When you think of your dream bathroom, what comes to mind first? Is it the stunning faucets that truly have a sparkle to them? Maybe it’s a “smart” toilet with a bunch of cool features, like heated seats and a built-in deodorizer? How about a showerhead with a speaker connected via bluetooth where you can listen to your favorite tunes while you’re getting ready in the morning? Long story short, bathrooms have come a long way over the years and can be modernized much farther than your standard toilet, shower and vanity.
As a residential plumbing contractor, we’ve seen many of these innovations first-hand on plenty of occasions! No matter if it’s the faucets, showerheads, toilets or any other bathroom fixture, there’s no doubt that modern plumbing components can have a drastic impact on the look of a bathroom. While the plumbing piece that we’ll discuss today certainly isn’t anything brand new to the market, it’s safe to say it has quickly been growing in popularity over the last few years. And that happens to be the freestanding bathtub. We’ll walk you through a few benefits of them and see why so many homeowners are opting to make the switch to them from traditional tubs.
Statement Piece
If you ever walk into a master bathroom with a freestanding tub, I’m going to guess your attention might go to the tub rather quickly. Even though we’ve started to see them become more and more common in Kansas City homes, the truth is built-in tubs are still installed in the majority of houses. As such, when you have a unique component like a freestanding tub, it’s going to immediately make a statement. To sum it up, if you’re looking for a plumbing piece that can have a little extra pizazz and add more of a luxurious touch, then a freestanding tub would be a great starting point!
So Many Different Styles to Pick From
As is the case with many plumbing fixtures, we’ve witnessed consistent evolution over the years. Take faucets, for example. While you may think a faucet is a rather generic thing, you would be surprised just how many faucet brands there are on the market today, along with the nearly endless styles/designs they come in. This logic is no different with freestanding tubs. Just a few of the many different variables for freestanding tubs include:
Style: Most homeowners interested in freestanding tubs start with their preferred style. You can go with more of a vintage-looking clawfoot tub. Or if you’re looking for more of a modern option, we’ve found the double-ended, single-slipper and double-slipper shapes to be quite popular.
Materials: Depending on which material you select for your freestanding tub, you’ll notice that the material can have significant implications in terms of the tub’s weight. Partially for this reason, it’s no surprise that acrylic tubs have been a hot item. It isn’t nearly as heavy as some of the alternatives, yet still possesses the ability to come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to ensure you can find something capable of matching your vision for the space. However, while acrylic is extremely common, it’s definitely not your only option. There’s also cast iron (keep in mind these are very heavy), copper, solid surface, stainless steel, stone, and more. Although, we will admit that you’re probably not too likely to find some of those types (copper, stainless steel, stone, cast iron) very often nowadays!
Size: A final characteristic you’ll want to evaluate is the actual size of the tub. This is obviously going to be dependent on the dimensions of your existing bathroom (as well as where current pipes/fixtures are located). Nonetheless, as you can likely imagine, you do have some flexibility when it comes to the tub’s actual size. The three measurements you’ll want to consider are length, height and width. Generally speaking, for length, you’re looking at anywhere from roughly 50” to 70”. Height is going to be in the 15” to 22” ballpark, with width being 25” to 35”.
Flexibility
Along with some of the points mentioned above, one thing homeowners typically love about their freestanding tubs is the added-flexibility it provides. It’s not uncommon for space to be a little tight in bathrooms. After all, think about the various fixtures included. Well, since a freestanding tub doesn’t have to be secured to walls like built-in ones, this gives you the ability to let your creative juices flow in terms of the layout. If you’re intrigued by having a unique set-up that differs from the ordinary master bathroom you’re used to seeing, then a freestanding tub could be the perfect way to free up some space!
Are There Any Drawbacks to Freestanding Tubs?
While freestanding tubs offer so many amazing benefits (as evidenced above), you might wonder why they’re not more common than they already are. Well, even though they provide a unique sense of luxury and can instantly change the look of a bathroom, there are a couple of reasons why some homeowners stick with the built-in tub. So…why would someone stick with a built-in tub, in comparison to a more-contemporary freestanding tub?
Price: As we briefly mentioned in the opening paragraphs, the plumbing industry is filled with cool gadgets and gizmos. Toilets with heated seats, voice-activated faucets, the list goes on. However, with many of these items, they probably are more of a luxury than a necessity, right? The same can be said for freestanding tubs. Without a doubt, they are both useful and aesthetically-pleasing. However, luxury does come with a price tag. Many homeowners opt to utilize that extra money on other upgrades. Maybe instead of installing a freestanding tub, you upgrade all of the faucets, have new vanities installed or even a new toilet.
Curious what it costs to install a freestanding bathtub? Our team has had plenty of experience installing them over the years and would be happy to provide you with a free estimate. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 and we can discuss your project in further detail.
Space: Just as space can be an advantage of freestanding tubs, it’s also important to look at it from the other side. Even though it is possible, we found it fairly uncommon for homeowners to combine the shower with a freestanding tub. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but it is more of a rarity. With that in mind, if you would like to have a shower AND a freestanding tub, you’ll likely need to have enough space to have them installed as separate entities.
Freestanding Bathtubs in Kansas City
One fun aspect of being a residential plumber is you get to take part in so many various bathroom or kitchen remodeling efforts. It could be something as simple as installing new faucets or it could be as extensive as doing all of the rough-in work too. In any case, you can safely say that every day in the life of a plumber is a little bit different! We hope you enjoyed this overview of freestanding bathtubs and got an idea why so many Kansas City homeowners have had them installed.
If you’re interested in freestanding bathtub installation services in the Kansas City area, we would be thrilled to help you out. To learn more and request a free estimate, give us a call at (816) 348-3481 and we can discuss what options are available. We look forward to hearing from you!