Stone Surface Guide
Shower Wall Panels
& Shower Surrounds
Create a seamless luxury shower room with bespoke porcelain, marble & stone shower panels.
We measure, fabricate and install porcelain, marble, quartz and natural stone shower surrounds that are easy to maintain, highly durable and made to fit your bathroom perfectly.
Bespoke shower wall panels and shower surrounds by Mgm Worktops across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Large-format panels provide a luxurious alternative to traditional shower tiles, with fewer joints and easier maintenance. Every panel is measured, precision cut and finished in-house for the perfect install, with cut-outs for valves, niches, shelving and bespoke detailing.
Last updated: 03 July 2026
Benefits of Shower Surrounds
Bathroom cladding with solid stone surfaces for shower surrounds bring benefit through ease of maintenance, unique appearances and fewer joins.
Porcelain and marble shower walls are the most popular commercial and domestic stone bathroom surfaces used for shower wall cladding panels. However, all solid stone materials can be utilised for cladding internally and externally. Quartz can also be used for shower surround and base, a hard wearing option that is water resistant and plentiful in colours and designs.
Nearly Seamless Finish
Large stone panels dramatically reduce grout lines compared with traditional tiling, creating a cleaner appearance that's much easier to maintain. With fewer grout joints, mould, soap residue and limescale have fewer places to build up.
Stone surface materials can be used to compliment shower cladding like:
- Walk-in shower trays
- Vanity Tops
- Access panels & Trims
- Recessed Shower Niche & Shelves
- Tiled / full panel flooring
Material Finish
The finish of a material has a direct impact on its popularity for cladding. For floors it is strongly reccomended that a matt surface is used, porcelain and natural stone marble and limestone are readily available in matt / honed finish. Most man-made quartz surface designs are only available as a polished finish, most suppliers have a limited range of matt finishes. Quartzforms provide option for almost all their quartz colours to be made in a matt finish.
Shower Surround Materials
Porcelain and marble are the most suited stone materials for shower surrounds and can provide the most luxurious and high end looks.
Marble
Thickness: 20mm & 30mm
Finish: Polished and Honed
Marble of all colours and designs are often requested for oppulance and beauty as nothing can rival the natural stone that all man-made stone designs try to emulate. As a naturally resistant material, the only recommended requirement is to seal the surface twice yearly to maintain its water resistance especially. Sealing Marble helps to prevent dis-colouration through its otherwise porous surface. Marble colours are wide ranging, from very bright white through to darker shades and black.
Limestone
Thickness: 20mm & 30mm
Finish: Semi-polished / Honed
Despite its thickness, the muted tones of limestone are an often used for cladding shower / bathrooms. With its rich cream to brown colouration and fossils of all sizes, makes it an ideal decor item for all aspects from floor to ceiling. Often requested for use as deocrative trimmings such as part shower panels, bath surrounds, wc back panels, vanity tops, windowsills, shelves and skirting etc. Sealing for this material is recommended as often as twice yearly to maintain its water resistance.
Porcelain (Ceramics)
Thickness: 6mm, 12mm & 20mm
Finish: Polished & Matte
Highly resistant porcelain as a shower surround material offers durability and low maintenance, which is paramount for both internal and external cladding projects. Unilike all other bespoke shower surround materials, porcelain cladding is available in thinner slab / panel thicknesses, making for easier fabrication and installation in respect of cladding. Most colours are available in both highly polished and matt finishes.
Quartz Surrounds and Trays
Thickness: 20mm & 30mm
Finish: Polished & Matt
Though not as popular for cladding showers, because of thickness and weight, a quartz shower surround or quartz bath surround is viable if the substrate is sufficien. Quartz base surround or quartz shower trays are available from some suppliers in set sizes, however, as the cost for these can be very high, bespoke shower trays can be made at a lower cost. Quartz is used in shower rooms for many applications such as access panels, windowsills, vanity tops and spashbacks. If you are looking for a highly polished quartz surface, you're good with every colour and design.
