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Original Message
"Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-28-09 at 04:48 PM
DH and I will be ripping out our bathroom on Easter long weekend.

We have tile ready to go, we have accessories ready to go, we have paint colours ready to go.

What we don't have is a difinitive decision on the tub.

Our house was built in the '30's. The original cast iron clawfoot sits beautifully in there. I have spent many a weekend, actually every weekend, soaking for about an hour in that huge tub. We're talking floating around in it. Candles, wine, bubbles, a good book. But it's way too big and we want to get rid and replace it with a slipper tub that is a little smaller.

Here's the quandry. Cast iron or acrylic? We've priced out both and with the stand-alone fixtures we are talking a major price difference.

But my real question is - what holds the heat better? Cast iron or acrylic? I know I've read somewhere that acrylic holds the heat better but people are so attached to their old-fashioned cast irons that I'm beginning to think we may need to stay with that even though it could break the budget.

I just want to be a happy girl, in my slipper tub, with my wine, my bubbles, my candles and my book.

Help me, wise OTers.



Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by maroonclowns mom on 03-28-09 at 04:52 PM

Decisions, decisions, sorry pup, can`t help.

agman

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Estee on 03-28-09 at 04:59 PM
You lost me when you implied it was possible for a bathtub to be too big.
"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Buggy on 03-29-09 at 00:33 AM
I am right there with you.

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by bullzeye on 03-28-09 at 05:18 PM
I just want to be a happy girl, in my slipper tub, with my wine, my bubbles, my candles and my book.

*Thud*


Made by Maroonclown; resurrected by Agdude.

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-28-09 at 05:40 PM
Thanks so very much for that ever so helpful comment.


"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by vince3 on 03-28-09 at 05:29 PM
I think it might depend on what you're putting into the rest of the bathroom. If the tub is the only fixture that you're changing, you might want to go cast iron so that it'll remain matched with the rest of the house. Otherwise, go with what matches best with the rest of the stuff you've got planned on the remodel......
"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-28-09 at 05:39 PM
The style of the tub will be "slipper" It's really the cast iron/acrylic question as to what holds more heat.

MC can't stand a cool tub. Needs to feel the heat.



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by vince3 on 03-28-09 at 05:56 PM
As far as helpful advice, maybe ask an expert where you're gonna get the tub about the heat issue?

As for the actual thing about not being able to stand a cool tub and needing to feel the heat?

Must.Not.Comment.

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Prof_ Wagstaff on 03-28-09 at 06:37 PM
#1 I'm with Estee. A tub that's "way too big"? *head tilt*

#2 Isn't your original clawfoot tub a slipper tub or do slipper tubs all have high backs?

#3 I did find this info:
Acrylic – Acrylic tubs are crafted from high-quality cast acrylic with a bonded construction which provides a high-gloss shine inside and out. Acrylic tubs maintain the look and integrity of a traditional cast iron tub but are lighter, warmer and smoother, and will not rust or crack over time. The non-porous interior surface will not stain, discolor, or retain any odors. It also cleans easily with a warm, soapy cloth– use no harsh abrasives which may damage the tub finish.

Cast Iron – Cast Iron tubs are made from quality vitreous porcelain-over-cast-iron. They are finished inside and outside, ready to mount on their appropriate feet. Cast iron has superior natural heat retention that helps to keep your bath water warm for longer bathing periods.



Into the magna tribe by phyl

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by frisky on 03-28-09 at 09:57 PM
*envy*

I want a nice big soaker tub soooo bad!

What ever you get, make sure it's deep.


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Buggy on 03-29-09 at 01:10 AM
LAST EDITED ON 03-29-09 AT 01:15 AM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 03-29-09 AT 01:13 AM (EST)

Okay, so dumb question, but why in the world are you replacing that cast iron clawfoot that you have???
Are you kidding me?

A little bathtub story.
Once I was working for a place that offered Company Housing, they were disposing of some of the houses, mine included and moving me to another house. The woman who handled these things called me and asked if I need a bathtub in the new house. I told her that we did need to bathe. She explained that the tub in the house was very old and they wanted to remove it and put in a shower stall thing instead. I told her I'd look at the house first before deciding. The idea of no tub at all, didn't sit well with me, but I also like a shower, and really wasn't sure about choosing between them.

