10 Benefits of Solid Surface Shower Wall Panels That You Must Know

The use of solid surface shower wall panels is getting more and more common at this time. The reason behind it is none other but the benefits offered by the material.

For you who have not heard about solid surface yet, you need to know that it is a human-made alternative material. The composition usually consists of acrylic, alumina trihydrate (ATH), polyester resin or epoxy, and pigments for the color.

At markets, solid surface is usually offered in the form of panels. The usage is commonly for creating seamless countertops or other surfaces, like the shower wall.

A fun fact that you need to know is that DuPont is a manufacturer that introduced solid surface material for the first time to the world and Corian as the brand. As time goes by, other manufacturers follow their steps to create the same item.

If right now you are about to build a new shower room or you want to remodel the one that you already have at home, you may think about what the best material you should use for the wall surround is. If that is so, read this post further because we will tell you in detail about all the benefits of the solid surface when used as shower walls.

1. It Has a Natural Appearance

The first benefit that even people who are not familiar with solid surface panels can notice is that it has an appearance that looks similar to some most popular choices of natural stones. Those include granite, marble, and some other stones.

It means choosing solid panels for the walls of your shower room can also give you a beautiful final result. If you are lucky, you can even get a product with a highly similar look to real natural stones to enhance the luxury value in the shower room.

Take a look at the picture above. In the transitional bathroom design, the solid surface does not only appear on the shower walls but also the tub and backsplash.

This material has an off white color with light brown accents that create a warm impression in the interior. If we see the appearance, it looks quite similar to the natural granite.

2. It Is Available in Custom Color Choices

Another benefit that you must know from solid surface panels for shower walls is that it is available in many custom color choices. This fact is inseparable from the use of pigments in the composition of this alternative material. These coloring substances allow every manufacturer to create not only their signature color options but also some custom orders placed by their clients.

For you who want to build or remodel a shower room, this benefit is undoubtedly a thing to be grateful for. The reason is that you can order a tone to match the existed bathroom color scheme for the sake of a coordinating look.

In the picture, there are custom solid surface panels to surround the shower tub combo. You can see that the white color is coordinating nicely with the other appliances in the room.

3. It Has a Stunning Seamless Appearance

Shower walls from the solid surface are also a recommended choice because of the seamless appearance. There won’t be any visible joints between panels, so the final look is single-flowing and sleek. The example is available in the picture of solid surface material in the walls and pan of the modern shower room above.

The seamless appearance is obtainable because usually when purchasing a solid surface, the manufacturer will also include a special adhesive, which color is suited to the tone of the panels. It gets even better because, commonly, this adhesive does not contain any harmful chemicals in the compositions.

Once dry, a sanding process is usually performed. The purpose is to create the look of invisible joints, which is also the signature mark of the solid surface material.

Another thing you need to know about the seamless joints is that they are so tight. This way, no water can goes in between the panels. It means you should not worry about mildew and mold that can damage the shower walls.

4. It Is a Versatile Product

We can call it a versatile product because it can be heated and then bent in a process known as thermoforming to create different shapes. In this case, you can count on it to create a unique wall design for the shower room, just like the one you see in the pic.

However, you need to know that the thermoforming process like this is a thing that can be done only by a professional who is familiar with solid surface material. Other than that, the heat used in this process should not be too high, or else some damages will occur.

Solid surface panels are material resistant to heat. However, the highest level recommended is only up to 100 °C or 212 °F.

5. It Is Waterproof

Another benefit provided by solid surface panels is that it is waterproof. This quality makes this material a perfect choice for any shower walls.

The reason why the solid surface is waterproof is because it is a non-porous material. It will never allow any liquid to soak in it.

6. It Is Low in Maintenance and Easy to Clean

Solid surface panels for shower room walls do not need much maintenance. The sleek and seamless surface makes cleaning it easier to do.

Moreover, as we already told you earlier that shower walls from this material do not come with any joints. This way, you should not do any deep cleaning as done to the difficult grouted parts of tiles. Plus, the joint-free design does not allow the buildup of any mold and mildew.

Even if the solid surface color that you choose for the shower walls is white, as shown in the picture, you do not need to worry that some ugly spots will occur later.

