Shower Pan Vs. Tile Floor: Which Shower Floor Is Better?
There are two primary options when it comes to shower flooring, shower pan versus tile floor. The question, or more appropriately, the questions about which is best may not be as clear-cut.
That is not only because the quality of both pan and tile shower floors is equally comparable. And it is because much of the argument is going to depend on personal considerations.
Pan shower floors are the more affordable choice, but they come in far fewer options in decorum. Tile shower floors offer many more styles but come with a higher price tag with both flooring and installation costs. The right shower flooring will depend on which best meets your practical, aesthetic, and financial needs.
The only way to settle the score and determine the winner is to begin by looking at the tale of the tape and each contender’s profile. What are the pros and cons of each, and how does that fit into your shower floor needs?
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Shower Pan vs Tile Floor
When it comes to comparing anything it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each so that you can better understand how one stacks up against the other.
Therefore, below we are going to talk about the pros and cons of both shower pans and tile floors so that you can choose which one best suits your needs.
What Are The Pros Of Shower Pan Floors?
Here is a look at the pros and cons and those quick-hitting benefits of using shower pan flooring options.
Affordability
We don’t need to beleaguer this point, and we have already stated the affordability of shower pan floors. So let us just say that shower pan flooring options typically begin around the $300 to $400 range, while tile shower flooring and installation averages around $1500.
Ease of Setup
From fiberglass to metal shower pans, the standard base sizes begin at ‘4x’4 and are essentially plug and play options. These pre-designed pan shower floors also offer more than just metal and fiberglass options.
Multiple Shower Pan Options
Shower pans aren’t what they once were, today they come in a variety of materials and even offer several options for sizes.
The older traditional metal shower pans are still available but have lost popularity to the lightweight and rust-proof benefits of fiberglass shower pans.
Other available shower pans come in materials such as stainless steel, brass, and copper. While shower pans don’t offer the type or range of aesthetic variety that tile shower floors do, they are much more versatile in their options for looks and feel today.
Durability
Although this may be argued to a draw on the scorecard, the shower pan gets the nod by a chin in this one. Although both are durable options, shower pans aren’t susceptible to chipping, breaking, or loosening like shower tile floors may be.
What Are The Cons Of Shower Pan Floors?
It isn’t easy to find chinks in the armor of shower pan floors, but there are a few areas where they don’t compete with tile shower flooring.
Installation Requirements
Although they aren’t difficult to install, attempting to stall pre-made shower pans on uneven flooring or in unusually shaped spaces can create problems. That also may mean the need to tear out the entire shower pan as it is also one solid piece.
Drain Options
This isn’t so much a problem as it is a lack of options. The typical placement of the drain on these prefab pan floors is in the middle of the floor. That is fine unless you wanted to the drain in another location on the floor.
Limited Looks
Even despite all the newer options for shower pans, they still fail in comparison to the many different colors, schemes, patterns, and styles availed using tile flooring.
What Are The Pros Of Tile Shower Flooring?
Here is a summary of the pros for using tile shower floors, and why it has a chance to win the fight.
Design Options
Much like the decided advantage shower pan flooring has in cost, tile flooring has a lopsided advantage when it comes to design and decorum options.
Even though shower pan flooring has come a long way and has much more to offer, tile shower floors have countless thousands of options, combinations, colors, and styles.
Customization Options
The abundance of design options also translates into a plethora of customization options. Match the shower walls, the color scheme of the bathroom, or nearly anything you want with tile shower flooring options. Figure out what type of tile for your shower floor best suits your style.
Added Value
Another benefit of using tile flooring options in the shower is the added value to your home. Spending a few thousand dollars remodeling that bathroom, including the new shower and tile shower floor, certainly won’t hurt.
What Are The Cons Of Tile Shower Floors?
Like shower pan floors, there isn’t much to pick on here, and not many weaknesses to attack. Yet, every coin has two sides, no matter how shiny and new it looks.
Installation-Related Drawbacks
Unlike a DIY shower pan, tile shower floors should be professionally installed, and that requires scheduling, additional costs, and more inconvenience.
The other option, advisable only for those who are skilled, is installing it yourself. This option is also time and labor-intensive, unlike a few screws to install a shower pan.
Additional Maintenance Demands
It is true, for most anyway, that tile shower flooring is a more polished, finished, and better look. That also means maintaining that appearance as issues with cleaning grout, discoloration of grout, or fixing unsightly cracks will demand time and attention.
Safety Concerns
This is another on-the-fence call, but when it comes to safety there is some concern that has been voiced of certain tile designs being less safe and presenting greater slipping potential.
The larger tile patterns are most often to blame for these grumblings and are also likely a big reason why smaller tile design patterns are gaining in popularity.
Which Shower Floor Is Better?
We have looked at the two types of shower flooring, discussed many of the pros and cons, and have compared them side by side. Now, it is time to add the last factor to the equation.
The right option for each home will depend on the specific needs of each household. Does this shower act as the Master bedroom shower, or the additional shower put in the basement for the kids to use when they come in from playing outside?
Do both of these options fit into your budget, and how about the decorum of your bathroom? What style, colors, or looks work – and which don’t? The answers to these questions, when the final bell rings, will have much to say about who wins this bout.
Related Questions
Can I Start With Shower Pan Flooring And Add Tile Later?
In some cases, it might be more feasible to install the shower pan first, then schedule the tile overlay for later. Fortunately, that is a viable option and can be done. This could also be a good way to test drive the shower pan floor to decide if you prefer it over the tile.It might also be a good idea to use the same company for both the shower pan and the tile shower flooring. Although waiting to install the tile shower floor may not be the easiest option, it can sometimes be the most practical.
Does A Shower Pan Or Tile Shower Floor Last Longer?
When it comes to the longevity of the shower floor, this is another heated and tightly fought round. Unfortunately, the call on this one is also probably too close to make as both types of flooring have very few drawbacks, and both offer longevity.The argument for tile shower flooring is that a tile or two can be replaced, but some of the shower pan flooring options (metal, acrylic) when scratched have no replacement or repair options. Proponents of shower pan floors, however, will be quick to note that if not properly treated those tile floors can also leak.
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