The Complete Guide to Freestanding Bathtubs
A freestanding bath can be a beautiful addition to your home, forming an eye-catching centerpiece for a bathroom or even a bedroom, and is sure to be a talking point for visitors.
Purchased from a salvage yard and professionally re-enamelled, a second-hand claw-foot bathtub breathes new life into an old item and establishes an eye-catching feature in your home that truly seems to have a story to tell. Alternatively, shop for a modern yet traditional style bathtub and choose from a variety of styles, either single or double ended, with a flat roll top or raised end, and from a wide range of built-in or free-standing shower faucets and accessories. , and many types of feet
If your tastes are contemporary, modern freestanding bathtubs are available in many shapes and sizes: egg-shaped, rectangular, boat-shaped… the list goes on. Using modern materials and design techniques, they can diverge from the traditional way and do something a little different. Faucets can be wall mounted for a minimalist look.
Finally, if you’re short on space, a ‘back to the wall’ style can give you the look of a freestanding bathroom but with a straight edge that fits against the wall, saving you vital inches. Alternatively, a corner style will still make better use of space by fitting snugly against two walls. Since a shower can be more easily placed over these styles than over a true freestanding tub, you won’t need to add a separate shower enclosure if you don’t have the space to do so.
Modern freestanding bathtubs are often made from the popular stone resin, which is strong and durable, but also warm to the touch. Second-hand bathtubs can still be found in traditional cast iron, although it is not usually used in the manufacture of new bathtubs; Some manufacturers also make beautiful but more expensive models from materials like bamboo or copper.
Remember that with most layouts, some, if not all, of your pipes will be visible. Pipes can be laid under a wooden floor and emerge in the middle of the room to supply a centrally located bathroom; However, if your floor is concrete, you may need to be more imaginative: position the bathroom towards the corner of the room, say, on a raised plinth below which the pipes can run from the wall.
Most freestanding bathtubs are not pre-drilled for faucet holes: chrome risers and column faucets combine to create freestanding faucets, and with the addition of a chrome trap and waste, your bathtub will be beautiful and functional.
Finally, though, a note of caution: Don’t be lulled into finding that your bathroom is large enough to accommodate the bathroom you’ve always dreamed of, and then be disappointed when you can’t fit it through a narrow front door. Check your path and narrow down your dream a bit if necessary, to make sure it can come true.