Traditional Freestanding & Roll Top Baths

Choosing a Traditional Freestanding Bath

Choosing A Traditional Freestanding Bath
Selecting a freestanding bath for your bathing area is not a straight forward choice as you may think.
Firstly you will need to pick a preferred style to fit all the other influences within the bathroom area such as shower enclosure, sanitary ware, taps and tiles etc.

Bath Style Choices

Roll Top Baths
Baths with a roll top rim are a Victoria styling that has endured the 20th and 21st century and are more popular today than ever. Usually the preserve of traditional bathroom styling and made originally in cast iron, these baths are now available in stone resin and acrylic. These baths are generally raised off the floor on ornate feet in various designs with the ball and claw foot design being the most popular and well known.

Bateau Baths
The Bateau design is another Victorian design that is a more usual fitment for luxurious households when compared to the roll top. These baths in most cases consists of an outer skirt which sits flush to the floor which the bath inner sits seamlessly into all giving the impression of a one piece bath.

Single Ended Bath
A traditional single ended bath is a type of roll top bath which is styled to have one bathing end which is usually sloped to be more comfortable with the taps sited at the opposite end.

Double Ended Baths
Double ended is another term for a bath that is symmetrical and allows the same comfort of bathing both ends with the taps usually sited in the middle. This style of bath tub, especially in the larger sizes, is ideal for 2 people.
Slipper Baths
The slipper styling is actually a single ended bath but where the styling differs is the bathing end raises to embracing the bather, allowing a relaxing bathing experience. This type of bath is ideal for reading and relaxing.

Selecting Size of Bath
Traditional freestanding baths are available in many sizes to suit your bathroom and the size of the occupant or occupants but it is important visually to not select a bath that is too big or too small for the area. Generally if a bath is being positioned next to walls a minimum of 80mm should allowed as anything smaller tends to cramp the styling and if a floor standing tap is part of the design then the wall gap should be increase to accommodate.

Choosing The Right Bath Material

Cast Iron
There is a reason why there are so many cast iron baths still in service today that were fitted early in the last century. These bulletproof metal baths are extremely rigid and strong with the bath`s inside area having a stove enamel surface which is baked/fused to the cast iron which makes a very hardwearing and highly acid, impact and scratch resistant. A downside of these baths is they do cool the water quicker than other materials but this is more of an issue for long soakers and the hot water can always be topped up if required. Another issue to be aware of is cast iron is heavy, in many cases this is an advantage as it gives perceives quality but they can be more difficult because of the weight to get into position during the installation process.

Stone Resin
Stone resin as a material is used at the luxury end of the market because it is a more expensive material in its raw state. This material produces lovely quality baths and being produced from a mould allows many interesting designs to be achieved. Made from a mix of resins and mineral fillers these baths are reasonably heavy and similar to cast iron. They are also very rigid and solid to the knock which all adds to the perceived quality. The heat retention is better than cast iron and other metal baths but generally not as good as acrylic.

Polished Aluminium
Livinghouse offer a range of polished and painted aluminium baths with an acrylic inner which is bonded to the aluminium body. This produces a nice rigid bath and the heat retention is good. Weight wise they fit between stone resin and acrylic baths.

Acrylic
Acrylic is an interesting material for using in the manufacturing of baths. It has good heat retaining properties on the good side but it is not particularly scratch resistant, flexes, creaks and if too thin cracks. Livinghouse do not sell acrylic baths as we do not believe in the quality of the product for the above reasons. If you are looking to buy a bath in this material we would recommend you select the thickest and best quality acrylic possible and ideally make sure it is well reinforced.

Selecting Bath Outside Finish

Paint Finish
Traditional freestanding baths are available in many materials and also available in different outside finishes a well. Generally the Victorians painted their cast iron baths to fit in with the room's décor. This allows any colour to be selected which is ideal for matching in with the bathroom`s colour scheme. The paint needs to be suitable for the surface selected with an eggshell finish usually an ideal choice. The paint can be sprayed on but, brushed or using a paint roller proves to be just as good.

Polished Finish
Polished finished baths are where the outside of the baths are finished in a polished aluminium or stainless steel. These finishes are proving to be popular at the luxury end of the bathroom market. The look is similar to chrome which fits in well with chrome taps and brassware.