Bathtubs
When installing a new bathtub, if possible, try to use your existent plumbing. This will help you save money as well as time.
Bathtub Choices
The market is overflowing with bathtub styles today. The 30 by 60-inch tub, which often controlled the dimensions of the 5 by 7-feet bathroom of the past, no longer rules the market. Modern bathtubs come in newer and more comfortable shapes and sizes, and in a wide range of styles and colours.
The Basic Bathtub:
The boxy, traditional tub is enamelled steel, relatively inexpensive, and lightweight—but cold, noisy, and prone to chipping. Built-to-last enamelled cast-iron bathtubs are more durable and warmer to the touch, but very heavy (they may require structural reinforcement).
Traditional bathtubs come in two basic styles: recessed and corner. Recessed bathtubs fit between two side walls and against a back wall; they have a finished front or ‘apron.’ Corner models come with one finished side and end, and may be right or left-handed. Some more stylish bathtubs have three finished sides, allowing placement along an open wall.
A 72-inch long bathtub is better than the standard 60-inch model, if space allows; a depth of 16 inches is more comfortable than the standard 14.
The Age of Plastics:
The most innovative bathtubs these days are usually plastic—either vacuum-formed acrylic or injection-moulded thermoplastics like ABS. These lightweight shells come in a good range of contours and sizes, retain heat well and are easy to transport as well. Plastic bathtubs are also available in neutrals and the latest colours. One drawback these tubs suffer from is that their dark, shiny surfaces tend to scratch or dull easily.
Plastic bathtubs are usually designed for platform or sunken installation. While some models sit atop the surrounding deck, like a self-rimmed sink; others are under mounted. Although plastic tubs are warmer to the touch than cast iron, they lack iron's structural integrity; hence, take care to provide solid support beneath one.
Freestanding Bathtubs:
An old-fashioned freestanding tub, such as the long-lasting claw-foot model, makes a nice focal point for a traditional or country design. You can buy either new reproductions or a reconditioned original from specialty shops. Such bathtubs can also double as showers with the addition of Victorian-inspired shower-head, diverter, or curtain rod hardware.
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