A new bathtub can do wonders for your bathroom. It’ll lift the look of the space and enhance your bathroom experience. This guide to selecting the right bathtub touches on some options you may not have thought of to achieve stunning results.
You can make the process a lot quicker by browsing online for bathtubs. This can save you a lot of time and frustration. You’ll see a far wider range when your fingers do the walking, than if you were to go driving from showroom to showroom.
Here are some factors to consider while you search.
The extent of your renovation
A key consideration in the guide to selecting the right bathtub is, how far are you going with the renovation?
Will you be:
- gutting the space entirely and starting again?
- just replacing the bath?
- making any changes to plumbing?
The answers to these questions will determine the direction you take, and narrow down your choices.
A complete redesign of your bathroom
If you're gutting the bathroom and starting from scratch, then you have the opportunity to replumb where necessary. This can really open up the options for you.
By replumbing, you can often overcome a common dilemma: the desire to have a freestanding bath tub, but the pain of how the existing plumbing doesn't allow for that
A freestanding bathtub is what most homeowners would consider the ultimate luxury choice. Apart from being fabulous to soak in, it looks fantastic and gives your bathroom a designer edge. By gutting the space, you can move the plumbing around to make it work.
A great effect can be achieved by installing innovative tapware specifically designed for freestanding baths, such as floor mounted tapware. This creates a fabulous look in the bathroom.
Replacing your bathtub without changing the plumbing
If you're not doing a complete makeover and just replacing the bath within the confines of the existing plumbing, there are several ways you can go, each of which bring a great end result.
The first way is replacing same for same. You’ll already know this is generally the most cost-effective option. The new inset fits where the old one was, there's no need to replumb, and you end up with a fresh look in your bathroom for minimal cost and with minimal disruption.
If the taps are wall mounted and your bath is not a shower/bath, then another option is simply gutting the old inset bath setup and installing a back to wall freestanding bath in its place. The existing taps and spout need to be high enough to achieve this.
It's more work and requires tiling the space left by the footprint of the inset bath. If you can't find matching wall and floor tiles it may be more difficult. If you have a timber floor, it's a bit easier.
Choosing the right kind of bath
Another step in the guide to selecting the right bathtub is considering the materials your bathtub is made from. This plays a big part in your bathroom experience.
Here's a snapshot of the choices:Cast stone baths are made from real stone crushed and bound by concrete slurry. They’re easy to clean and maintain, have good heat retention, but being heavy are more difficult to install.
Stonecast resin baths are also made from real crushed stone, but it’s bound by polymer resin. They’re durable, easy to clean and maintain. Compared with cast stone baths, they’re lighter and have better heat retention.
Enamelled cast iron baths bring back the classic look. As you’ll know they’re very heavy, but incredibly long lasting, extremely durable and retain heat better than any other material.
Porcelain baths are made from steel sheets with a porcelain enamel coating giving it the look and feel of a cast iron tub. They’re light, easy to install, durable and low maintenance.
Copper baths are artistic sculptures and can suit almost any bath design. They retain heat beautifully, and are popular as soaking baths because of the claims of medicinal benefits.
Fibreglass baths are usually the least expensive option. They’re lightweight, easy to install, easy to clean and maintain, but being porous need regular cleaning.
Acrylic baths are made from acrylic sheets reinforced with fibreglass. The material is non-porous making it easier to clean and repair. They retain heat well and provide a good all round replacement option, such as the Cob & Pen Halo Freestanding Back to Wall Bath in White Gloss, at Bathware Direct.
Bathware Direct is your online bathroom products store
The final tip in the guide to selecting the right bathtub, is to shop online at Bathware Direct, where you'll find the largest range of bathtubs and bathroom products online in Australia.
Along with range, Bathware Direct offers the best quality from trusted brands, at the lowest prices.
It’s an enjoyable customer experience and there's the added benefit of prompt delivery.
For the best range, best quality, and best prices on bathroom products, it has to be Bathware Direct.