Question from Debbie
Thank you Debra, for all that you do to help all of us. I sure do appreciate all the help you give.
We had our shower torn out due to mold and are trying to decide on what to rebuild it with. Fiberglass, acrylic, or vinyl is out.
Cultured marble seems easy to clean and there are no grout lines to have to seal yearly and clean with a toothbursh. Having had mold, a solid, non-pourous surface like that makes sense.
However, I am chemically sensitive and am wondering if taking a shower with cultured marble and breathing the steam from the hot water would cause problems?
Please help me as we need to make a decision very soon. Thank you, Debbie
Debra’s Answer
I looked up “cultured marble” to find out what it is actually made from and found that it falls into a category called “solid surface.”
A few years ago I did some research on solid surface products and found that they varied widely in toxicity.
Corian, for example, may emit methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate vapors, according to their MSDS.
On the other hand, Swanstone, another solid surface countertop, is completely inert, no VOCs, and OSHA does not even require any kind of protection for workers in their factories. It’s certified safe for food preparation. It’s also compression molded to be five times stronger than Corian. So you need to look at each brand individually.
I think if you want a solid surface, Swanstone would be a good choice.
I also am looking to remodel our bath/shower and I am wondering about the glues and or adhesives that might have to be used when installing Swanstone tub surround. Do you know of any non toxic, no voc adhesives or caulk. Does AMF Safecoat make any?
I also read that ceramic tile is supposed to be a non toxic choice to use as shower walls for those are sensitive …..??? Thanks!
I myself have ceramic tile. If I remember correctly, this reader was looking for a solid-surface material.
AFM does have nontoxic adhesives and there is also EcoBond, which was recommended by a reader a couple of weeks ago.
In regards to the solid surface like Swanstone, doesn’t it have to be adhered to the walls with a glue or adhesive? That is what I was referring to. Thanks
Yes it needs to be adhered to the wall, but a nontoxic adhesive could be used or even mortar. Anything you use will be behind the material and not likely to come through.
I had a Swanstone double sink in our kitchen for many years. very happy with it, and would love to have it back, but we moved!
This is an older post. Just wondering if there is any new update on the swanstone or other preoducts for kitchen. I can find them for bathroom but not the countertop stuff.
Contact swanstone for an update on their availability.
I was reading the data on swanstone. Thank you Debra. So they list tub and shower stuff also. Is that considered the same material as the countertop? I need to have my master bath redone and I am so afraid of the toxins. My old tub has had it and to resurface it would not be worth the toxic exposure.
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
It’s all the same Swanstone.
I have seen a store near me that makes shower stalls (as well as counter tops etc) out of concrete. There are some beautiful ones. Not sure if this would be mold proof enough for you…But wondering if you could do it and add more limestone so it would not have mold.