*FoxinFiji* re: tub

[FoxInFiji]

Thanks.

We'll I'm not sure this particular model would be good for a shower tub combo because of the extra wide rim and the long length but using a drop in tub as a shower combo is definitely doable. You'll probably want something a more standard length like 5' though right? If you're showering it in everyday you'll also want something not too deep so you don't trip getting in and out. And you'll want the drain and overflow on one end so the shower and tub spout can be aligned. That way you'll have a back rest on the side without the drain and overflow. Ours is symmetrical so you could sit on either side.

We just put the Kohler Bancroft in our main bathroom:


It has a curved front that is supposed to look like a vintage tub. It's 17" deep which is nice for bathing and not too difficult to get in and out of. I wouldn't want anything much deeper than that though. It's much deeper than our old acrylic tub and shower surround so that took some getting used to.

A more rectangular option would be the Kohler Archer or Tea for Two. Both are very popular and can be used for shower tub combos.



A number of people on the GardenWeb bathroom board have these as both roman tubs and shower tub combos. The Archer is 19" deep and has a long horizontal overflow that allows you to have a higher water line so it feels like a deeper bath. Here's some more info and pictures:

ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg121518495783.html
ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg051229345248.html
ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg031551338521.html

Otherwise MTI has a lot of tub options as well. They come in every shape and size you could want but at a higher price tag. From the ones we've seen they look to be a better quality than the Kohler products.
mtibaths.com/products/tubs&f=designer_classic&shape=rect_bath&instype=dropin

We decided to mud in the base of our Kohler tub to help eliminate the flexing it had (threeacres.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/huston-we-have-a-tub/). It was an added cost to hire a plumber to help us do that (along with the drain installation) and took a lot of time to get it right. Also the tub was out of square and their overflow doesn't seem to get tight enough to the acrylic so there is a small gap you can see. We're working on trying to figure out a way to seal that.

HTH

[decoraholic]

Butting in with a question. What made you choose fiberglass over cast iron? We're weighing the pros and cons for our upcoming bathroom reno. It's a standard size alcove tub/shower combo. No jets or anything fancy.

[jenni232323]

I second the Kohler Archer - we have it in our guest bath and love it. Great step up from the builder's cast iron tub that was there that literally had 9 inches of soak depth.

This is the only pic I can get from here, you can see we tiled the wall and use as a tub/shower with a curtain. I'll see what other pics I can get later if you need more. I really like the horizontal drain. And the plug/stopper is one that you push down and it seals then push down again and it pops back up for drain.

ETA - ours looks just like the 2nd pic from Fox - I had to look at that several times to make sure it wasn't our bath reno. Almost exactly like ours.

[FoxInFiji]

Jun 22, 2012 13:17:02 GMT -5 decoraholic said:

Butting in with a question. What made you choose fiberglass over cast iron? We're weighing the pros and cons for our upcoming bathroom reno. It's a standard size alcove tub/shower combo. No jets or anything fancy.

Well 6' long drop in tubs don't come in cast iron. They would simply weigh too much when full of water. So we had not choice but fiberglass for our master.

For the main bath with the standard shower/tub combo we ordered it ahead of time so it would ready and waiting when demo was completely. We went back and forth on fiberglass vs cast iron and decided to go with fiberglass because we were concerned with the extra weight (previously it was a fiberglass tub and surround) plus it saved a few bucks and isn't as cold (with our low temperature geothermal heating the bathroom can be chilly which is why we installed in floor heat). To our surprise when we demoed the bathroom we found out that the floor joists change width in that location going from 16"oc to 12"oc. My FIL who is a very experienced carpenter/builder has never even seen anything like that. So the extra weight wouldn't have been an issue. But we already had the tub and it would have cost us quite a bit of money to return it at that point so we kept it. We tried to make it as stable as possible with the mud underneath. That should extend the life of tub a bit since it won't be flexing every time someone is in it. Now that we're using the bathroom I can say the tub is OK. It did get a few minor scratches from when we were hanging cement board and tiling. The dog's nails haven't seemed to scratch it yet when we bath her.

But yes we wish we would have waited and gotten a cast iron one because it's a longer lasting product with a harder finish. If ours does need to be replaced we'll have to remove the bottom row of tile in the shower or retile the whole shower.

[decoraholic]

That's really helpful, thanks! We're leaning towards cast iron. There's an existing fiberglass tub and surround. I'm thinking that the floors can sustain the weight, because in looking at tubs the specifications for cast iron are only a couple hundred pounds more than fiberglass, though I'm sure it won't hurt to take a look at our floor joists. Plus I'm thinking if we were to mud underneath an acrylic tub that would add a bunch of extra weight anyway. In other areas of our home they are 16" apart so I'm assuming they are under the tub (we'll check). Did your FIL happen to mention if that was typically okay or what to look for to determine if the floors can support the tub? Our home was built in 1985 and we're just replacing an existing tub. Who do people normally call to come look at these things? I don't know if I trust a plumber to know enough about carpentry and construction.

[FoxInFiji]

That's a good question. You might need to consult a structural engineer for that my FIL is just a carpenter. There are some calcs you can do to determine how much weight your floor can hold per sf (start by checking online). There are some pretty big safety factors you want to maintain with that when it comes to stuff falling through your floor LOL. Make sure you're looking at the full weight with water then add the weight of a person to that. You'll need to know the dimensions of your floor joists and approximate condition...if they are damaged, warped, cracked, dry (new construction would have wet wood still), etc. Then you'll need to know the span the floor joists run between supports or cross beams. If the tub is in the middle of a span it's worse than close to a cross beam or supporting foundation wall.

You'll also want to put in a heavy duty floor like we did. Two layers of plywood 3/4" and 1/2" (or a second 3/4" would be better). Exterior grade glue, type B finish, 3-5 layered, tongue and grove end for at least the subfloor (underlayment not necessary). Screw or rim shank nail underlayment to the floor joists with PL-400 glue on each floor joist. Lay plywood perpendicular to the floor joist direction. Screw/nail every 8". Liberally PL-400 glue subfloor to underlayment and stagger joints going the other direction. Screw (no nails on this layer) every 8" in the center and every 6" on the edges.

HTH

[decoraholic]

Jun 22, 2012 15:37:58 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

That's a good question. You might need to consult a structural engineer for that my FIL is just a carpenter. There are some calcs you can do to determine how much weight your floor can hold per sf (start by checking online). There are some pretty big safety factors you want to maintain with that when it comes to stuff falling through your floor LOL. Make sure you're looking at the full weight with water then add the weight of a person to that. You'll need to know the dimensions of your floor joists and approximate condition...if they are damaged, warped, cracked, dry (new construction would have wet wood still), etc. Then you'll need to know the span the floor joists run between supports or cross beams. If the tub is in the middle of a span it's worse than close to a cross beam or supporting foundation wall.

You'll also want to put in a heavy duty floor like we did. Two layers of plywood 3/4" and 1/2" (or a second 3/4" would be better). Exterior grade glue, type B finish, 3-5 layered, tongue and grove end for at least the subfloor (underlayment not necessary). Screw or rim shank nail underlayment to the floor joists with PL-400 glue on each floor joist. Lay plywood perpendicular to the floor joist direction. Screw/nail every 8". Liberally PL-400 glue subfloor to underlayment and stagger joints going the other direction. Screw (no nails on this layer) every 8" in the center and every 6" on the edges.

HTH

Thanks!