Freestanding baths, any thoughts ?

cb101

Hi

I'm thinking about redoing my bathroom which is a reasonable sized room and although I like the look and idea of a freestanding roll top bath I was just wondering how practical they really are, particularly when it comes to the use of a shower attachment. They always look lovely in the photographs but I just imagine any attempt to use a shower attachment sends water all over the room? or are the shower attachments just for "show" ?
I have a victorian cottage and so wanted a more traditional rather than modern bathroom but still wanted the option of having an over the bath shower?
Any thoughts/ideas?
Oh and I assume bidets are now 'out' ?

Thanks
C

keystone

Work well if you have the space but not with a shower. Plumbing actually very easy. Doing the flooring can be a nightmare though - particularly if its sheet vinyl!

Separate shower in the corner IMO.

Bidets are verrry passe dahling!

Cheers

phill99

I run a maintenance company and have been to 2 call outs wger people have had roll top baths with showers over and can't work out why water is coming through into their kitchens below. Reason: the shower attatchment was spraying water everywhere. If you want a roll top bath, have a separate shower enclosure. Showers over roll top baths are not good bed fellows!

jillymit

I'd love a roll top bath but don't have the room or the right house for it.

Showers do tend to ruin the look but I've seen this type of thing

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=2546

if it's done properly looks really stylish.

Edit: Not sure what the spade in the corner's for?

phill99

Sorry to say jillymits proposal doesn't work. One of the houses I was called out to had one of these and water still got outside of the curtain. For certainty, showers over roll top baths are not ideal.

House_Hunter

I've got a fresstanding bath with a shower attachment in our Victorian house...looks fantastic and is great!

I use a shower rail similar to this: http://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/Chrome-Oval-Curtain-Rail.aspx
(Got mine off ebay for ~£100)

Solid chrome, which is nice and matches our elavated cisten.

Though to be honest, when we get our bathroom re done in a few years - I will add a separate walk-in shower as well..but will keep the freestanding bath and shower - bathroom is ~3mx4m.

Prior to having the rail and curtain did have an incident with water going everywhere though - so be careful!

olias

Although they look great, and are really deep (I used to have one and really miss it). The problem I had was trying to clean the floor underneath and behind it - a real pain!

Olias

jillymit

phill99 wrote: »

Sorry to say jillymits proposal doesn't work. One of the houses I was called out to had one of these and water still got outside of the curtain. For certainty, showers over roll top baths are not ideal.

Oh well. I'd probably end up getting water everywhere when taking a bath as well Cadburys Flake style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLggnjbsqQ

Becles

I've been looking at baths and noticed you can get back to wall rolltops, so they fit along the back wall like a normal bath, but look like a roll top from the front.

We thought about it, but we have three children so they would probably cause a flood out of the front!

Ended up going for this bath:
http://www.plumb-point.co.uk/baths-154/tc-alverus-1700-x-8301.htm
It is wider and deeper than a standard bath so we can have a soak, but it can be fitted with a shower screen so the children will keep the water in the shower. Seemed like a good compromise

brig001

You could always make the bathroom into a wet room and then do away with the shower curtain completely - a simple glass screen would do. I wanted to do this in our bathroom, but it isn't a cheap solution and SWMBO didn't like it.

HTH,
Bri.

Norma_Desmond

We've got a rolltop with just the Victorian style 'telephone' shower / tap arrangement and it's fantastic for washing your hair in the bath.
Mind you, we've got a separate shower room in the house - I don't think I'd go for a full shower over the bath; too many risks of flooding as others have stated.
The bath is fabulous though - big and deep and of course does look great.