Solid surface shower pan manufacturers local - custom size? (to buy, cost)

[riaelise]

Well my installer did an awesome shower pan for our last home -- he basically used broken/crushed travertine that was left over from the shower wall (thereby creating a mosaic) and laid it on top of the existing fiberglass pan. The grout he used didn't really crack much either. Beautiful without having to remove the existing pan.

[RooCeleste]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Well my installer did an awesome shower pan for our last home -- he basically used broken/crushed travertine that was left over from the shower wall (thereby creating a mosaic) and laid it on top of the existing fiberglass pan. The grout he used didn't really crack much either. Beautiful without having to remove the existing pan.

Contact info, please! That would be perfect! Do you have any pictures?

[Trainwreck20]

Best solution is to just be really near-sighted and not put in your contacts until after you have showered.....

[Gestbsjgd]

I ordered an onyx shower pan at Lowes for my remodel. They had it waiting for me at the store about 2 weeks later, no shipping/delivery charge. I haven't used it yet, but it was super easy to install and I'm very happy with the low profile look.

It was indeed tricky trying to meet with the sales guy, but he had some business cards at the desk in the bath department so I was at least able to schedule something.

[eirenecat]

Originally Posted by Gestbsjgd

I ordered an onyx shower pan at Lowes for my remodel. They had it waiting for me at the store about 2 weeks later, no shipping/delivery charge. I haven't used it yet, but it was super easy to install and I'm very happy with the low profile look.

It was indeed tricky trying to meet with the sales guy, but he had some business cards at the desk in the bath department so I was at least able to schedule something.

Which Lowe's did you order it from? Do you mind sharing the guy's name you worked with? Was it a standard size pan or a custom one?

We need a custom size, and I spent over an hour at the Central Austin Lowe's 2 weeks ago with my 6 month old in tow trying to get them to figure out how to order anything from the Onyx Collection. It eventually involved no less than 4 employees and those employees doing a bunch of phone transfers and I left feeling as though it was unlikely that I would end up receiving the right size pan were I to order from them.

[riaelise]

Roo Celeste, I'll see if I can find his card. I'm sorry, I have no pictures, and I sold the house. But it did turn out very nice with minimal mess.

[Gestbsjgd]

Originally Posted by eirenecat

Which Lowe's did you order it from? Do you mind sharing the guy's name you worked with? Was it a standard size pan or a custom one?

We need a custom size, and I spent over an hour at the Central Austin Lowe's 2 weeks ago with my 6 month old in tow trying to get them to figure out how to order anything from the Onyx Collection. It eventually involved no less than 4 employees and those employees doing a bunch of phone transfers and I left feeling as though it was unlikely that I would end up receiving the right size pan were I to order from them.

That sounds like quite an ordeal. It's been a while since I bought it and I can't recall the guy's name, but I went to the store at 183 and 620. He wasn't there the first time I stopped by, so I took his card and left a message.

Before we met, I used the onyx website to prepare the measurements for a custom size. It's a double curb that sits in a corner so I had some room to play with, but if I were to buy a standard size I would have to rework the drain to get it centered. He walked me through the ordering process for the custom pan so that he could get me a quote, but I ended up going with the standard size to save money. I don't remember the custom one being a whole lot more, but the existing hole in my slab around the drain was just big enough that it wasn't too difficult to recenter it, so the added cost wasn't justified in my case.

[iamwayne]

teak wood shower floor

If you really want, I know a custom woodworker that will make and measure using laser sight, not cheap.

[rangergrit]

I used to manufacture these.

Truth is any "cast" shower floor has to be done on a "mold", and there are only a few companies that make the molds. And nobody makes molds in custom sizes. Unless you want to spend about $50,000, and many months.

So you have two choices.
1. Pick the closest size available to what you want. Move the drain location if needed, and change the framing. And Rectangular pans are available with the drain centered, or at one end (to replace a tub).

2. Get your desired size, but it will not have an integral lip around it. You will have to live with a joint.

Me, I would strongly choose option #1.

[eirenecat]

Originally Posted by rangergrit

I used to manufacture these.

Truth is any "cast" shower floor has to be done on a "mold", and there are only a few companies that make the molds. And nobody makes molds in custom sizes. Unless you want to spend about $50,000, and many months.

I get that a cast shower floor has to be done on a mold, but there seem to be numerous companies nationwide that do this and it doesn't cost $50,000. Highest quote I've received was $1500, and longest time to manufacture was about a month.

There aren't too many locally (I would have preferred to buy from a local company just because that's how I prefer to do business), but Lowe's alone carries three national brands who do this.