7. Easy Installation

The next benefit that we want you to know is that installing the solid surface to cover your shower walls is quite easy to do. Although it does not always mean that you can do the installation on your own, with the following explanation, you can still find out about how it is beneficial.

Any professional builder usually can install the solid surface panels without any difficulties. It gets even better because this alternative material is suitable to cover any existing shower walls with no sanding is even needed.

Do you know what that means? It means you can get everything done quickly. It is faster than the time needed to install the real natural stone panels, which commonly requires a lot of time and steps.

Take a look at the open contemporary shower design in the picture. You can see that it has a unique design with two large integrated niches included. With the solid surface material, a shower wall like this won’t be hard to create.

8. The Renewable and Repairable Points

The real natural stones, including marble and granite, are ones that nature can create in a quite long time. It means, when people keep harvesting them unlimitedly, there is a possibility for nothing left someday.

That kind of fact is not applied to solid surface panels because these are renewable material. Manufacturers can always make it even if the demand is always at a high level.

Take a look at the picture of a shower wall with an integrated niche above. The solid surface material used here is Cosmos Prima, and it has the look of natural black marble with white/grey veins.

Solid surface panels are also repairable material for shower walls. Small cracks and broken parts are curable. The manufacturers commonly provide a service that you can hire to deal with these problems. Sometimes, even a certified fabricator can perform the repair for you.

Another problem that you possibly face when having shower walls from solid surface panels is scratches since they are not resistant to these. If the color you pick is darker, the damages can be even more visible.

One thing you need to know is that there is still an effective way to deal with this damage type. It is by polishing the scratched parts using an orbital sander.

9. It Is Long-Lasting

Next, the solid surface is a long-lasting material. Many people have proven it does not even fade after many years and even decades being used on shower walls.

Even if you finally see that the panels are fading, there is no need to worry. It is an alternative material that you can refinish to give it a new and refreshed look.

10. Cost-Effective

With all the benefits and value of solid surface panels as an alternative material for shower walls, there is one more advantage that can perfect everything. It is that it is cost-effective. It means choosing it won’t cost you a fortune in general.

About this point, there are several things that we want you to know. First, although the solid surface has similar material to some popular natural stones, the price is lower.

The second thing is related to the low maintenance and easy cleaning. It is also something that helps you in saving money when you choose solid surface panels for the shower walls instead of any other materials. With it, you won’t use too much cash to fulfill the maintenance and cleaning costs.

Lastly, as we already told you earlier, the solid surface is also a long-lasting material to create shower walls. With it, you should not worry about replacement or repair anytime soon.

11. Solid Surface Shower Wall Panels Design Ideas

Now that you already know about the ten benefits of solid surface panels when used to create shower walls let us give you a bonus. It is ten amazing ideas that will hopefully get you inspired in making your design. Check them all out in the following.

Dominating Rosemary Solid Surface in a Contemporary Shower Room

The first stunning idea that we want you to take a look at is available in this picture of a contemporary shower room. For you to know, the solid surface panels that covering the walls here is Corian Design Rosemary by DuPont.

The most important detail that we want you to see from this idea is how the solid surface can make the shower room looks elegant and natural at the same time. As you can see here, the panels’ appearance highly resembles the real stone.

Another thing you must notice is that the designer does not use the solid surface only on the walls. As you can see, almost all parts of the shower room except for the glass doors and windows are made from the same Rosemary material.

It proves something. It is none other but the fact that solid surface is suitable to use in many parts in the shower room design, including the walls, floor, niche, and bench.

Stunning Black Cosmos Prima Solid Surface in a Contemporary Shower

The next idea here uses Corian Design Cosmos Prima by DuPont as the primary material. It is the solid surface, which appearance looks very similar to natural black marble.

This choice of material for the shower walls here is just excellent. It enhances the stylish and elegant value of the contemporary space.

In this example, the same material also exists on the shower floor. You should get inspired by this kind of thing because it will help you to create a coordinating look effortlessly in the room design.

Natural Look in a Modern Shower Room with Lava Rock Solid Surface

Other than the fantastic Cosmos Prima in the previous example, there is also Corian Design Lava Rock that you can choose if you are interested in dark monochromatic color options for the shower walls. However, it looks a bit different because of the stronger grey tone.

