With spring right around the corner, many home-owners would be jumping into doing a remodel project in their home. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, many are wondering if they should put that bathroom remodel project off. While I cannot answer for everyone what they should do, there are a few reasons to consider moving forward with your bathroom remodel.

A change in the home can brighten the mood

With most of us being asked to stay indoors for a while, our mood and emotions are being affected. By doing a simple update of the bathroom counter or tub surround can bring a change to how you feel about being inside. You will feel refreshed and have a brighter mood. The only challenge is you might have to wait to invite people over to have a look.

A cultured marble surface can be easier to keep germ free

Let’s be honest, you’ve probably been worried about keeping your home clean to prevent the spread of any viruses. This can be challenging when you are trying to clean tile, stone, or other porous surfaces. With a cultured marble countertop or tub surround, cleaning is made simple with our 100% sealed surfaces. Simply apply soapy water to the surface and then squeegee it dry. That’s it! A simple solution to a germ-free home.

Our Installers can keep you safe

The most important reason why now would be a great time to complete your remodel project is that our installers are trained to keep you safe. Your safety and the safety of our employees are the most important point to consider. Our team can work with you to ensure that your health is protected. For information on what our team is doing, we’ve prepared this video to help ease your concerns:

Of course, we understand if you are concerned with us entering your home. We will do all we can to work with your comfort level, even if that means waiting until things clear up.

Supporting the local economy

One final reason that now is a good time to start a bathroom remodel project is that you will be supporting our local economy. All of our cultured marble products are made right here in Ogden, Utah and support local families.

Conclusion

We know that these are different times we are in. We hope that everyone stays safe and together we will get through this crisis together. Thank you to all of our wonderful customers for your amazing support of our business!

There are many questions that come to your mind as you get older. One of those questions may be whether or not to stay in the place you have called home for so many years. We cannot answer that question for you, but if you decide to age in your home there are some things we can help with.

Do I keep my bath tub or not?

I know it sounds crazy now, but the question of keeping your bath tub will depend on whether you can get in and out of the tub in your later years. Many people decide to get rid of their bath tub and install a large shower, making it easier to get in and out of each day.

Won’t I slip though?

Slipping is another major concern as we age. Our cultured marble showers have a slip-resistant floor, making it easier to make the decision to change that old tub/shower combo into a beautiful shower.

What if I need to sit down?

Sitting down in the shower is no problem at all. With our cultured marble showers we can include a built-in seat or bench, or you can elect to go with a portable chair to make it easier to position yourself in the shower.

What if I need help getting in and out of the shower?

That’s a simple solution as well. We can install handles and railings in your shower to make it easy to get in and out of the shower. There are also different color and style options to make your shower fashionable as well. We also have the option of installing a low threshold making it easier than ever to step in and out of the shower.

Conclusion

If you are thinking of staying in your home as you age, let us help you come up with the perfect option for your bathroom. We have some amazing options and ideas in our showroom. Come in and see how we can help you age with grace and style in your own home.

During the month of November, we are looking to give back to our community and those in need. We have decided to do a drive for Youth Futures of Ogden. They are a community shelter for homeless, unaccompanied, run-away, and at-risk youth. You can find out more about their powerful mission by visiting their website www.youthfuturesutah.org

Our youth truly are our future and we feel we need to do all we can to help them succeed in life. Many of the youth that receive help at Youth Futures lack many of the basics of life. That is why we are making November our Youth Futures of Ogden drive. All donations will go directly to the Youth Futures organization and will help youth in our area.

Donate and receive a gift

We know many of you do not need a reason to donate, but we are giving back to those who give during the month of November. Here’s what we would like you to do:

• Bring in a $25 gift card, or any item listed below, and receive a $50 discount on our services.
• Bring in a $50 gift card, or any item listed below in bulk, and receive $150 discount on our services.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved. If you are looking to upgrade your bathroom, bring in a donation and you can save hundreds of dollars on your remodel.

Even if you are not considering upgrading your bathroom, we invite you to donate. You can even claim a gift certificate that you could give to someone who is thinking about remodeling their bathroom. You will look like a hero to both the youth receiving your gift and the person you give the gift certificate to.

There are a variety of items that the shelter is asking for to help the youth. Here is their basic list:

Thank you for your donation

We know we have the best customers around and want to thank you in advance for supporting this drive. You can bring your donations into our store room any time during the month of November. We know your donation will greatly help those youth in our local area.

We have so many great questions that come from our clients.  A question we hear a lot around our showroom is, “How long does cultured marble last compared to tile and marble?”  That is a great question because many people are familiar with tile and stones like marble, but not as familiar with cultured marble. In this article we will do our best to give an unbiased comparison between our cultured marble products and tile and marble.

A Real World Durability Comparison of Tile, Marble and Cultured Marble

Here is a real world comparison between tile, marble and cultured marble. We have chosen to focus our comparison specifically for use in bathrooms, specifically for shower and tub surrounds. This comparison takes into consideration the damp environment of a bathroom and their durability characteristics.

As you can see, tile and marble fall short in many ways. Here is our complete break-down of how tile and marble fall short.

Water-resistant – Tile and marble are water resistant, meaning they can handle getting wet. However, because the tile or the grout can be porous, water can easily seep behind and create mold problems. Cultured marble is completely water-proof, meaning it creates a complete seal to keep the water where it belongs and preventing mold.

Low Maintenance – To keep the water from seeping behind the tile or marble requires constant maintenance to the stone and grout surfaces. Grout can especially be difficult to clean and keep looking nice. Our cultured marble surfaces are low maintenance because they clean up simply with soap, water, and a squeegee. There are also no grout lines to have to scrub and seal regularly.

Difficult to break or crack – The true test of durability of any surface is how difficult it is to break or crack. A ceramic or porcelain tile can easily crack if something is dropped on it. Marble, while a little stronger than tile, can also crack and is expensive to replace. Our cultured marble surfaces are built to handle the abuses of every day living and are difficult to break or crack.

Non-porous – Some ceramic tiles and most natural stone tiles, like marble, are porous. This means that they can etch or stain easily. This can lead to costly repairs or replacement. Our non-porous surfaces help resist staining and etching, keeping your bathroom looking like new.

A Long-term Price Comparison

We know that many home improvement projects are determined by price. I don’t mean that every person is looking to do whatever is the least expensive, but everyone is looking to find the best value. To accurately calculate the price of the project, you not only need to look at the installation cost, but also the ongoing costs.

Installation Costs (industry averages installed)

• Tile ($5 to $15 per square foot)
• Marble ($10 to $20 per square foot)
• Cultured Marble ($30 per square foot)

Ongoing Tile costs

• Sealing of grout ($250 per year)
• Cleaning of Tile ($70 per year)

That is $320 per year to simply maintain a tile or marble shower. That means in as little as 5 years, the cost of installation and maintaining a tile or marble shower equals the cost of installing a cultured marble shower. If a tile or marble shower is not properly maintained and mold problems arise, the costs can be in the $10,000 range and is rarely covered by insurance. This is why cultured marble products, while more expensive to install, are actually a better value over the lifetime or your bathroom.

Conclusion

I invite you to come and let us show you the difference a cultured marble shower or tub surround can make in your home. Come visit our showroom and let us give you a personalized comparison for your project.