I posted something over in the Home Chat forum, but it got no responses. Basically, wife and I flirted with installing a clawfoot tub in placed of a shower tub that needs renovation due to water damage (resulting from failed tilework). While in Lowes, we made an inquiry and were told $3,000-5,000, not including Tax or S&H. Searched on the internet and found several suppliers of both castiron and man-made products starting at $1,100-1,350 delivered.
Has anyone replaced a modern shower-tub setup with a clawfoot tub, cast iron or otherwise? This would be going into a bathroom dedicated to on bedroom, which is not the master and the other bedrooms share a separate J&J bath. So, think of this bath, and the bedroom its dedicated to as a guest bath.
Replies
I put a clawfoot tub in my cabin but rather than pay the super-high prices you're finding, I bought mine from a roadside antique shop for $150. I'm guessing it was a horse trough in a past life. Paid another $200 to have it spruced up and it's served me well ever since.
I see them used, everyday for about $50-100. I know where three are right now.. 2+3=7
I certainly do not mind buying an old one, having it sandblasted and re-enameled, etc., but I wouldn't know where to begin--both in terms of finding a tub and finding someone that can re-enamel it once cleaned.
Time to take the wife...or whomever...for a nice country getaway and keep your eyes peeled.
Shoot Eric Paulsen (what the heck is his screen name?) an email ([email protected]) . I think he has a nice old CI tub that may be just sitting there. Long drive but...
PaulB
EEAASSYY!!!!!!!!
My wife fell in love with it.
Cleaned and polished it, save for a few small chips it sweeeeet!
It's in dry dock well protected. It's going in the "house" someday.
Hey, lets put in your truck and go through the car wash and see what happens!!!
Eric[email protected]
It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
I would think that the extent of the plumbing goes hand and hand with what one is willing to tolerate in exposure. I already have hot/cold lines coming out of the wall and a drain going into the floor. The whole idea behind clawfoot tubs are exposed mechanicals, which probably resulted during the period in history when mechanicals in the home was something new, and to be shown off.
As such, I wonder if I could trancate the existing plumbing just before the shower faucet (in the wall), thus removing the faucet, etc., and simply find some chrome, nickel, or brass flexible piping to act as an interconnect to the tub's fixture. Since this is more show than use, I am certainly open to a 120-pound acryllic verion of the clawfoot tub if I cannot find four laborers to lift or I cannot produce sufficient subfloor support.
Because of the condition of the bathroom at hand (as it now exists), its already requiring a completely new re-tiling around the shower. And since I'd be re-tiling that portion of the bath, its everything else too in that room, and the idea would be to use some much larger tiles.
LOL... Great idea, at least then we could spot the thief by the testicle rolling out of his pants leg.
the problem with refurbing tubs is that "re-enameling" is not enamel but is application of a paint-ish coating. the original enamel was applied by coating the inside with glass powder and heating the tub to 1200 degrees F. (norm went to the kohler factory on one episode). i have never seen an applied coating that was as slick and hard as the original enamel, and coatings have a tendency to peel or lift.
the problem with refurbing tubs is that "re-enameling" is not enamel but is application of a paint-ish coating. the original enamel was applied by coating the inside with glass powder and heating the tub to 1200 degrees F. (norm went to the kohler factory on one episode). i have never seen an applied coating that was as slick and hard as the original enamel, and coatings have a tendency to peel or lift.
Which is why I felt that instead of spending $400-500 trying to refubish one might be moot if one can get one delivered for $1,100-1,350. There is no way I'd pay $3,000-5,000.
Has anyone tried the non-cast iron units? Much lighter and not as cold to the touch. I think they weight only 120 pound or so.
While you're at the pricing, look for numbers on the plumbing fixtures. This will quickly raise the total. Also, consider the possibility of going whole hog and running the shower head/curtain track. More $ but for guests, maybe something to consider.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
re: re-enamled ..
had an old one re-enamled (inside only, sand-blasted and spray painted outside) cost about 400 cdn, you have to call around but some guys are set up to do it .. they use large radiant heat units and the whole tub glows. But thats only 1/4 of the cost, nice, not the el cheapo taps, drain, overflow, shower ring, shower riser, etc really add up .. try to get one with fixtures you will like if you clean them up, chromed feet are also a very expensive extra so look for them as well ..
I wonder if anyone has thought about having one powder coated that stuff is pretty d*mn tough.
Anybody looking for a claw foot tub?
All you have to do is drive around and find one partialy burried in the front lawn, dont steel the virgin Mary though, that would be sacraligious!
