On Apr 29, 10:17*am, Joe wrote:
On Apr 29, 6:52*am, "Jon Danniken"
wrote:

I'm contemplating getting a sectional tub surround. *I knew they were in the
cheap-ish range, but then I discovered some up almost to a thousand bucks *-
had always considered them more a a budget item, but I guess they can get
fancy too.

Any opinions/tips/perspective on five-piece surround kits?

Jon

The more pieces the more future leaks. Bonding all the parts to the
substrate and to each other takes some skill and first class
materials. Done well, you could get reasonable service from the
installation, but IMO it is risky if you have teens in the household.
Shop carefully, as a premium price doesn't always equate to the best
project.

Joe

IMO it is risky if you have teens in the household

Warning: Mildly explicit content follows....

When I was shopping for my unit I was in a contractor's supply house
asking about options. The contractors are usually willing to offer
advice and one of them recommended staying away from the cheaper units
if you have kids. His opinion was that once the teenagers start
bringing their girl/boy friends home, the cheaper units won't standup
to the abuses that 2 people in a shower could impart upon a shower
unit.

At that point another contractor told us the story of how one of his
client's explained the required height of the vanity he was building
for her. She didn't care anything about "standard heights". She wanted
the vanity built so that she could comfortably sit on it while she and
her husband...well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination. The
contractor said he had a hard time time keeping a straight face as she
sat on the old vanity and showed him the "problem", but he took the
required measurements and built the vanity to her specs.