Hello Janice,

well Tub # 2 does seem to have a better back rest, but doesnt seem to make that much of a difference; howevwer I also have not seen it in person, so it is a little hard to tell.

I do not know what your budget is, and yes they can get quite pricey, but there are many options out there.

Have you tried Wayfair.com? they have good deals sometimes. Signature Hardware has beautiful tubs, but they are more expensive.

Good luck!

Great. Glad to be of help. Remember, they are trying to give you the best product for the most reasonable price too. I've been on that side and it is hard! Hope things work out really well for you. It is exciting and very stressful all at the same time!

thanks Flo!

You are very welcome. Enjoy the process.

Hmmm...You're going to be living with this tub for the next 20 years. I don't think I'd let the builder's lack of choice set my expectations for the next 20 years.

OTOH, as a guy (and yes, the guys have elected me spokesperson pro tem), I just don't get tubs. There's a whirlpool tub in the master bath that I've used fewer than 10 times in 16 years, and each time was to relieve a stiff back.

But for anything in a new house, you should be able to have what you want to live with.

Get real.

Tatts, you should cross over to the dark side and become a tub person. Get a rubber ducky like JFK. Tubs are the best!

Janice - I assume this is not a "custom" home, hence you do have limits on what can be done, right? Have you had a chance to check on the "water level" comment? Just wondering. I am a shower girl, not a tub girl, but when I do get in there I like to be warm!!

I haven't, but I definitely will.

its semi custom not custom. So I can knock a wall out but they won't go buy a tub at lowes for me.

OK, well, you just select the best of the options. Do you take baths everyday? Most people don't. If you don't, this is a non-problem.

Flo: My point is that she's going to be paying for that tub--any tub--as part of the mortgage for 30 years. It's cheaper to spec the right tub now and fold it into the whole price of the house than buy a replacement early because she doesn't like the original.

Janice: I just get sooooo bored sitting there. Plus, it takes forever to fill. I would really rather have the square footage back to use for something else (the master bathroom is overly large, in my opinion, 13x9). In my mind, a bathroom is for utility; get in, get out, get on with life.

A little note on the financing of the "change Order". Typically, when you do a "change order" that is a cash transaction at the time of signing the change order it is NOT rolled into the mortgage. So, if the contract is like a common contract, then what is suggested is not the norm. Some builders will carry the cost, but most won't. Read your contract on "Change notices". It will spell out the process in detail. I do agree that you should get the tub you want, if you plan on living in this home for more than 5 years. If not, then you have to make that decision. The more expensive one sounds like the one that would suit you best. Will there be other tubs in the house where you can go have your silence? Maybe that is the solution!? There are more and more people who are not putting tubs in the master baths as long as they have a tub in another secondary bathroom. You will just have to make the best decision for you and your family and your budget. Good luck!

One other thought. Don't put a tub in right now. Put the plumbing in for one, but have the builder delete the tub and faucet from your project, and you probably will have a credit at final closing, or put it toward something else that comes up. Then after you move in, you can get the tub you really want at the price you want. That might work. Just another thought.

Great suggestions. I actually used a tub in our guest bath at our other house over the tub in the master for that reason. But this is our dream house and that is my dream bathroom so I guess I should get it right. The design center paperwork is not signed yet so I can still change without paying extra fees. I will check about the put the plumbing in thing. That just might work.

Doesn't cost anything to ask. Great, hope that gets you closer to what your dreams are for this home.

Can you find a showroom that has the tubs you are comparing? I remodeled 2 baths in the last 2 years and it really helped to actually sit in the tubs. I live in CA and there is this huge showroom with 400+ tubs. If your local showroom doesn't have the exact brand or model you can go check to the spec sheets online for the brands or models they do have and figure out if the recline is that important to you. I sat in so many tubs my mother thought I was nuts. I graded every one of them with scores for the most comfortable and why (recline, width, length, water depth, wall height, floor texture) and then compared all the specs. I'm tall and the length was the most important to me, followed by the width, and then wall height--so you can rest your arms. Bring a tape measure so you can measure where the water height will fall (it gets cold if you aren't covered by water). You might also search for reviews of the tub models too. Gardenweb.com (now archived as part of Houzz:-) has some great bath remodeler feedback. Good luck. All the tubs on your list look beautiful, BTW.

Not so. Some tubs have low sides and then the water level has to be below that. So, just depends on design. The higher the sides and ends, the deeper the water, the more water covering. Sit down on the floor with a measuring tape or yard stick. Hold it up to your side. See how much depth you need to cover whatever level you prefer. That is the depth of tub you need or desire. Generally speaking, women like more coverage than men for obvious reasons, so stick to your guns. This is important on more than one level (bad pun) to you than just a tub. It's about escape, and relaxing and unwinding and getting some breathing room for yourself. Good healthy reasons!

