Your Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Selecting the Best Freestanding Bath for Your Needs

28th April 2020

Freestanding baths are a style statement, allowing your bathroom to look fabulous and elegant with hardly any effort. If you are indeed looking to replace your old and worn out bath with a new one or are in the midst of building a new home, the bath you choose needs to be the best according to your taste and preference, budget, theme, and functional and practical requirements. Freestanding tubs are an investment, and you would surely want your investment to be well worth it. Here, then, is your ultimate step-by-step guide to selecting the best freestanding bath for your needs.

Decide its position

The first step is to decide where you?ll place it. What do you think is the best position for it? Are you thinking of putting it in the centre, or one corner? This will depend on the shape and size of your room, and your options may be limited to a single place or several. If you have a window, this is a good place to install a freestanding bath as other fixtures such as toilets or washbasins don't often go well underneath windows. The same is true if you have a feature wall or alcove; placing your bath here is also a good choice.

Choose your material

The material you choose matters as you don't want the bath to be too heavy. Natural stone and cast iron, for instance, are heavier than materials like acrylic, and acrylic may also be better in terms of shapes and budget. If you aren't sure about your flooring?s strength, consult a structural engineer or builder so they can tell you if you need to strengthen your floors before installing your freestanding bath.

Select the style

The style will be based on what you prefer and what your theme is. If you have a contemporary theme, you?d do better with a modern-styled bath, for instance. You have a lot of choices ? from double-ended baths to single-ended ones, slipper baths, clawfoot baths and pedestal tubs. For a sleeker look, you can opt for egg-shaped baths, oval baths, and even round baths. It's also good to think about your room?s overall design as opposed to your entire home?s design ? if it could fit with your entire theme, this would be excellent as well.

Consider colour and that unique factor

Whilst white will always be a classic choice, you can opt for black freestanding baths, which may be brilliant as a feature on its own. But if you are looking for that extra unique factor that makes your bath stand out, you can go for an unusual or unique shape or material. Aside from popular materials like fibreglass or acrylic, ceramic or porcelain, you can also opt for copper or stainless steel, wood, marble, stone, or rock ? but make sure, as mentioned, that the material is suitable for your flooring.

Select the taps

Once you have decided on your bath, whether it's to be modern or traditional, it's time to select the taps. You can opt for taps that are mounted straight on the bath, which is cost-effective since you can fit them at the bath?s end or the centre but check the bath for the right taphole placement as well. You can go for taps on the floor or wall, although they can be more difficult to install. Chrome is an affordable option for the taps? finish, but you can also choose copper, brass, or silver nickel depending on your budget.