylic walls are fancy to them, I’d hate to see what cheap would be.


Just chip 2" out of the floor!


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## Lee'sPlumbing (Jul 30, 2018)

Frodo said:


> Whats wrong? nothing, except they are square and in a remodel nothing is square usually
> which makes installing them a huge pain in the buttock
> The cultured marble can be cut to fit , dusty as hell. and use blue tape on the cut line


The other problem with Sterling, is that they are over 3 months out right now. I ordered an age in place unit at the end of October- arrived in late January with the wrong back wall. New one will arrive no sooner than April. Aside from the manufacturing setbacks, they are the only units I will install


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Drwright68 said:


> Just chip 2" out of the floor!


It's a pitd but that's actually a pretty good idea. Just cut a bunch of lines 2-1/4" deep with a skilsaw using a diamond blade and then just whack the pieces out. I would coat the concrete with tar.

Going to want plenty of dust extraction.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> It's a pitd but that's actually a pretty good idea. Just cut a bunch of lines 2-1/4" deep with a skilsaw using a diamond blade and then just whack the pieces out. I would coat the concrete with tar.
> 
> Going to want plenty of dust extraction.


Use hydraulic cement instead of tar


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

sparky said:


> Use hydraulic cement instead of tar


Hydraulic cement would crack.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> Hydraulic cement would crack.


Never


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## Dontbitenails (Oct 16, 2020)

Customer I am working for now on a master bath reno . She wants Cleopatra's bathroom on Peg Bundy's budget.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

sparky said:


> Never


He should really use two part epoxy with the hydraulic cement powder mixed in


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> He should really use two part epoxy with the hydraulic cement powder mixed in


With fiber glass strands acting as rebar...What's the original post anyway???


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