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Answers to Questions about Bathtubs

By: Robert Suroweic Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Your bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your house as it is the one place that you are likely to visit on a regular basis. This means that keeping your bathroom not only functional but attractive is likely to be a high priority. If your bathtub is looking worn and untidy you may need to make it look better, and since paint is not durable enough to provide cover for any significant amount of time, you may have to consider replacing it instead.

This is a major undertaking because of the way that a bathtub is normally installed in the bathroom. How you remove the old tub will depend upon the material that is it made out of.

First the walls will need to be stripped back to the studs. This is because the tub is fitted quite snug into its alcove and thus tipping it or turning it will be impossible without some extra room. In the rare case that there is room to maneuver, you may find it possible to slide the tub out.

All attachments will need to be removed. This includes faucets and drains, and anything else that will remain in place as well as attachments to the studs themselves. If the tub is steel or another suitably light construction it can then be lifted clear of its fixtures and slid out.

For a porcelain or cast iron tub it may prove too heavy to remove in one piece. Instead, with everything that cannot be removed from the bathroom covered up for safety, and the tub itself covered to reduce the amount of debris, it can be smashed. A heavy sledgehammer will break even cast iron baths, leaving the smaller pieces easier to remove than the intact tub.

Once removed the new tub can be slid into the place of the previous tub, and reinstalled by first fixing in place and then reattaching all of the plumbing fixtures. The walls and anything else from the bathroom that was removed can then be replaced.

You then have the choice of what to replace it with. You may choose a similar unit, or may choose something a little more modern such as a nice contoured fiberglass unit that provides alcoves for toiletries and other products.

Or else you may consider a whirlpool to sooth the stresses of your working day. This leaves you with the choice of water of air jet tubs, each of which has their pros and cons.

Water jets provide more direct, massaging pressure and so may be considered useful for a specific injury or problem that you need help with. Yet there are problems keeping these tubs clean as older models may hold water in the jets, which can grow bacteria. Newer models may have a flush facility to allow you to clean the jets before and after use.

Air jets on the other hand retain no water in the system and thus may be considered more hygienic than a water jet, but they do not provide such strong direct pressure. Instead they are useful for more overall massage, and are easier to clean.

A well maintained bathroom will be a joy to use for many years to come.