how it looks. It provides contrast between the shower floor and the rest of the shower that has that wow factor. Interestingly, there are a few different types of pebble shower floors, below I will cover what these are, as well as, more info about the pros on cons.
Different Types of Pebble Shower Floors
There are 3 broad types of pebble shower floors, and each of these has advantages and disadvantages over the other. Here are the different types of pebble shower floors.
In general, there are tiled pebble shower floors, these are soft and flexible tiles made of pebbles that you fit together. The other type is where pebbles are installed in concrete or grout. These can be made of rounded pebbles or pebbles that have been sanded flat on one side.
If whole pebbles are installed into grout or concrete they will need to stick out a little bit. This is because whole pebbles are circular. There is another option which is to get pebbles that have been cut or sanded flat on one side.
These are better for drainage because they lie flat against the concrete or grout that they’re installed into.
The path water needs to take on a rounded pebble shower floor is longer than it needs to go. It needs to:
- Go from on top of the pebbles to the spaces in between the pebbles
- Drain off from between the spaces in between the pebbles.
A properly installed shower floor will always be installed at an angle to the drain. Doing so allows the water in the base of the shower to slowly drain into the drain. Rather than pooling, and remaining wet permanently or for a much longer time. Water needs to travel in a winding path through the individual pebbles.
Which is more difficult for the water. As you may know, water has what is called surface tension. This is a very strong force and will cause water to form into droplets or small pools on the edges of the pebbles. And as a result, won’t drain off nearly as well.
A pebble shower floor will drain slower than a completely flat shower floor like tiles, composite, acrylic, fiberglass, or concrete. Therefore, if you are going to install a pebble shower floor the best for drainage are pebbles that have been sanded flat on one side, and installed into grout or concrete.
Followed by rounded pebbles that are the soft tile type, or are installed into grout or concrete. A rounded pebble shower floor has one advantage over pebbles that have been cut or sanded flat, and that is they provide a massage-type feeling on the bottom of your feet.
With these, things in mind, the main advantages of a pebble shower floor are:
- Visual appeal
- Massage feel on the bottom of your feet
- Hard to scratch
Using different colors in a bathroom makes it look better, and is a common practice. However, using different textures will also improve the visual appeal of a bathroom. The different textures and shapes that a pebble shower floor provides look really good. But, individual taste does differ.
It’s known that walking barefoot in nature such as on grass, and dirt feels really good because it gently massages your feet. The minor imperfections in the ground surface push into different areas of the foot and give you an all-over massage.
The same thing occurs to a lesser extent with a pebble shower floor. And, feels relaxing and stimulating on the soles of your feet.
Pebbles are typically silica-based rocks that have been in a river for a very long time, which has caused all the rough edges to be completely smooth. Silica is one of the most abundant chemical compounds found on the earth’s surface and is a very hard and scratch-resistant material.
How a Pebble Stone Shower Floor Is Installed
Pebble stone shower floors aren’t very common. They can be very small pebbles or very large pebbles. Here’s how a pebble stone shower floor is installed.
There are two ways that a pebble stone shower floor is installed. Either, pebble stones are seated into a bedding of grout. Pebble stone tiles are also sold, they contain lots of individual pebbles that are stuck to a backing and are placed onto a layer of grout.
Pebble stone tiles are soft and flexible. They often don’t fit together perfectly. Individual pebbles are removed on the outer edges to allow them to fit together. And individual pebbles are placed in spaces where the tiles don’t fit together. Here’s a video that shows how pebble tiles are installed for a shower floor:
Are Pebble Stone Shower Floors Hard To Clean
A shower floor also called a shower pan or shower base can be made out of a few different materials. Acrylic and tile are common. One type of shower floor that isn’t so common is a pebble shower floor, and in this article, I will explain the pros and cons of a pebble shower floor.
Overall, the advantages are it has a visual appeal, it has a massage-type feel under your feel, it’s hard to scratch, and has a high weight capacity. The disadvantages are, it’s poor draining, has a bumpy feeling underfoot, and can be slippery.
The main draw of a pebble shower floor is Pebble stone shower floors have small gaps. They are also made of different materials from tile and acrylic shower bases. So, this is whether pebble stone shower floors are harder to clean.
As a general rule, pebble stone shower floors are more difficult to clean than tile, acrylic, or fiberglass shower bases. The reason is they have lots of small spaces that require more attention when cleaning. The small spaces often collect grime more than tile, acrylic, or fiberglass.
They are cleaned with regular shower and floor cleaner. The main thing is they can contain a lot of grout. Therefore, you should make sure the cleaner you’re using is safe to use on grout.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.