The freestanding bath is becoming ever popular as we look to new ways of freshening up our bathrooms. Whereas a feature wall is popular in the kitchen, the bath has long been the central feature in our bathrooms so it makes sense to give it some attention. If you’re keen to rework the space, you’ll want to:
Place it centrally
To mark it as worthy of attention, you should give it pride of place in the middle of the room. As there’s no built in feature to close it off from the room, it’s worth keeping it away from the walls to make sure that it can be easily cleaned.
Enhance its effect
To make more of a statement, why not raise the bath onto a platform and even add lighting across the platform base? With lighting comes glamour and the platform will provide added support whilst making sure that all eyes are on your bathroom’s best feature! If you’ve made an upgrade, you’ll want it to be as noticeable as possible.
If you do opt for a central placement, you’ll need to bring in a plumber to move your pipework from the wall to the floor. Likewise, installing lighting in wet areas, like the bathroom, is a specialist job so you should call in a reputable Part P qualified electrician to make the area safe. Not only is it unsafe to try and attempt a DIY bathroom lighting job, it’s also illegal.
Browse different types
There’s a bathtub to suit every taste. Slipper baths take after their name – they’re shaped like the classic Cinderella glass slipper with one end higher than the other as the shoe slopes down. They have a romantic feel to them, although the classic roll-top bath will be a better choice if you would like to make room for two! Bathing small children will be easier in a roll-top rather than slipper style but if this is your main concern, I would hunt for a style with shallower sides. They also make for handy arm rests if you’re a keen book reader!
Material’s just as important as design as it’s this which impacts on its overall impression within your bathroom. Cast-iron models are ideal if you prefer older styles, while stone will give you a unique result since no two stones are identical. Both of these weigh in on the heavy side at up to 200kg and over 900kg, so you’ll need to make sure that your flooring and joists are strong enough to support their weight. Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to take your chances without looking into your floorboards as you definitely won’t appreciate a bathtub falling through your ceiling!
Since stone is the heavier of the two baths, I would advise hiring a structural engineer to inspect your home before you buy. It’s not practical to carry 900kg up the stairs into your bathroom, so you’ll need to find out the best route for machinery and if it’s even structurally possible for you.
What should you do if your floorboards aren’t strong enough? Don’t panic. It’s time for Plan B – the copper or acrylic bath. They’re a lot lighter, with copper weighing in at a low 50kg. There’s no need for polishing either since the protective finish has a natural shine.
Image Source: La Maison Boheme
Ready to upgrade your bathroom? Post your job to find a local plumber – or an electrician if platform lighting has captured your interest.
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