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Bathtub surrounds for protection with style
When it comes to designing the bathroom most people think of the bathtub, the
washbasin, and the toilet. In short they think of the main elements and often
don't give much thought at all to other important elements which, although
small, can have a great bearing on the maintenance of the bathroom itself. One
of the elements often forgotten - or rather forgotten until it is too late - is
that of a bathtub surround. Although few people think of these when they are
designing the bathroom, a bathroom surround has a very important function, and
this function is essentially to protect the bathroom, and especially the areas
that are very close to the bathtub, from being damaged by water.
So the first thing to remember about a bathroom surround is to remember to think
about it in the first place! However, once that is done, the most important
question is to think about what height the bathtub surround needs to be and what
material it needs to be made off. And the answers to these questions depend on
what needs to be protected.
Many people nowadays have a corner bathtub, and if that's the case in your
bathroom then you may need nothing more to protect you walls than use something
as simple as caulking. Using something as simple as caulking can do an excellent
job of stopping water from damaging the walls and causing later maintenance -
maintenance problems which could actually be very expensive. So, in the first
instance think simple. However if you have a cubicle in your bathroom -
especially a cubicle which has a lot of steam in it - there's a possibility of
water damage to your walls all the way up to the ceiling, and including the
ceiling itself. If this is the case you obviously need something far more robust
than a bit of caulking - and may need to think about a proper bathtub surround
in order to protect the walls and ceiling properly.
So what material should you choose when choosing your bathtubs surround? In
terms of material, any material that is waterproof will do - though of course
you want something that is aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. So what
should it be? One of the most common types of bathtub surrounds is one made of
fiberglass - a type of bathtub surround that can usually be bought in designs
which cover all types of sizes, and that includes going all the way up to the
ceiling. A fiberglass bathtub surround is usually available in a wide range of
colors - essential if you want the surround to fit in with your present design.
If you are considering the fiberglass option, you may also want to consider one
that is made of acrylic. Just like their fiberglass counterparts, acrylic
bathtubs surrounds are available in many different heights and can go all the
way up to the ceiling, and are also available, usually, in a full range of
colors.
However, if you want to do something more interesting than buy a simple acrylic
or fiberglass bathtub surround, you may want to consider protecting your walls
with good old ceramic tile. There's something about ceramic tile which says
quality, and by moving away from simple ceramic tiles - tiles in a single color
- and adding a few tiles that have a design or a picture you can achieve some
great artistic effects. Using ceramic tile for a bathtub surround is a simple
way to protect your walls, though it does have some issues in terms of cleaning
- you need to keep it constantly clean, and that includes the spaces between the
tiles, which can be extremely time consuming.
When it comes down to it, there are many types of materials you can use to
protect the walls around the bath. As long as they're waterproof, and pretty
easy to maintain, you can't go far wrong. The main thing to think about is that
there will be a trade-off between the aesthetics and functionality. But
whichever type of bathtub surround you choose - and acrylic or fiberglass
bathtub surround, or ceramic tiles - it is a part of your bathroom design that
you really cannot leave to chance.
bathtub mats
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