Know about bathrooms?

13 years ago

This forum was awesome when I remodeled my kitchen, but the bathroom group is very inactive, or perhaps my post doesn't make sense. If you know anything about bathrooms or have an opinion, please read on an d comment. I want to know if I can fit in a small soaking tub into existing space.

i want to remove a cabinet placed between the bathroom wall and the shower, remove the end shower wall, and put in or build in a Japanese type soaking tub in the space. Question is, will it fit?
Assumimg that i take out the cabinet and the shower wall, I have 59 inches between the bathroom wall and the shower wall that has the pipes. this end shower wall I would rather not touch because i am trying to minimize the work to be done. I have read that a shower should be at least 30 inches wide. So, 30 inches for the shower, 22 for the inside of the tub, leaves 7 inches for the wall(s) of the ofuro.

I have a lounge chair that is 22 inches wide and I fit fine with room to spare. Would that be too narrow and uncomfortable for a soaking tub?

There are no tubs 29 inches wide by 48 inches long. So, I will have to have it custom made. I can have a real wood ofuro, but the bathroom wall will have to be prepped and tiled and the ofuro will have 2 sides. Will all that fit in the 7 inches I have to play with if I make the inside 22 inches?

Or, I could have a costume made "pool" out of tile. Attached is a photo from houzz. I would get in from the other side. Mine wouldn't have the bench. How difficult would it be to make this.

Because the tub/shower are small and have no division between them, I hope to drain the tub into the shower and fill the tub with the handheld shower. Thoughts on this?

Since I will have elbow room (over the tub) would it be possible to reduce the shower floor from the minimum 30 inches and still be comfortable? (In Europe I have been in showers where you can't pick up the soap from the floor unless you step out. Don't want to do that, but I know that I can live with a little less than is often allowed)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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Comments (4)

mrspete
13 years ago
I don't know about your question, but I will make one comment: I don't like that square tub in your picture. I don't think it'd be particularly comfortable, and it'd take significantly more water than a round Japanese soaking tub. If you do go with this style of tub, be sure to install a water heater that can handle the volume.
catbuilder
13 years ago
Your post is rambling, and it's very hard to follow without a sketch. Code minimum for a shower is 30". Most people use a shower way more than a tub, so unless you're in the minority, I don't know why you would want to make your shower even that small. Don't count on filling a tub with a handheld shower head. The output from a shower head is much less than from a tub spout. It would take a LONG time to fill, and it would end up cold. And how, exactly, do you propose to drain the tub into the shower? Why would you want to? What do you mean "there's no division between them"?

My suggestions:

1.Post an accurate sketch, with dimensions.
2. Be specific with your questions.
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debrak_2008
13 years ago
Actually the bathroom forum is fairly active. Maybe not as much as kitchens but still pretty good. Consider that it seem like many are on vaca this week.

As been already noted, try starting a new thread being more specific.
User
13 years ago
Code minimum for a shower is 32" in most areas, and 36" in others. 30" is horribly small except for a child only. An adult will bang their elbows every time they try to use it. You need to find out which code applies in your area.

From what I can gather from your post, NO you cannot do what you are asking about without annexing space from another room as well as opening the walls and floors for the plumbing alteration, You cannot drain a tub into a shower, nor can you fill a tub from a shower head. You've got to do an actual tear the walls out remodel with all kinds of permitted plumbing work for a bath remodel as extensive as you propose. If you want a tub and a shower, your best bet is the traditional alcove tub/shower combo, which takes 60" of length and around 32" of width.