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Slipper Bathtub or Not?

12 years ago
We are remodeling and have decided on a clawfoot tub. We like the look of the slipper tub - we have a very small space for the tub and need to get one under 58" in length. Would the slipper tub be more comfortable for soaking or is just about the look? Thanks

Comments (3)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    People's bodies are just shaped different. What's comfortable for one isn't necessarily for another. You really need to go to a showroom and try a few out. In general though, if there is anyone tall in your family, something that short will be uncomfortable for them. You might think about skipping the tub and just doing a very nice shower with a bench seat.
  • 12 years ago
    Thank you - We're all pretty short here and we will have a lovely new shower in addition to the tub. It is purely a luxury item for me. Even if I don't use it as often as I think I will - I will enjoy looking at it! We are leaning toward cast iron - is there a big difference among brands?
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    There are a few differences between the qualities of cast iron tubs, but perhaps not as much as one may expect when you see the enormous price differences. In reality, you start off with a molded cast iron shell. This is then cleaned and ground to remove any of the casting and forming marks. After that, enamel is applied to the inside of the tub. This is generally done by putting the shell back into the furnace till red hot and then sprinkling or spraying with powdered enamel. The powder melts into the cast iron. This is repeated several times until the required thickness of enamel is achieved. After cooling, the tub would then generally be primed on the outside or primed and painted.
    Differences could come in enamel thickness or correct application and quality control. The cast iron thickness would be very similar in all tubs and in most cases (but not always), the exterior finishing before priming is done leaving no rough edges. The quality of the exterior finishing can vary quite a lot. If a tub is shipped directly from a factory and then just shipped out in the same box without further inspection, it will often occur that on the roll top edges, there are slight inconsistencies between where the paint/undercoat stops and the enamel starts. This can leave small slightly unfinished marks. While not that serious in nature, they are not great to look at and always of concern to buyers. Many of the companies who manufacture these cast iron inner shells sell throughout the world and in some countries; quality expectations are not perhaps as high as here in the USA. . This leads some factories to produce at a less than acceptable quality level for the USA market.
    To sum up a little, if a tub appears too cheap, it’s probably having very little if any quality control done on it and you could be buying pretty much anything. If a tub is really expensive, you are often paying for the name. We hope this helps.

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