Pros & Cons of Bathtub Materials, Mistakes to Avoid While Selecting a Bathtub Material For Your Bathroom? Are you bothered about what your bathtub should be made of? That is quite understandable as it is one of the most important features of a house. It can be confusing getting the right over with the right material for you. This is why we have put the details of several kinds of bathtub materials together, with their good sides and not so great qualities.
- Fibreglass: (reinforced plastic). A fibreglass bathtub is made of layers of fibreglass put together into the desired shape with a coating of gel coat resin.
Pros
- The bathtub is a very affordable kind of bathtub
- It has a very lightweight
- It is easy to handle, install or repair
- It comes in different shapes and sizes
Cons
- They are not thick and flex easily making them unstable and sometimes, porous.
- That don’t last for very long. With a finish that can easily wear off or scratch and crack
- Porcelain.
Porcelain steel is another material used in making bathtubs. The bathtub is formed with a thin steel sheet and layered with porcelain enamel.
Pros
- The tubs can be easily maintained and cleaned
- They have a very durable and shiny finishing
- They blend in well if users want to replace tubs of fibreglass with them
Cons
- They are very much heavier than fibreglass
- The tubs are usually slippery.
- If not handled properly, the surface area can rust or chip off easily.
- That do not come in many shapes and sizes
- Ceramic
Ceramic (made of clay) tiles are formed together and used to produce tubs
Pros
- They are not expensive
- They are stylish, coming in a wide range of options based on sizes and shapes
Cons
- They are not easy to maintain as maintenance costs much.
- Acrylic
Bathtubs of acrylic are made up of vacuum-formed acrylic sheets under which are sheets of fibreglass for reinforcement.
Pros
- They are heat resistant, mildew resistant and can be easily maintained
- Acrylic tubs are not porous and do not absorb lots of water
- They are also available in various colours and sizes like the fibreglass tubs
Cons
- These tubs are a bit pricy compared to their like- the fibreglass tubs
- Their finishings do not last very long
- Cast iron
These tubs are made with molten iron, moulded into desired shapes and coated with a dense layer of enamel material.
Pros
- The tubs are very durable
- They retain heat greatly
- They are also available in various colours and shapes
- They have a great finishing that is scratch and chip resistant.
Cons
- They can be very heavy
- That do not come cheap on the market too
- Copper
Many sheets of copper in its pure form are used in making copper bathtubs. The copper sheets are hit and formed into the bathroom shapes.
Pros
- Very attractive on the market, if found, these tubs carry great appeal like the cast iron tubs
- They are also very durable with a finish that is highly resistance to scratch and chipping
- Maintaining copper tubs is very easy
Cons
- That can be very rare on the market
- They are also very heavy like cast iron tubs
- Cultured Marble
With a combination of crushed limestone and resins, bathtubs of cultured Marble are designed. They carry a certain Roman appeal with their finishing of gelcoat layers.
Pros
- The bathtubs made of cultured marble retain heat easily
- They are easily maintained and repaired
- They also come in a variety of designs
Cons
- They are usually heavy
- They can be pricy
- Cleaning has to be done carefully and constantly else, it could begin to lose colour
- Stone resin
Stone resin tubs are designed with materials to mimic natural stone.
Pros
- They are luxurious and highly patronised on the market
- They are very durable and resistant to a lot of properties unlike other tubs
- Recycling is possible, 100%
Cons
- They can be very expensive
- Wood
A variety of wood materials are used to make bathing as desired.
Pros
- They can be luxurious and satisfying
- They can be custom-made into many shapes and sizes
Cons
- They are not very popular and are highly pricy, considering all the logistics involved in making them
- They are not durable
Mistakes to Avoid While Selecting a Bathtub Material For Your Bathroom?
Bathtubs are the flavor of at least one bathroom in nearly all homes. But you cannot put a single type of bathtub in all bathrooms. It is because they can make or break the aesthetics of the entire bathroom. As such, you need to do a study on available bathtub materials and which one best fits at your place.
So how do you come up with the best bathtub material for your bathroom? There is no one correct way of ensuring your choice was the best. But you are sure to improve on your selection by avoiding some of the common mistakes that people commit when deciding on a bathtub. Some of these frequent errors are:
Committing to a Material Without Assessment
The first step to figuring out one of the better choices for a bathtub is to check for the materials readily available to you. A mistake that most people make is that they commit to a bathtub material without finding out if it is available in the market. Some of the most used bathtub materials are:
- Enamel
- Marble
- Acrylic
- Fiberglass
- Stone
You may find some other bathtub materials around your neighborhood, but these are the common types of bathtubs available in most places. It is advisable to make a trip to the marketplace or do some online surfing before settling on a bathtub material.
Fixed vs Movable Bathtubs
Depending on your requirement, you may opt for either a fixed bathtub place or one you can move around a bit. If you wish to have it fixed in place, you should consider a hard material that blends with the surroundings. One example of such a bathtub is stone, which gets cast in its spot and is then immovable.
But if you would like a variable spot for the bathtub, it is better to consider a lighter material that is easier to push or drag. An example of a lightweight tub is one made from fiberglass. But the fiberglass bathtubs have their drawbacks that you should consider before settling for one.
Not Accounting for Bathroom Space
Bathroom space is one of the major factors that decide the material for the bathtub it holds. Some bathtub materials make for compact yet comfortable shapes, while others need more room to make bathing truly enjoyable. The reason is that some tubs are better with flatter walls, and others make for a curvy shape.
Materials such as acrylic, wood, or stone give a solid foundation to the bathtub, but they need their compartment inside the bathroom. A tub with a solid surface such as porcelain is more flexible and can be variable in shape to fit within smaller spaces.
Choosing a Standard Bathtub Shape
You can get a bathtub installed according to a specific shape that better suits your bathroom. You need not go for the standard bathtub design if it does not fit. Going with the same design may end up being more inconvenient than helpful in the long run.
You should try and be more creative with the structure of the bathtub. It will help you utilize the space in your bathroom as well as make the tub itself more comfortable.
Conclusion – Mistakes to Avoid
There is a lot to choose from when finalizing the material and design of a bathtub. You should not limit yourself to existing ideas and be more creative towards getting something that suits your bathroom environment.