Just like the name, this solid surface looks similar to the real lava rock we can find in nature. Because of this, if you use it as a part of the shower wall design, you can also boost the natural atmosphere in there significantly.

To avoid the too dark look in this design idea, the Lava Rock solid surface gets a white shower pan as the match. This flooring choice like this can effectively enhance the brightness level in a small room like that.

Rain Cloud for a Marble-Like Shower Wall Design

If you want something with a similar look to the real white marble, this Corian Design Rain Cloud might be the one that you are looking for. This choice even seems as if it has grey veins.

In the picture, the solid surface panels cover all parts of the surround. The designer even uses the same material for the shower floor and tub surround.

Although it covers quite a lot of bathroom area, including the door-less shower room, it seems that the cost is not too high. The reason is none other, but the fact that the solid surface is more affordable than the real white marble.

Busier Arrowroot Solid Surface Wall in a Contemporary Shower Room

If you want a busier look on your shower walls, you can choose Corian Design Arrowroot by DuPont, as shown in the picture above. The best thing about this solid surface panel is that it also looks quite similar to the natural white granite.

In the picture above, the use of this material is not in a 100% shower room because there is also a tub combo, as you can see in the pic. Usually, this combination is used if there is not enough space to include both shower and tub in the bathroom.

One thing that you should do when you have a shower tub combo like this is to create a coordinating look. The way is by covering the tub surround with the same material with the one you use on the walls.

Cozy Shower Room with Glacier White Shower Walls

Solid surface for shower walls is now always available in a patterned design. You can also find solid tones, just like the Corian Design Glacier White, you can see in the modern bathroom design above.

We can say that this product belongs to the warm category of white. It is an excellent choice you can choose if you want to boost the coziness in the shower room to the next level.

The example you see in the pic is just fantastic. The warm solid wall panels are paired nicely with wooden benches and pan that makes the shower room looks like the coziest place for relaxation at home.

Natural-Looking Witch Hazel Shower Walls

In the modern shower room design above, the material used for the walls is Corian Design Witch Hazel. It is another choice that can bring the look of natural stone in your interior.

Another excellence that you must know exists in its warm tone. When you have a bathroom with cool tone domination, the solid surface panels for the shower walls can be a considerable choice.

The example is available also in the picture above. As you can see, it has a blue tone as the most dominant color. The addition of the warm-tone shower walls and the floor does not only result in a balanced look but can also make the place cozier.

Tumbleweed Shower Walls and Tub Surround

In this picture, you can see another choice of warm color solid surface material. The name is Corian Design Tumbleweed by DuPont.

In the picture, you can see that the designer uses the material not only in the shower walls but also as the tub surround. Some backsplash is also added near the tub because the waterproof quality of the solid surface can protect the wall from water-related damages.

Full Shower Room Remodeling with Solid Surface Panels

The solid surface panel is a quite versatile material. It means you can use it in many ways.

You can see the proof in the picture above and use it as an inspiration you can follow later when you are thinking about remodeling the shower room in your house. In this idea, the solid surface panels are used not only for covering the walls.

The ceiling, the floor, and even the custom corner bench also have the same material here. An idea like this is excellent not only for creating a coordinating look but also for making the shower a more prominent look in the bathroom design.

Mosaic Tile as Pairing for Solid Surface Wall Panels

Lastly, we want you to know that when you decide to use solid surface panels for covering your shower walls, you can pair it with another material if you want to. A gorgeous example that you can see in the picture above is mosaic tiles.

While the solid surface dominates most parts of the shower room, here you can see that the mosaic tiles tend to add accentuating touch.

The best thing here is that the mosaic tiles chosen as the pairing has warm tones in them. The color is not the same as the one owned by the solid surface. However, both materials have a warm impression that finally makes them look suitable for one another.

12. Closing

With all the benefits mentioned in the list above, mainly because solid surface shower walls panels have an appearance that mimics quality natural stones, it is reasonable if it becomes the favorite of many people.

The durability and low maintenance make everything better because you can also consider it as another form of investment you can add to the home design.

What do you think about this alternative material? Are you interested in using it for the walls of the shower room in your house?