Bathtub Guide - Choose The Bathtub That Is Right For You!

By Bill Prudehome

A bathtub is one of the most common fixtures in a home; almost every home has at least one. Yet, unlike many other home appliances and fixtures we don’t think much about the bathtub; it is just there!

New homes are usually fitted with a basic acrylic or enameled steel bathtub 30-inches wide, by 60-inches long and 14-inches deep, with little consideration to what the occupants may desire. Homes, that are more upscale, may have one of the numerous spa type tubs. Spa tubs have come down dramatically in price as more and more manufacturers have entered the market. Yet, a basic bathtub and a spa bathtub do not come close to representing the variety of bathtubs that are available in today’s market. The type, style, and size of a bathtub can make bathing something that is done to get clean or something that is looked forward to at the end of the day for relaxation and enjoyment.

The bathtub, with its numerous household uses, including washing the dog, and soaking and cleaning large objects is indispensable and has the longest life of any fixture or appliance in a home. On average a bathtub remains in its place in the home for 50-years.

A bathtub is one of the first fixtures to be installed in the home, long before drywall or flooring is started. This is because the installation of the drainage plumbing and the drywall is much more convenient with the tub in place. In the case of the drywall, with many tubs the drywall actually fits over a preformed drip edge on the tub. Removing a tub and replacing it with another tub can be a major construction exercise which includes removing wall surfaces surrounding the tub and depending on the size of your bathroom door, you may even have to take out part of a wall to get the old tub out and the new tub in.

Bathtubs come in a variety of materials. Each material has unique properties that affect the advantages and disadvantages of choosing it as your material of choice.

* Acrylic: Fiberglass is used as a reinforcement material to the vacuum-formed acrylic sheets. This makes the finished product resistant to cracking and chipping. Acrylic bathtubs are relatively inexpensive and light in weight.

* Cast Iron: Cast iron bathtubs are among the most expensive bathtubs on the market. Made by pouring molten iron into a mold they are impervious to most chemicals and are almost impossible to dent or scratch.

* Ceramic Tile: A ceramic tile bathtub is created on site. A form is made of wood studs covered with concrete board. The ceramic tile is laid on the concrete board with thin set mortar and the gaps between tiles are filled with grout. Ceramic tile tubs are difficult to keep clean and small cracks in grout lines can create leaks.

* Cultured Marble: Cultured marble bathtubs are not made from any marble. Made by mixing limestone with a polyester resin and then finished with a gel coat; the finished product resembles natural marble in appearance. Cultured marble bathtubs are less expensive than cast iron but more expensive than acrylic.

* Fiberglass/Gelcoat (FRP): Gel-coated fiberglass, more commonly called FRP, is one of the most inexpensive bathtub materials. FRP bathtubs are manufactured by building up layers of fiberglass finished with a spray coat of polyester resin.

* Marble: Although there are bathtubs made of marble it is not one of the materials that is really suited for the job. Marble will be etched by hard water and may crack if exposed to a thermal shock.

* Porcelain on Steel: The least expensive of all bathtubs it leads in the quantity of units sold as replacements and in new home construction. Stamped out of a solid piece of steel it is finished with a layer of porcelain. The finish is very durable and is highly resistant to most chemicals and abrasion.

* Solid Surface: Solid surface bathtubs are one of the newest entries to the bathtub market. Solid surface material has been available for years as an alternative to natural stone, such as marble and granite for countertops. The material has excellent thermal properties and will maintain bathtub temperatures for longer periods of time than most other materials.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful home improvement, remodel or landscaping project!

For additional information on choosing a bathtub, bathroom remodels products or other renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.