Baths

Baths can be divided into several categories, depending on their shape and size, and what they are made of. If you don’t want a rectangular bath, there are several different corner bath options. An offset corner will fit into a corner in a roughly triangular shape so that the belly of the bath is much wider than the tap end, whereas a true corner bath has two equal length sides.

Shower baths are a great space-saving option when you are looking for a generous showering area, and still want a bath, but have no room for a separate shower enclosure.

Freestanding baths require no panelling or building in but you might like to think about more decorative pipework to the taps and from the overflow and waste, since all of this could be on show.

Acrylic Baths

Acrylic is a lightweight modern material which is easily moulded to produce delicate and detailed bath designs, yet is strong and durable. You can forget any reliability worries you once had about creaking and wobbly baths, because acrylic baths these days are generally reinforced in such as way that the baseboard is an integral part of the bath.

Most baths come with fully adjustable feet and if you fix simple wooden battens to the wall for the bath to fit to, you should hopefully reduce the amount of movement and therefore avoid the need to keep resealing the bath to your tiles.

Perhaps one of the best things about acrylic though is that it is relatively warm to the touch and hot water entering the bath keeps its temperature so you can enjoy a long relaxing soak.

Freestanding acrylic baths with roll-top edges or baths which sit in stylish cradles are becoming more popular as an alternative to the more usual rectangular style, which are designed to be built in with panels or tiled fronts.

Cast Iron Baths

Cast iron baths have got a personality all of their own, and what makes one person love them will be what someone else hates about them! They are extremely heavy, more than 100kilos on average, so your bathroom floor will have to be strong enough to take the weight of the bath, the bath water and you!

The bath interior, although a glossy white enamel, is rippled and dimpled, and may contain the odd black spec or two, while the exterior is rough, black and grainy (although once you prepare and paint it, it can be as smooth as you want). As the name suggests, it is made of metal, so it is cold to the touch and may reduce the temperature of the water at first, although it acts as a great insulator when it is filled with hot water and bubble bath!

Although cast iron baths are available in rectangular sizes to be built in with panels or tiled fronts, the most popular are freestanding baths with roll top edges or high-back slipper baths, all of which receive the really dramatic treatment with ornate ball & claw feet, although mixing contemporary styles with traditional materials is also proving a popular choice.

Baths

What type of bath do I choose?

Baths can be divided into several categories, depending on their shape and size, and what they are made of. If you don’t want a rectangular bath, there are several different corner bath options. An offset corner will fit into a corner in a roughly triangular shape so that the belly of the bath is much wider than the tap end, whereas a true corner bath has two equal length sides.

Shower baths are a great space-saving option when you are looking for a generous showering area, and still want a bath, but have no room for a separate shower enclosure.

Freestanding baths require no panelling or building in but you might like to think about more decorative pipework to the taps and from the overflow and waste, since all of this could be on show