OVE Natalie Freestanding Tub with Athena Faucet Tub Dimensions 70L x 34. W x 30HFaucet Can Be Deck, Wall or Floor Mounted Faucet Has Chrome Finish With Brass. How To Install A Freestanding Shower And Tub' title='How To Install A Freestanding Shower And Tub' />Which is Right for You Bathroom fixtures have come a long way over the past few decades. Specifically, bathtubs have gone from being a purely functional fixture to having the capacity to be the focal point of a bathroom. In fact, there are so many options beautiful, stylish, and practical options out there that it can be hard to choose what bathtub is right for you. The following is the Departments 1991 title III ADA regulation published July 26, 1991, which should continue to be used until March 14, 2011. Do you love the exposed curves of a freestanding tub Would you prefer the space saving design of a built in View in gallery. Before you make your decision, wed recommend you read this article, where we compare freestanding tubs and built in tubs in a variety of categories. Youll not only get inspiration from some gorgeous photos, but youll also gain some insight about which tub might ultimately be the right fit for you and your bathroom space. Enjoy DEFINITIONS View in gallery. Freestanding or Free Standing Tub A freestanding tub is a bathtub that is finished on all sides and is able to stand alone. Often, freestanding tubs are more like furniture than an actual bathroom fixture, although they function in the same way as built in tubs. View in gallery. Built In and Drop In Tub A built in tub including the drop in style is a bathtub that is unfinished on at least two sides but finished on the top edge and must be installed against a wall or within a pre built tub surround or enclosure. As evidenced by their name, this type of bathtub is architecturally inherent in the bathroom design. SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISONS OF FREESTANDING VS. BUILT IN TUBS View in gallery. Cost This one depends entirely upon the bathtub design and the tub and faucet materials chosen. Freestanding tubs have, in the past, been more of a high ticket item, but more recently they have become much more affordable. View in gallery. The surround for a built in tub can be expensive and certainly add to the overall cost of the fixture, whereas the freestanding tub requires no additional surround. View in gallery. Plumbing can be more expensive for freestanding tubs, however, because the plumbing might move and is harder to hide than the plumbing for built ins. View in gallery. Spatial Efficiency For the most part, this one goes to the built ins. Freestanding tubs simply take up more space than built ins, due to the space required around the tub itself and the faucet constraints. Floor mount faucets tend to take up more space than wall or deck mounted faucets. View in gallery. Capacity for ShowerTub Combo In general, built ins take this category, although freestanding tubs have been known to pull off the showertub combo just as well. Built in tubs, however, are often and can be easily combined with a wall mounted shower fixture, and its hard to argue with two fixtures for the real estate of one. View in gallery. View in gallery. Flexibility in Placement Freestanding tubs win this, hands down. Because of their all sided finish, freestanding tubs can be placed anywhere even in the center of the bathroom, if so desired. Built in tubs are constrained to bathroom corners or alcoves. View in gallery. Bathtub Tray Potential This one is a draw. Both bathtub styles have finished top edges, so as long as there is enough of an edge to balance and support a bathtub tray, this fine accessory will work in either case. View in gallery. Decorative Impact This one might be arguable, depending on ones personal aesthetic, but freestanding tubs win by nature of their inherent capacity to make a very strong almost sculptural visual statement. View in gallery. Standing alone, not one aspect of the freestanding tub blends in with the rest of the bathroom, which easily makes them the focal point of the entire bath space. View in gallery. Storage Accessibility Because a freestanding tub appears its best when given space to breathe, a bathers access to storage within arms reach is typically compromised. Of course, this can be remedied with the use of bathtub trays and other creative means. But, in general, built in bathtubs take this category. View in gallery. Installation Constraints Freestanding tubs can be very heavy think cast iron, which may require reinforced flooring. It should be noted, however, that several lighter weight options are available as well, including fiberglass, which is also the least expensive and easiest to install option. View in gallery. Plumbing placement may also be an issue, if youre trying to retrofit a freestanding tub into a space where there hasnt been one before. View in gallery. For these reasons, although built ins come with their own installation and construction constraints, were going to say built ins are generally an easier installby a slim margin. View in gallery. Alternative Accessibility Built in bathtubs can be designed to be walk in bathtubs, which is an important feature for elderly or disabled bathers. View in gallery. Style Factor This is a draw, depending on what look youre after. Built in bathtubs can be designed with any type and style of materials, which means they can be customized to blend in with or stand out from the rest of the bathroom design. Freestanding tubs, though, are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles think vintage clawfoot or streamlined modern design, making them high on the style factor scale as well. Battlefield 3 Crack Only Reloaded Tested Variable. View in gallery. View in gallery. Vintage Vibe Freestanding tubs, of course. Does anything feel more luxuriously vintage than a clawfoot tub View in gallery. Modern Aesthetic Freestanding tubs win by a margin here. Because theyre now available in so many styles and shapes, the visual appeal of an organic modern freestanding tub is hard to beat with even the most contemporary built in design. View in gallery. Spa Feel This ones a toss up. Freestanding tubs provide immediate presence to a bathroom and have give off a special, pampering vibe. Theyre called soaking tubs for a reason. But built ins can be luxurious in their surround, fully equipped with candles and loofahs and whatever a bathing heart might desire. Heads or tails. View in gallery. WEIGH IN. What style of bathtub do you prefer freestanding or built in Do you think one wins for aesthetics and the other for functionA Shower Installation. Installing A Composite Showers and Tub Showers. Our patented A showers have a four piece sectional design that integrates smoothly into any bathroom environment, including small spaces with a tight layout, without the need for caulking. Watch our video for simple planning and installation guidelines.