It was wildly popular back in the 1960s to 1980s. It’s widely used till today to have a seamless look for your shower. But nothing comes without a catch.
Likewise, there are some problems with cultured marble showers too. I am not against it but before you get too excited, you should be aware of its common issues.
This article will help you understand what you are about to face in the coming days.
Disadvantages of Cultured Marble Showers
Here is a list of its common problems:
- Issues with quality.
- Not so great finish.
- Scratching problem.
- Strong staining issue.
- Durability in question.
- Higher maintenance requirement.
- Warranty issue.
The above points are just the common ones. There are definitely more. Let’s talk about these drawbacks in detail.
- Weaker Finish Than Its Alternatives
It’s true the surface of a cultured marble shower is heat-resistant but the finish is weaker than its alternative options.
Anyone from your family can damage the finish with hot water or placing any hot objects on the subject.
- Hard To Remove Scratches
Cultured marble showers have blended resin and stone particles. When anything is made of such elements and there are scratches on the surface, it’s almost impossible to remove those unsightly scratches.
And don’t forget, there are limited repair options when anything is 100% manufactured. That’s a big downside of this shower type.
So, what would you do if something like that should happen?
Well, it requires some work and money to make it useful again. You need to buy a filler product to seal those spots.
Even if you do so, it won’t be an easy one.
- Easily Gets Stained By Common Items
Well, nothing is stain-free. But it’s concerning when something gets stained easily by common household items. How many times can you clean it?
If your area has hard water, you will be in real trouble with cultured marble. Apart from the hard water stains, even the toothpaste, juice, and other debris can stain the surface.
Yes, if you get really high-quality cultured marble for your shower, it won’t get stained easily. But most of the people get average quality and they suffer a lot on a daily basis.
You can remove those stains easily using elbow grease but it will cost you a lot over time just keep it polishing.
- Needs Polishing
Maintaining the shine of the cultured marble regularly is a must for the sake of your bathroom’s aesthetics. Well, it’s easy to polish it without requiring any special equipment and get the shine back.
But not everyone is happy or has enough time to polish their shower regularly. So, that’s a big disadvantage of cultured marble for some people.
- Strong Staining Issue
Don’t get fooled by the name. Cultured marble can get stained too. In fact, some items can permanently stain it! Urine is one of them.
Yes, urine can leave a permanent yellow stain on the surface. To make it even worse, it can even damage the cultured marble.
When your cultured marble shower is permanently stained, the beauty of your bathroom will be degraded significantly too.
This is why when you have kids, you should consider durable options other than cultured marble.
You will find it too hard to remove such stains as well since you can’t use any cleaner that contains abrasives. Any corrosive cleaning agents will damage the cultured marble material.
- Quality Problem
Anything made of synthetic has a great potential of quality concern. And cultured marble is nothing but synthetic. Arising the quality issue is not so uncommon here.
You add any poor quality item to your bathroom, you are risking ruining the aesthetics of it. I am not saying all of them are of poor quality, but the quality varies among manufacturers greatly.
Since the profit margin is so tight in this business, some manufacturers try to mix marble dust, resin, and other items to be competitive. Anything can go wrong over the year when various stone materials are used.
Unless you study the finished product of some manufacturers first, you are risking having poor quality cultured marble and potentially ruin your shower.
So, don’t get in love with the first one you see. Ask for available samples and make sure there are no defects. Consider other available providers as well.
- Inconsistent Aesthetics
When it comes to aesthetics, consistency matters! As the cultured marble is made from miniature particles collection, you have some areas where the color may seem a little off.
- Not So Durable!
I am not saying it has shorter longevity but there are many durable options you will be missing if you go for the cultured marble.
So, it should not be anyone’s first choice if durability is their primary concern. Instead of cultured marble, you will do better with quartz.
Quartz offers a better surface and it lasts more than cultured marble. Don’t forget, it’s naturally non-porous.
Some people choose the cultured marble shower because of the budget. But if you spend some time on quartz products, you may find something better within your budget!
- The Gel Coating of Cultured Marble Cracks
Although it happens after a long time, it will happen for sure where the gel coating on the marble will wear down eventually.
When it happens, there will be nothing left to protect the surface. So, you will notice smaller cracks are developing on the surface.
Apart from that, there are several ways to develop such cracks. Hot boiling water and other issues may help to develop such cracks.
Some people use sandpaper to remove them to remove stains. Sadly, this may also result in more damage to the surface.
- Always Require Non-Scratching Cleaning Items
As it’s highly sensitive to heat and easily gets scratched, you will always need to use non-abrasive cleaning products to remove stains from the surface.
That means you need several types of cleaning products for your home. And forgetting which one to use when is normal. That’s when you will ruin the surface of your cultured marble shower.
- Big Warranty Issue
Don’t forget, some manufacturers don’t provide any sort of warranty for their cultured marble products. You can get a better warranty only for your high-quality product.
Only those trusted brands test their products against scratch, chip, and burn. So, they can offer a good warranty for their products.
To avoid loss and disappointment in the future, you need to make sure you have a valid warranty for it. You should avoid brand if the conditions of the warranty are not favorable
Cultured Marble Cleaning Tips
A lot of disadvantages of cultured marble can be avoided with the right cleaning tips where you need to avoid damaging cleaning products. Here is a list of these tips you can follow:
- To get the shine back, you can apply the Gel-Gloss Polish. The surface will keep shining years after years.
- As a cleaner, you need something that is non-toxic yet powerful. If you need my recommendation, you can consider having Puracy Cleaner clean the cultured marble safely.
- Never ever use dish soap to clean it to avoid making the surface look dull. Avoid using any paint remover, nail polish remover, and even vinegar too.
- Always avoid using abrasive scrub pads, steel, wool, or sandpaper for scrubbing.
- Make sure the surface of the cultured marble never touches any boiling water.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Since the 1960s, it’s still widely popular. It’s particularly popular for new home construction to have expensive marble look without spending much.
For various reasons like easy installation, durability, and easy maintenance, cultured marble is still a good shower.
Once scratched, it’s nearly impossible to remove from the surface of the cultured marble.
Due to many reasons like sunlight, water buildup, a chemical reaction from the cleaning agent, etc. can lead to yellowing of the cultured marble.
It can last up to 20 years under regular maintenance.
Final Thoughts
Despite having some problems with cultured marble showers, it’s not a bad idea to have a seamless look when your budget is tight.
But I would not recommend it for you if have a decent budget. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from!
Let me know if you have any more downsides that are not mentioned here in the comment box. I will include your points too.