So I go look at the old crappy house that they will be renting to me for $ 250 a month, ( That I will have to paint and repair before moving in) and the little bathroom has the only gem in the whole place. Seriously, besides the awesome yard, the gorgeous deep clawfoot tub from the 20's is the ONLY good thing about this place, and they wanted to rip it out and give me some cheap plastic shower thingy.
Arrgh!
I asked that they just add a shower head, I could put a curtain rod around it, and they did.

I loved that tub! I discovered bath products, I learned to soak, I drank while bathing for the first time in that tub, I bought a little table to put next to it to hold my wine glass and book. It was the first bathtub that I ever fell asleep in.

It was the bathtub I judged all other tubs against, and unless you are getting a deep spa tub with jets ( like the one I have now, ahhhhhhhh ahhh) why replace it?
Is there something wrong with it?

I'm just saying, if you are going to replace a deep claw footed cast iron tub, get you some spa jets.

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 08:39 AM
I can relate.

Before I discovered the joys of soaking I couldn't stand being in there for more than 5 minutes. I always figured I was missing whatever was going on elsewhere.

Now, you'd be hard pressed to keep me out of the tub on Saturday and Sunday nights.



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 03-29-09 at 07:36 AM
I'm a woman that has paid to store her grandmother's cast iron clawfooted tub for 20 years waiting for it to have the perfect home again.

I have a cast iron pedestal tub now and love it, acrylic just doesn't have the same "feel".

But...that being said I have been coveting this tub for a while and even blogged about it some time back:

Of course you could always go with a heated tub:
http://www.luxuryhousingtrends.com/archive/2008/10/heated-bathtubs/



Mangalicious by The Slice
09/25/2008 Bre left for Iraq
04/29/2009 Bre leaves Iraq

"sigh"
Posted by suzzee on 03-29-09 at 08:04 AM
You would never get me out of that tub. really and truly.


Dr. Gonzo: Let's give the boy a lift.
Raoul Duke: What? No. We can't stop here. This is bat country.
Tribe Magic

"RE: sigh"
Posted by frisky on 03-29-09 at 01:47 PM
I, too, would live in that tub.

I would prepare and eat my meals in that tub, and I would sleep in it and do my laundry in it.

*sigh*

Aside from all the obvious wonderfulness of this tub, I also like the fact that it is raised quite a bit from the floor, making it easier to clean. That is, if you ever got out of it.

I wonder why they don't make more tubs like this? Raised up, so they're not such a b!tch to clean?


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: sigh"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 03-29-09 at 01:56 PM

>I would prepare and eat my
>meals in that tub, and
>I would sleep in it
>and do my laundry in it.

You didn't tell me that you married Kramer!

There was a famous Seinfeld episode where Kramer decided he was going to live in his bathtub forever, and he prepared all of his meals and laundry in there. Once, he had people over for dinner (including two germphobes) and after they started eating, Kramer happened to mention that he washed the lettuce leaves in the shower while he was in there.


Stinky Musings <--- blog's been updated!

"RE: sigh"
Posted by frisky on 03-29-09 at 05:17 PM
I would totally marry Kramer if he had that tub.

Tummy, where did you find this Tub of Love?


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: sigh"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 03-29-09 at 07:29 PM
LAST EDITED ON 03-29-09 AT 10:06 PM (EST)

Here you go - I *sigh too everytime I look at this tub. There's a few at this site I would be happy with, but this tub is oohhh-la-la.
http://www.signaturehardware.com/class1145/2/S/A


Mangalicious by The Slice
09/25/2008 Bre left for Iraq
04/29/2009 Bre leaves Iraq

added an o

"RE: sigh"
Posted by frisky on 03-29-09 at 07:45 PM
*bookmarks for future covetage*

Thanks, Tummy.

I am a wrought-iron ho. I even have the wall-mounted candle holders like in the pic, but with more design on them. The rose colours in the tub's decorative iron and OMG even BUGMEAT embellishments...

WANT.


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"Maybe "
Posted by foonermints on 03-30-09 at 09:21 PM
If you just get this one, and water it, it'll grow.

~The Army of foonermints!

"RE: sigh"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 08:36 AM
HAHA. I totally thought of that episode when reading this.



"RE: sigh"
Posted by byoffer on 03-30-09 at 08:11 AM
Er, Frisky? I thought you were more about the tongue bath than water baths.