Hi Janice,

Yes, you've found one of your peeps here in CA :-)

If you are really into it, it is definitely worth it to obsess over the decision. Between the gobs of money you spend and the chaos building/remodeling causes, worth it to do it right so you don't have to do it again.

If you don't have many showrooms there in OK, try and find any showroom that has any tubs at all and then measure away while you are in them. Or sit in your friends' and relatives' tubs with your trusty tape measure. (Yet another day when my Mom thought I was insane.) Hotel tub test drives are good too. Take a weekend getaway & travel with your tape measure.

After studying my measurements and notes, I was able to "profile" my ideal tub against the spec sheets to see how close I could get and stay within budget. Don't be afraid of the Manufacturer Spec Sheets, the diagrams look weird at first, but eventually you see how they work. You can Google search for specs by brand and model. For example, Jacuzzi tub specs are here: http://www.jacuzzi.com/baths/support/specs-and-manuals/.

After all that investigation, I knew a few things:

* As much as I liked the look of the symmetrical, squared off tubs, the traditional ones with the rounded sides were more comfortable for me.

* The most critical measurement for me was the inside tub length. I needed a minimum 42 inches tub floor to stretch my legs out. Too much more and I slipped around, slid down the recline and would go under. :-) If you sit on the floor with your legs stretched out you can measure this one easily.

* For Width you want a enough elbow room so you can keep your arms at your sides under the water if you want, but not too wide so if you want to rest both arms them on the sides of the tub you can. The side walls of the 36 in wide tub I got shrank that down to 22 inches inside. You can measure for this one sitting on the floor too.

* A reclining back was important for comfort, but the exact angle wasn't super critical. I found a wide range of reclines fine. However, you do need something to lean your head against. My tubs are alcove installs so I can put my head against the back wall. For a freestanding tub, a slipper style might be needed. Probably depends on yours and the tub's height.

* For Water depth get as deep as you can, especially if you don't have to worry about water shortages / drought like we do in CA. Again, lie on the floor in your ideal recline and measure how high you want the water to be on your chest. A yardstick works best for this. The freestanding tubs you have look pretty deep so your husband is probably right and those tubs will cover you. Check though, as often the water overflow is set to 6 inches below the tub height, so a 20 inch height tub loses 6 inches at the top and 2 inches at the floor for a whopping depth of 12 inches. That's fine for a kids bath, but not deep enough for a good soak.

Good luck. The showroom near me was called Tubz and is in Fremont CA. They have an interesting web site, but don't do any online sales. If you are ever in Northern CA area, it really is a amazing.

Cheers,

Nancy

PS In case anyone wants info on the tub that won my heart, here is a pic of the HydroSystems Regan 6036 freshly installed.

Should be at least 1/2" pipe for good tub flow. The flow rate is a function of size of pipe. Most use 1/2" dia. for tubs. But worth checking on for sure. Did you do the "sit on the floor" and measure depth of water trick? Just wondering about what you discovered.

Looks like you are looking at a Kohler Archer. My best friend used the alcove version of that one last year. She let the builder pick it out. Horrors! :-) but he said he uses it often and everyone loves it. He was right; my friend loves it. I believe I sat in it too and the recline was good for me and the armrests were really, REALLY nice! It's great looking too in person. My install was a tub shower combo and I wanted a little extra floor space for standing/turning, so gave the arm rests up.

As to depth, I'm 5'11'' and the water depth of 15.5 in. is good. My BFF is 5'2'' and the 15 in depth is plenty for her.

The only other challenge in decision making that I had was the water volume. The bath store folks recommended that the water heater capacity be at least a 75% of the tub volume. I picked a 50 gallon tub and had a 30 gal water heater with no space to increase size. (It's an older home and 2015 CA regulations on sizes and energy efficiency meant if it broke would have had to install a 20 gallon one!) Solved that with an on-demand water heater. Just double check with your builder what is best. CA has so many weird rules for capacity, size, temperature and efficiency ratings so I'd listen to your locals on what works in OK.

I'm excited for you. Enjoy the process and I hope your bathroom turns out "killer". Post if you can when it is done so we can all share in your delight!

Cheers.

I have 3/4" pipe because I wanted "flo!" haha. Just ask your builder. They should know right off the top of their heads.

Personally, I want privacy in the tub so prefer hidden behind a shower wall or something. Plus it is too cold! But I don't think you have any choice at this stage. The controls will be hard to reach, at least for me. Maybe there is room to slide between end of tub and vanity?

Love our tankless. Never run out. Had 15 people here over holidays at the same time and with all those showers, washing loads, etc., never ran out. Great invention.

Once you get faucets and mirrors in and perhaps some pretty window treatments with some fluffy towels hanging over edge of tub it will be very lovely!