I saw this stone product in one of my trade publications recently. It is a natural stone product by Txtr-Lite that has been cut into a thin sheet and bonded to a fiberglass sheet for strength and flexibility.


The manufacturer is promoting it for every application from flooring to shower enclosures. One of the photos below show it used in an outside application as well.

I'm going to send for a sample set of this product to explore it's qualities and applications. I think it could have some creative applications in some of our future remodels.

I received a question recently about removing a seldom used soaking tub from a master bathroom in order to enlarge both the vanity and the shower. The homeowner was questioning if this would hurt their homes value. The question comes often so I wanted to share my answer to this question.

Thanks for your great question. You wouldn't believe how many homeowners ask about taking out tubs in their master bathrooms.

My opinion is that very few of the soaking tubs get much more use than yours does. Experience has shown that what most homeowners want in a master bathroom is to have space to get ready to go when they want to, and a large well appointed shower.

Vanities are largely a mater of taste. Ample drawer space, solid surface countertops with under-mounted sinks and framed mirrors are always popular.

Showers tend to be the showpiece, and a favorite of today's master bathrooms. The great thing about eliminating a soaking tub is that the shower can be expanded to include a nice seating area without crowding you while you shower. Some of our clients have chosen to have us do a curb-less shower. This style of shower doesn't have the step-up around the outer edge of the shower. This looks great, avoids the chance of tripping and creates accessibility in case of mobility issues. 

Frame-less glass shower enclosures are a favorite to both show off the shower and make for easier cleaning.

Most of the showers we are building are tiled with just about any type of tile imaginable. For homeowners who want a shower with less maintenance we are using a solid stone panel system that eliminates the grout between tiles.You can see more about this product on our ForzaStone blog post.

My opinion is that your home will be more attractive to future homeowners with the larger vanity and upgraded shower.