A long soak on warm day and the soothing comforts of a bath after a long, grueling day at work can easily conjure up relaxing thoughts. If you are constantly complaining about coming home tired every working day, then why not give yourself that well-deserved treat and buy a bath and look forward to a soothing soak anytime you wish.
When shopping for baths, there are basically four different styles that you can choose from, the corner, recessed, drop-in and the freestanding, all of which generally reflects the methods of installation. Aside from that, you also need to choose if you prefer the traditional baths or the whirlpools, both comes in a large variety of sizes, colors, shapes and materials. So in order to make a more informed choice, you need to have a deeper understanding of the different types and styles available.
Recessed Baths
This type is also popularly known as the three-wall alcove tub and has become a popular choice mainly because of its affordability, space efficiency, and availability. Only the front part of the tub features any decorative finish since the alcove walls will conceal the other end. You will usually find this type of tubs made of enameled steel, which is an inexpensive material and known to be relatively lightweight. However, the main downside of steel enamel is its tendency to create noise and prone to chipping after long use. A better alternative to this is the enameled cast iron, which comes significantly more expensive and heavy that might require your bathroom floor additional reinforcements to support the extra weight.
Corner Baths
Although, the term might have been specifically used to triangular bathtubs that features two unfinished sides and one finished part, it is generally used to tubs that come it any shape but installed in a corner with two sides backed against the wall.
Drop-In Baths
This particular style is largely available in a number of configurations and designs and is mounted on a raised platform, but is make to sink below the floor level. Some people prefer to overlap the decks, others want the undermounted varieties, depending on your floor area as well as your personal preference. This type of tubs is usually made with a lightweight fiberglass and reinforced plastic or acrylic, which may be probe to scratches and dulling. If budget is not a concern, then it’s best to choose the enameled cast iron, known to be resilient but may also require structural reinforcements.
Freestanding or Free standing Baths
As its name suggests, this bath comes with four legs with complete finished exteriors. Among the popular choices of this are the reproductions of the antique claw-foot bathtubs that are made with lightweight materials such as the reconditioned antiques. The authentic antique baths are usually made with cast iron materials and would require buttressing the bathroom floor.
Whirlpool Baths
Whirlpool baths are enjoying increasing popularity throughout the years, since it offers motorized water circulation jets that provide the users that wonderful soothing hydromassage. Whirlpools are also available in different installation styles, such as recessed drop-in, freestanding but the most people prefer the platform installation. This type of bath may require some special framing and extra dedicated water heaters or electrical circuit. Others feature the variable speed pumps that have electronic controls that can efficiently adjust the power of the massage. It also varies in sizes depending of course on your available space and personal preference.
Now that you have a better idea on the specific types of baths that you can choose from, you can now easily determine which one would best suit your bathroom.
