Replacing my shower stall

[gcwf]

We have a 20 year old Kickerillo house in Katy. Recently I have been worrying about the shower stall. It looks to be the original shower, it seems to be made of sheets of that fake marble laminate stuck together with sealant. It is enclosed on 3 sides with a framed glass door. The sealant has failed at least 3 or 4 times in the 3 years we have lived here, and I have noticed the shower walls bowing in slightly. I'm not sure if it was always like this but I am starting to wonder if the walls might be rotting behind.

We have no money for remodelling this year. So if we do replace the shower we will need to keep it affordable. However all our neighbors are taking their kitchens and bathrooms upmarket so I don't want to get a cheap kit and risk devaluing the house (and I don't want to have to start again in a few years time). I guess am looking for the right balance between affordable and getting that nicer look ... I really don't know where to start. I am hoping for suggestions on materials, who to get to do the job (bathroom centers vs remodellers vs general contractors?) and maybe some ballpark figures for ripping out a shower and starting again. A few questions:

Firstly, does it sound like this is even something I need to worry about right now? I would love to leave it a few years :-)

I like the idea of a seamless shower for cleanliness and easy maintenance and am thinking one of these paired with a nice glass door might not actually look too bad. Or would this be a mistake? These days should I always be going for tile? Is a shower kit even cheaper than tile when you take labor into account?

I don't have a lot of DIY experience but I am willing to get my hands dirty. Would it be worth doing some of the work myself, eg sourcing materials, maybe tiling. Or woudl this end up being a false economy over getting someone who really knows what they are doing?

Any contractor suggestions for someone affordable and trustworthy?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[august948]

I'm surprised the sealant has failed that much in as many years. Are you using a silicone based sealant? We had a similar shower put in about 4 years ago. It is cultured marble with 3 sides glass. Cost around $6k but it is far better than the original tile shower that was in the house. The shower pan is one solid piece and the wall, pan, and trim pieces are all sealed with silicone. He told us that would last a long, long time. I've seen the silicone caulk he used at home depot and it has a long warranty (20 yrs maybe). Get some of that and seal the seams of your shower while you decide what to do next.

[gcwf]

I'm surprised the sealant has failed that much in as many years. Are you using a silicone based sealant? We had a similar shower put in about 4 years ago. It is cultured marble with 3 sides glass. Cost around $6k but it is far better than the original tile shower that was in the house. The shower pan is one solid piece and the wall, pan, and trim pieces are all sealed with silicone. He told us that would last a long, long time. I've seen the silicone caulk he used at home depot and it has a long warranty (20 yrs maybe). Get some of that and seal the seams of your shower while you decide what to do next.

Thanks for the reply. Last two times we did use a silicone sealant, the first one did eventually fail. Maybe there was water in the seam, who knows. It seems to be holding up better this time.

I am surprised your shower cost as much as 6k. I'm sure it looks great :-) Really I am looking for opinions on the best value for money option which doesn't look "cheap". I was hoping not to spend as much as you did, but maybe it's the going rate?