Matt finish Quartz
Choices are significantly reduced if you are looking for a matt finish quartz. Some suppliers can make their quartz surfaces in matt for you, such as Quartzforms, but there is a surcharge on the slab cost.
Shower Panels instead of Tiles
Large-format shower panels provide an alternative to traditional tiled shower walls. Porcelain and natural stone panels can also create a much more continuous appearance, particularly in walk-in showers and wet rooms.
With substantially fewer joints, there is less grout to clean and fewer areas where soap residue, mould and limescale can accumulate.
Why Panels Are Better Than Tiles
- Fewer joints / Grout Lines
- Easier to maintain and clean
- Large continuous designs
- Cut-outs are besoke
Shower Surround Panels and Trays
Some homeowners prefer a minimalist walk-in enclosure with floor-to-ceiling porcelain panels, while others choose traditional shower trays combined with bespoke stone wall panels.
Every shower project is different. Because every installation is manufactured to size, panel layouts, joints, niches and trims can all be designed around the room rather than forcing the room to suit standard products.
Walk-In
Cladding a walk-in Shower with full panels or bespoke cut tiles helps with merging with the surrounding walls, especially if the other walls are cladded in the same or complimenting colour material. From a design aspect, walk-in showers are the easiest to maintain because there are less corners / angles that can harvest dirt and grime, making for an easier clean.
Panels
In a modern bathroom or shower room floors and walls can be cladded with large format tiles. Large porcelain shower panels make for less clutter and ease of maintenance due to less grout lines. Panels sizes can as large as the full slab 3.2m x 1.6m or cut to any size preffered so that any joins are lined up squarely.
Lower Cost, Less Waste
Larger shower panels save waste material in the form off-cuts, resulting in a saving in material cost. Also, as walls and floors can also be covered with larger tiles much more quickly, a lower cost in installation can also be expected.
Trays
Shower trays fit on the base of your enclosure and drains the waste water away after showering. There are a multi-tude of options in various shapes and sizes. A shower tray made from the same cladding material is not only fluid in its design, but tougher than standard plastic shower trays. For the best design and continuity, The floor can continue and slope in the location of the walk-in shower toward a drain.
Shower Surround FAQs
Quick answers to common questions regarding shower surround panels.
What is the best material for shower surrounds?
Porcelain is often considered the best material for shower surrounds because it is waterproof, highly durable, stain resistant and available in large-format panels that reduce grout lines. Marble provides a luxury appearance, while quartz and limestone can also be suitable depending on the design and application.
Are stone shower surrounds waterproof?
Porcelain and quartz are non-porous materials that naturally resist water. Natural stones such as marble and limestone are also suitable for shower surrounds when correctly sealed and maintained to help prevent moisture absorption.
Are quartz worktops stain resistant?
Quartz worktops are highly stain resistant because the surface is non-porous. Common kitchen substances such as coffee, wine, oil and sauces will not easily penetrate the surface.
Are shower panels easier to maintain than tiles?
Yes. Large-format stone shower panels have far fewer grout joints than traditional tiles, making them quicker to clean and reducing areas where soap residue, mould and limescale can accumulate.
Can shower surrounds be made to fit any bathroom?
Yes. Bespoke shower surrounds are measured and fabricated to suit each bathroom. Panels can be cut to size and manufactured with openings for shower valves, niches, shelving, access panels and other custom features.
What thickness are shower surround panels available in?
The available thickness depends on the material. Porcelain is commonly supplied in 6mm, 12mm and 20mm thicknesses, while marble, limestone and quartz are typically manufactured in 20mm and 30mm slabs.
Can the same stone be used for shower walls, trays and vanity tops?
Yes. Using the same stone throughout a bathroom creates a seamless appearance. The same material can often be used for shower surrounds, walk-in shower trays, vanity tops, shelving, niches and windowsills for a coordinated design.
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