THINK GREEN AND HEALTH WHEN CHOOSING BATH TUB AND SHOWER SURROUND MATERIALS.

BRG CAN INSTALL TILE SURROUNDS THAT ADDS REAL VALUE FOR THE SAME PRICE Of CULTURAL MARBLE

Rather a small bathroom makeover or large you deserve a "custom" bathroom for a reasonable price.

If you think you can't afford Natural Stone think again. We get our Quality Natural Stone straight from Turkey.

 

Baths and showers create high heat and vapors which amplify the effects of toxins in our bathrooms. Areas of real concern for your health in your shower and bath areas focus particularly on two things:

• shower curtain you use around your bath/shower tub

• bath/shower surround material used.

Always use the bathroom fan or crack a window to let out humidity.

 

 (Contractors love quick shower surrounds because it is more profit for them.)

 

Cultural Marble, Acrylic or Fiberglass surrounds and shower pans fail because the corners are sealed with silicone caulking which MUST be maintained, silicone is what holds them together if anybody tells you different they are hiding something. And because the walls behind the cultural marble are not waterproofed with an anti-mold, anti-fungal membrane mold can occur in a short amount of time. Once you see Mold spors in the caulking it is also in your walls. To keep the shine of cultural marble periodically apply wax.

 

Evaluating Fiberglass surround.   (commonly sold at Home Improvement Stores)

•  They are inexpensive and a common surround material for tubs in American homes. However, while minimal and mostly limited to effects of cutting, moving, or disturbing fiberglass (such as when you remove it in a later remodel) there are some health concerns associated with fiberglass. Health effects from exposure to the fibers in fiberglass include: skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation skin rash soreness in the nose and throat if the fibers are inhaled aggravation of respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis stomach irritation, if the fibers are swallowed.

 

Acrylic tub surrounds look incredibly similar to fiberglass tub surrounds.

• Acrylic is made from the mixture of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, together with other chemicals. The most common type of acrylic resin is polymethyl acrylate. While the EPA has not classified acrylic acid itself as a carcinogen, acrylic resins may contain traces of ethyl acrylate, a known health concern. The Ecology Center has found that acrylic can cause breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, weakness, headaches and fatigue. Because of these health concerns and your chemical sensitivity, fiberglass and acrylic are not viable options, so we’ll look at some of the alternatives.

 

Evaluating Cultured Marble Bath Surrounds (Builder Grade for quick installs)

• The larger the pieces of the surround material are, the faster the bath surround can be put in place. Three or four pieces of cultured marble could be used to create an entire tub surround and be self-installed in a matter of 1-2 hours, including caulking time. (This also means large-format applications will produce more profit because of less time for the Phoenix AZ Contractor while still costing plenty) Seventy-five percent of what makes up cultured marble is actually ground-up marble dust. This creates a "green" use for discarded or broken marble pieces that otherwise would end up in a landfill. However, the marble dust of the Cultural marble panels is bound together with polyester resins. While marble itself poses no adverse health effects, there are several adverse health effects of polyester resin. These effects include: irritation of the respiratory tract nausea skin rashes suffocation in cases of prolonged exposure. Because of these health concerns, current cultured-marble options are not the best choice for you either, so we’ll look at a healthy, more affordable alternative.                                    

                                                

 TILE IS THE GREEN AND HEALTHIER CHOICE
While providing true value and custom designer look.

 

 

Evaluating Ceramic and Porcelin Tiles

• Ceramic and porcelain tiles can be purchased in large formats and therefore achieve the same levels of economy and reduced installation time discussed above. Both are natural products with no known adverse health effects. Ceramics are mostly made of clay, a naturally occurring material. Making ceramic tiles is a technology that has safely been used since the time of the ancient Greeks. In ceramics, the atoms of metal and oxygen form a crystal, and when “fired” create the hard surface of ceramic pieces.

 

Evaluating Travertine - Natural Stone is a creation of Nature

•   Travertine comes in many sizes and shapes.  Like so many natural formations, every piece is unique . Within each piece of stone also lies the history of one particular place of our planet. Your natural stone was cut out from a mountainside originally in huge 50,000 pound blocks of stone. The blocks were then sliced into slabs which were then refined to give its natural colors a mirror like depth, smooth soft surface or left slightly rough to enhance its rich natural texture. The luster, hardness, colors and variation are all indications of the stone's mineral composition and origin. This unique blend of characteristics is what makes your natural stone a one-of-a-kind, beautiful yet practical surface for your home. According to the Marble Institute of America, natural stone is "Mother Nature's original green building material". Natural stone is durable and outlasts most other building materials. Unlike man-made surfaces, natural stone slabs have no bonding agents such as a polymer resin. In addition, they do not emit VOCs and are recommended to be cleaned with pH-neutral cleaners; not only improving the air quality, but reducing chemicals in our sewer and soil.

 

BRG PREFERS NOT TO INSTALL ACRYLIC OR CULTURAL MARBLE SURROUNDS.

 

NATURAL TRAVERTINE No Matter the Application is:

•  ADA (AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT) COMPLIANT, 0.6 < SLIP RESISTANT.

• HIGHEST IN COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH; UP TO 17,000 PSI.

• THINNER THAN CONCRETE PAVERS, WHILE BEING 3 TIMES STRONGER.

• MOLD AND MILDEW RESISTANT.

•  THE MOST USED NATURAL STONE IN MODERN ARCHITECTURE.

• ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDING MATERIALS USED THROUGHOUT ANTIQUITY.

• AVAILABLE IN A WIDE RANGE OF SIZES AND COLORS.

• ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

• EASY TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.