Buying a New Bathtub: 5 Features You May Not Have Considered
Getting a new bathtub is one of the larger ticket items in a bathroom remodel or update. It’s also one of the most readily visible changes you can make. After all, the bathtub often takes center stage visually and stylistically. For luxury, it’s the one feature that offers deep, boneless relaxation and the chance to simply kick back and immerse ourselves in a body of warm, clean water that’s poured perfectly to temperature.
You might think it is a simple task. Just pick one. How can you choose the wrong bathtub? It can happen. That’s why Coburn’s is here. We’ll help you get it right so that the bathtub that you choose really is a source of pleasure and relaxation. By the way, we even have one in mind—MTI’s Helena freestanding tub—but first, the considerations.
How To Pick the Right Bathtub—and Avoid Bathtub Mistakes
The beautiful new designs in bathtubs have us all wanting to update our baths. We look at what we have and envision ourselves instead cradled in the calm, clean warmth of a freestanding basin. Meanwhile, the reality is that what you choose has to work well with what will be there when you’ve completed your update or remodel.
Even if you’re simply considering a one-for-one swap, you still have to ensure that the switch will be as straightforward and pain-free as you assume it will be. Standard manufacturing measurements and materials evolve over time, and what was standard decades ago probably isn’t now. As you tub shop, here are some points to consider.
1. Budgeting for a Nice Tub
Tub replacements are often part of a larger update scheme or remodel. For that very reason, the tub part of a budget can get squeezed, and you can end up settling for something less than you originally envisioned. Quality pieces that are durable and beautiful come with a price. Budget for the new bathtub you really want because this is the tub you’re probably going to have for a long, long time.
2. Tub Type & Style
Tub styles are largely dependent on where the tub will sit. Alcove or recessed models are set into a wall, are finished with a surround and often double as a shower. Corner tubs typically have one finished side, while drop-in tubs allow you to place them anywhere but require a constructed façade. Perhaps the most desirable tubs are the freestanding bathtubs, soaker tubs and garden tubs—noted for their standalone elegance and style.
3. Dimensions
Tub height, length, width and depth are critical measurements that give you a sense of both personal comfort—how you will fit—as well as a sense of scale in the bath—how the tub will fit in the room. Going too small may leave you cramped and uncomfortable in your bath. Going too large may overwhelm the bathroom space or interfere with clearances. Drawing out to scale exactly how a tub will sit in a room versus other fixtures and clearances can prevent problems later.
4. Floor Space
The amount of floor a tub actually takes up is worth mentioning because some tubs cover more flooring than others. Rim measurements may be quite different from base measurements—especially for freestanding models. While some types are flush against the floor, others may have feet. These differences affect not only appearance and style but also flooring coverage and plumbing accesses.
5. Functional Features
Tub models can vary dramatically depending on features like finish, construction materials, levels of insulation, faucet placement, drain placement and more. For example, while some tubs may rely on a durable, scratch-resistant topcoat finish, others may be made of composite that is uniform throughout. Materials may have sanitary or insulating properties. Tubs may be crafted to accommodate faucets on a certain side, on a particular end or above the lip of the tub. Likewise, drains and overflows may be at an end or center.
Choosing the right bathtub is a matter of ensuring you’ll gain the performance and appearance that you want in the space that you have.
Coburn’s Exclusive Pick—MTI Helena Freestanding Tub
MTI’s Helena freestanding tub is a Coburn’s favorite pick and a Coburn’s exclusive because it offers all of the highly desired features and options while remaining versatile with its size and style. In short, it’s the perfect tub for just about any bathroom, and you’ll love it as much in a decade as you will now.
- It measures 66 inches long, 31 wide and 22.5 inches deep. Since it’s a tapered design, the internal measurement is 49 inches long, 20 inches wide and 19 inches deep. The slopes are designed to fit the proportions of your body perfectly.
- It’s available as both a soaker tub and an air massage tub.
- The transitional design means it can enhance a modern-styled bathing area as easily as a more traditional setting.
- Handcrafted, it’s made of MTI’s proprietary mineral composite. Natural minerals mined from the earth in Georgia are mixed with resins. The result is a smooth, glossy-white tub that’s solid through and through.
- The composite has impressive insulating properties. Your tub will not only look good longer than other tubs but also keep your bath water warmer longer than other tubs can.
- With the drain centrally located, you don’t have to worry about left-hand or right-hand drains. It should fit drain parameters easily.
- Just in case, the overflow is centrally located but very discreet, tastefully integrated into the Helena’s design.
- With the faucet located above the tub, corrosion and leaks around inlets and fixtures will never mar your Helena tub.
MTI created its Helena freestanding tub to be the most therapeutic tub in the world. It also created it to be the most sanitary tub in the world. Warm, luxurious, smooth and made of mineral composite in a form that’s pleasing to the eye and relaxing to body and mind, it’s the tub that will begin and end your days for years and years to come and look beautiful for all of them.
As you can tell, we love MTI’s Helena tub, but we also have many others to select from. If you’re considering starting a bathroom remodel, replacing an old tub with a new bathtub or adding a tub to a bath that didn’t have one, it’s time to stop by your local Coburn’s Kitchen & Bath Showroom or start exploring your options on our website. Installing a new bathtub is a big deal, and we’d love to help you find the right one.
SOURCES:
https://mtibaths.com/custom-products/exclusives/coburns/
https://www.hunker.com/13726886/bathtub-drain-location-right-left-or-center