Buyer’s Guide: Freestanding Baths

A daring and often beautiful style statement, freestanding baths are becoming more popular in homes. Especially where the owners recognise that bathrooms are still rooms! They don’t have to skirt the edges of the room anymore, they can give their sanctuary a centrepiece. Freestanding baths give an elegant and sophisticated feel, as though you have stepped into a luxury retreat or a high-end spa. A freestanding bath is not only a practical solution but can also double as an incredibly elegant style statement that gives your bathroom an undeniable wow factor. However before taking the plunge, there are a number of important factors that you’ll need to consider. To help you choose the perfect freestanding bath which suits your home and style of bathroom suite, we’ve come up with this must read buyers guide!

Why choose Freestanding Baths?

One of the best things about freestanding baths is the great variety of designs and shapes that they come in. Many will have the image of a freestanding bath as a vintage fixture, with gold-plated taps and ornately carved claw feet, straight out of a Victorian aristocrat’s home. These types of baths are still popular, but freestanding baths are also available in more sleek and contemporary designs. With modern taps and no feet, just clean, minimalist lines. These baths can be narrow and shallow, better-suited to family homes where children will be bathing. Or they can be vast and deep for those evenings soaking in the bubbles surrounded by candles. There is also the option to install floor-mounted tap-ware beside a freestanding bath. This popular option is sure to set any bathroom apart and make it the envy of all who visit.

Freestanding Baths: Considerations

Size

There are a few things that need to be considered when looking at installing a freestanding bath. Firstly, they should be placed as close to the centre of the room as possible. There should be room to manoeuvre around the entire thing. This means that they are better suited to larger bathrooms. Being able to walk around the bath also means that it will be much easier to clean; positioning it near to a wall might mean that there are tough spots that are difficult to reach, which will accumulate dirt and lime-scale over time. One of the main areas freestanding bath buyers get caught out on is size. While standard bath sizes sit at 1700mm x 700mm, freestanding baths are generally larger and more luxurious, thus requiring a bigger space.

It’s also important to think about whether or not your boiler has the capacity to generate enough hot water to fill a larger bath in a reasonable amount of time. The best thing to do is check your boiler manual or call a plumber! If you’re opting for an extra-large heavy set bath, it is also advisable to contact your fitter. They will check that your floor joists are strong enough to support the weight.

Layout

While visual aesthetics are important, it’s also essential to consider the configuration of your drainage and plumbing when deciding where to place a freestanding bath. Functionality should also be taken into account. The placement of freestanding baths will need to allow enough space to easily slide in and out of the bath.

Style

Are you trying to create a chic, contemporary look or do you prefer the timeless class of traditional styles? Thankfully, there are a huge range of freestanding baths to choose from that suit every bathroom style. Models featuring clawed feet will serve as the centrepiece of a traditional bathroom while sleek, minimalist models emit a striking presence in contemporary homes.

Material

Lightweight, durable and warm to the touch, acrylic is by far the most popular choice for freestanding baths. The material is used to manufacture both budget models and premium quality designs. Indeed the more expensive options feature reinforced construction, double layer insulation and stylish designs. If you want a show stopping feature bath, cast iron and stone designs will give your bathroom an incredibly luxurious feel. However you need to keep in mind that they are much heavier.

Taps

Unlike conventional styles, many freestanding baths don’t cater for taps which means you may have to choose wall mounted or freestanding floor designs. The taps you choose can have a significant effect on the overall look of your bathroom. If possible, it’s advisable to choose the highest quality fixtures. Be sure to check the water pressure of your bathroom and choose taps that are powerful enough to efficiently fill your bath. There are also some extra plumbing costs involved with installing a bath in a different place within a room.

All bathrooms already have a dedicated place for bath drainage and plumbing, and moving this to the centre of the room will obviously incur extra costs. It is also important to remember that freestanding baths are often much heavier than built-in baths. If you are planning on installing a deep bath, try to verify the floor can handle the weight when the bath is full of heavy water.

After considering these five factors, you should be able to choose a freestanding bath that perfectly suits the style, size and functionality of your bathroom suite! Here at Bella Bathrooms we have a fantastic range of freestanding baths that can become the focal point for your dream bathroom space. For more help in choosing the correct bath for your space you may find our Buyers Guide to Baths an interesting and informative read.