It's Bachelor Love, which is like Monopoly Money in that it has no actual value outside the game. - frodis

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 08:35 AM
By way of an explanation on getting rid of the tub.

While soaking and floating around last night I did some serious thinking about your comments and about replacing the tub.

We have a small water heater so in order to fill it I run the water for 5 minutes, then wait 20 minutes and finish filling it for another 3 minutes.

It's very old and there are spots where the glaze is wearing down. This has led to permanent staining that is impossible to clean.

The outside of the tub is painted a dark green as are the feet.

I have looked into getting it reglazed but it's expensive, requires redoing every 5 years or so (as we've been told) and you cannot use any abrasives or chemical cleaners on it. In my book, that is a pain in the a$$.

It's far too long which means that I have to rest my feet on the taps and it is uncomfortable. Without resting my feet I end up drowning.

We want to redo the bathroom and are going with oil bronze fixtures. I want the standalone hardware for the tub and that is just not possible if we keep the old tub.

So, the decision has been made to get a smaller cast iron, clawfoot.

But not the slipper design because I can't rest my arms on the sides to hold my book.

Such trauma in my little world.


And that tub ^up there^ is just too dreamy

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 03-30-09 at 09:34 AM
LAST EDITED ON 03-30-09 AT 10:01 AM (EST)

I was just coming here to add that I'm one also that thinks a tub can be too big. I had a garden tub once, it was so long and so wide that you couldn't stay stationary and relax. I could actually float in it but that's not a good book reading position.

You can't rest your arms in a slipper design? Good info to have in the future!

Have fun with the remodel MC!


Mangalicious by The Slice
09/25/2008 Bre left for Iraq
04/29/2009 Bre leaves Iraq

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 10:00 AM
The back on the one I was looking at is too high for me to comfortably rest my arms.

I thought maybe I could just hold the book with my elbows in the water but when I experimented last night I realized that would so not work.



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Snidget on 03-30-09 at 11:45 AM
That is why you need this

It will hold the book, the candle and the wine glass for you.


"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 03-30-09 at 11:53 AM
I had that and got rid of it, because when you want to sink into the water I was always hitting it with my knees. I tried different things but it was always in the way.


Mangalicious by The Slice
09/25/2008 Bre left for Iraq
04/29/2009 Bre leaves Iraq

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 11:55 AM
I saw one of those kits at "Tubs" this weekend. It came with a rubber ducky



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by samboohoo on 03-30-09 at 08:42 AM
Sounds like fun.

I hate our tubs. I grew up in a house with claw foots, and they were nice. And big. DH's old house had a nice tub, not a claw foot, but a nice one. We bought our current house in the middle of my pregnancy. The first time I took a bath, I knew immediately that something was wrong. I didn't really fit very well into the tub. I chalked it up to pregnancy weight. But then post pregnancy, I still didn't fit. We realized only then that our tubs in this house are not as wide as the one at the old house.

They also don't keep the water as warm as the tub at the old house.

I was very depressed about this until we added our hot tub. I still miss taking bubble bath, but I deal with it.


Interestingly enough, we have a restaurant here that uses an old claw foot tub for their salad bar: http://www.strawberrystreetcafe.com/menus.html

*smooches Agman*


"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 08:53 AM
Interestingly enough, we have a restaurant here that uses an old claw foot tub for their salad bar:

That made me go "ewwwww"



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by samboohoo on 03-30-09 at 08:54 AM
It wouldn't if you saw it in person. It's actually really cool.

*smooches Agman*


"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Prof_ Wagstaff on 03-30-09 at 09:15 AM
How about a Bathtub Madonna?


14 Carrot Sig by Tribephyl

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 10:02 AM
As we were cruising around "Tubs" showroom this weekend I noticed a disturbing trend that seemed to be emerging.

Are people actually buying urinals for their home bathrooms?



"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 03-30-09 at 11:41 AM
Well, that would solve the problem of the seat being left UP!


Mangalicious by The Slice
09/25/2008 Bre left for Iraq
04/29/2009 Bre leaves Iraq

"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by BlueIris on 03-30-09 at 11:53 AM
My dh has always wanted a urinal in our bathroom. Ick.
I never say a word about it, thankfully we don't have the space.
"RE: Bathtub Advice"
Posted by Maroonclown on 03-30-09 at 11:57 AM
My DH couldn't help himself.

He just had to go stand in front of the ones that were on display in the showroom.

Funny guy.