Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc.
Bathrooms are among the most frequently used spaces in a home, essential for both functionality and comfort. Used by every member of the household multiple times a day, bathroom fittings contribute to the quality of life and the home’s value. Bathroom Products Australia, with a nearly 50-year history of manufacturing shower bases in Scoresby, Victoria, is dedicated to quality and innovation in bathroom ware and sovereign manufacturing.
According to Dan Owen, Victorian Production Manager, “We manufacture a vast range of shower bases, offering 200 different colours, and size and style options, supported by 250 moulds. Much of this variety is influenced by consumer choice as well as codes and standards. ‘Marblelite’ our proprietary composite technology, is designed to look like marble, more importantly to mimic the durability of marble resistance to scratches, stains and chemicals, making it a practical choice for high-use areas. We’ve also invested considerable effort into reducing the weight of our products.”
The shift to utilising lightweight building materials not only reduces the environmental footprint of a building but also significantly decreases occupational health and safety (OHS) risks. “The residential building industry and renovation market is after cost savings through quicker project turnarounds and more efficient and safer building practices. With the use of E-SPHERES®, we’ve engineered weight out of our products, ensuring quicker construction and installation. Our shower bases, for instance, weigh upwards of 22 kilos, making them easier to get on-site and quicker to install, all while maintaining the highest safety standards” Dan explained.
E-SPHERES® is the registered name for hollow ceramic microspheres manufactured by Envirospheres in Queensland, Australia. These microspheres are used as reinforcing fillers in composite materials to reduce density, weight and shrinkage and to improve flow, impact strength, thermal insulation and resistance. The spherical shape and smooth surface enhance resin penetration in complex moulds, improving cycle times. These microspheres are flame-retardant, non-combustible, and compatible with epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, and phenolic and hybrid resin systems, making them ideal for building materials.
Furthermore, E-SPHERES® are created from post-industrial processes, using by-product materials (that would otherwise report to landfill) and not any virgin raw material sources. Consequently, using E-SPHERES as a raw material assists in lowering the overall carbon footprint of manufactured goods.
“Finish is everything in a showroom, so too resistance to scratches and staining in high use products like shower bases. We use the allnex Polyplex Marble Casting Resin because it is a pre-promoted, low reactivity, orthophthalic polyester resin formulated specifically for synthetic marble casting applications. Given we work in factory conditions, the resin enables efficient room temperature curing. The gelcoat (allnex AV9800 silicon modified) finishes the product with stain resistance qualities and a long lasting lustre,” advises Dan.
In Australia, installing baths and showers requires a licensed plumber to ensure compliance with regulations and maintain safety standards. To facilitate this, Bathroom Products Australia shower bases are distributed nationwide through a widespread network of plumbing suppliers.
Polymarble and Marblelite are legacy brands of Marbletrend, a company founded in 1939. Initially, the company focused on producing patterns but later shifted towards bathroom products. In 1979, responding to the growing demand for fibreglass products, the company began operating under the name Marbletrend Bathroom Industries Pty Ltd., which was acquired more recently by Roca Group and now under the Johnson Suisse brand and has further solidified its market presence.
Roca Group, established in 1917, started with cast iron radiators and expanded into the bathroom sector by 1929. The company progressively grew internationally to become the global leader in bathroom spaces.
Roca Groups extensive network now includes over 21,000 employees, 79 factories and a presence in more than 170 markets across five continents. The company has chosen to remain manufacturing shower bases in Victoria, Australia, maintaining its global production footprint while supporting local manufacturing.
In Australia, ‘wet areas’ like bathrooms and kitchens are regulated by the National Construction Code (NCC) and AS 3740 to prevent water damage and health hazards. The NCC, spanning thousands of pages across three volumes, provides a national framework, though implementation can vary by state and territory. The code is constantly upgraded, with the 2023 introduction of Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (LHDG) setting minimum accessibility standards for new builds, including disability access to showers with manufacturers having to adjust products accordingly. States elect to adopt these new standards to ensure buildings’ structural integrity and occupant safety.
