Marble-Lite
The tub is usually the last thing a homeowner thinks about and the first thing a guest notices. A new vanity and a fresh shower can make a bathroom feel finished, right up until the eye lands on an old tub deck with cracked grout and a tile apron that matches nothing else in the room. A cultured marble tub surround closes that gap, and it is simpler than most people expect.
Here is what a tub surround is, how it compares to tile, and what to decide before you order one.
What a tub surround is, and what it isn't
A tub surround is everything around the tub that water touches: the deck the tub sits in, the apron on the front, and the wall panels above it if the tub doubles as a shower. Some homeowners replace only the deck and apron; others redo the whole alcove so tub, walls and vanity read as one material.
At Marble-Lite we cast both the tub and the surround, so the two can be ordered together in the same color and finish. The tub is cast as one solid, nonporous piece. The surround pieces are cast to your dimensions, so the deck lands on your framing and the walls meet your ceiling line, instead of a stock size trimmed on site.
Why cultured marble instead of tile
Tile is a fine material. Grout is the problem. A tiled tub deck has dozens of feet of grout line, all of it sitting in standing water several times a week. Grout is porous, so it darkens, holds soap film, and sooner or later needs scrubbing, resealing or regrouting. The caulk joint where tile meets the tub is the first place a bathroom starts to look tired.
A cultured marble tub surround has almost no joints. The deck is one piece. The apron is one piece. A wall panel runs floor to ceiling without a seam. The gel coat surface is nonporous, so water, shampoo and hard-water minerals sit on top instead of soaking in, and a soft cloth with mild soap is the whole cleaning routine. There is nothing to seal and nothing to regrout, ever.
Sizes: standard footprints and custom ones
Most tubs fall into a handful of footprints, and we keep standard molds for them: 60×36, 60×42, 61×31, 72×36, 72×42 and 72×52, plus a 60×60 corner tub. If your alcove matches one of those, the tub drops in and the surround is cut to fit the walls around it.
If it does not match, send us the measurements. Because every piece is made to order in our Miami shop, an odd alcove width, a deeper soak or a deck that wraps a window is a drawing, not a problem. The surround is built to the space you have, which is the whole point of going custom instead of buying a kit.
Matching the rest of the bathroom
This is the part homeowners enjoy most. The same color library we use for vanity tops and shower walls is available for tubs and surrounds: solid whites and grays, Carrara veining in white, almond, antique and imperial, deeper tones like Negro Marquina and Bahia Blue, and the textured Granilux finishes. Order the vanity top, the shower and the tub surround in the same color and the bathroom stops looking like three separate purchases.
A practical tip: if you are replacing the tub surround today and the vanity next year, write down the exact color name. We pour every batch from the same formulas, so a Carrara White surround ordered now matches a Carrara White vanity top ordered later.
What to decide before you order
Four things settle most of the quote. First, is the tub staying or being replaced? A new deck can be built around an existing tub if it is in good shape. Second, does the tub also serve as a shower? If so, you will want full-height wall panels, and you can add a recessed shampoo niche or a corner shelf molded in the same color. Third, how far does the deck extend? A wider deck gives you a ledge and a place to sit while bathing children, but it needs framing underneath. Fourth, where will the faucet and spout sit? Have your plumber's layout in hand so the deck is made to it.
Bring those answers and a few photos and we can quote it quickly. Production runs about two to four weeks from order confirmation, factory-direct from Hialeah Gardens.
"A tub surround is the one piece of the bathroom that lives in water every single day. We build it in one solid piece so there is nowhere for that water to go but down the drain."
Take a look at our cultured marble tubs and surrounds, including the full size chart and color options, or request a free sample kit so you can hold the colors up against your bathroom before you decide. Questions about a tricky alcove? Call us at 305-557-8766 and we will talk it through.