Doug
i think powdercoating requires the item being coated to be magnetized. i dont think you can magnetize cast iron, and if you can, the original porcelan probably would act as an insulator. other than that, it might just work
Cast-iron is a ferrous metal, and therefore easily magnetized. If you don't believe me chuck a magnet on your table saw.That however is not the way the paint sticks in powder coating. It's the powder itself that is electrostatically charged, which then draws itself to the object to be painted. The powdered paint is then heated and melted on to the part. Any type of metal can be powder coated as well as some non-metallic materials. There are are even powder coating processes for wood, both pigmented and transparent, that are used on cabinets and prefinished flooring. Powder coating paints are available in colors that will blow your mind. Picture that bathtub painted in high-gloss purple metal flake. If that doesn't hustle the visitors out of the guest room, nothing will!The small powder coating companies, especially the ones that paint motorcycle frames for bikers, will be more willing to give you custom colors unless you want standard hand railing white. They will also be able to tell you, if painting a bathtub is a good idea.
I see them used, everyday for about $50-100. I know where three are right now.
WHERE!!!???-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WWPD
I've got one in NY that I would take $100 for in a minute. Interested?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
on what floor of the walk-up is it on? bet its the top with 4 stories of winders to get it out the door.
james
Cast iron clawfoot in the upstairs bathroom, as well as a showerstall. All tile floor & walls up to chairrail height, the showerstall has 3 walls & the ceiling tiled. Use epoxy grout and the water just beads up (I'm paranoid about water dripping down to the first floor).A Manlift or tubs of Zubbles? A Manlift or tubs of Zubbles? Decisions, decisions.
call a place that sells antiques. A big one will have 5 or six cast iron claw foot tubs. they come in three lengths, 54 (too short for most) , 60" (most common and a good bet) and bigger (66?) too big to fill with water. An example of the kind of place you need is Art and Architecture in Minneapolis. You could call them and ask them if they know of a place in GA - you are in GA, yes? These kinds of places get stuff that gets pulled out of demolishing houses. Claw foots at Art and ARchitecture go for 50-300. Very good shape, just have to clean them. Fixtures will run you another 300-3000, depending. Check out examples in homeexpo.com. They have some nice and reasonably priced ones. Good luck!
Thanks Wanda.I will look into something like that. It never occured to me.
Ironically 54" was what we were looking for so maybe it won't be difficult to track one down.
Thanks again-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WWPD
I installed one recently - brand new, cost a fortune, and took 4 of us to lift in. Had to put blocking between the joists to spread the weight. Then of course there's the fancy supply fixtures, and the fact you'll need a circular shower rail or separate shower. And if you use underfloor heating leave plenty of room where the supply and waste will be.
Oh, and the dust bunnies have a wonderful place to hide.
Put the 'all-in' $7000 towards something less romantic and definitely more useful ("Aw, honey, if I get a boat I can catch us some fish..."), or find 2nd hand and ignore all the negatives.
All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
Not surprised that the folk at the gig blue box would hiball you that way.
However, I'd likely quote you a similar (and larger) price, just not for the plumbing fixtures.
Why? Well, first off, there's the retiling. When you rip the floor up, and tile into the exisitng wall, you have a big, giant, "might as well as" of putting a pan in; which then gegs the question of a floor drain.
Why a floor drain? Because almost all of these tubs will spit some water on the floor. Almost no one who showers in a cft, will stop and run a mop arround afterwards (and those that do are often frustrated by the lack of mop space--catch-22).
This does not mean it can't be done, and done quite elegantly. Just that, all of the sudden, you have most of the floor ripped up, the walls around the tub are bare to studs up to where the new tile wainscot goes in, the pluming is being repaired/moved/upgraded . . .
Drop-in shower-tub suddenly is much simpler <weary btdt grin>
Calvin & CapnMac,
It was actually a fixture set at Lowes that caught our attention. $300 for the faucets, spout-head, and metal-hose spray handle for $307. Of course this didn't include the traditional shower head and stem pipe, nor the fancy piping from the exterior of the tub to the house plumbing, but this seemed reasonable.
Some of you mentioned about the loading. Sure, 240-pound cast iron pointing to four very small, and very specific places on the floor might be a concern. This leads into another question: pedestal-base tubs and non-cast-iron clawfoot tubs. Pendastal tubs spread the loading, and non-cast-iron units are only 120 pounds.
BTW, we were thinking of not installing a shower stem and head. This is to give psychological reason to have the guest leave sooner, rather than later, but still give a somewhat appealing visual to the next homeowner.
Good to know about the quick exit in case any of us are down that way.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
If you bring the tools we'll even consider letting you borrow the shower in one of the other bedrooms. Haha
oh man, the number of working vacations I've been offered. If I had a dollar.............A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
we were thinking of not installing a shower stem and head
Cool, much less complicated.
A person could make a case that soaking in a tub could actually help persons coping with the stresses of travel, visiting, etc. (while also not letting them get, ahem, too comfortable <g>)
Now, visually, you may need either a furr down or other lowered ceiling (the tub, often in a nitche, can appear to be at the end of a great long shaft-like 'thing'). Often, a curtain rod and partial curtain is used, even without a shower, just for the visual effect.
Either way really will work. That, or run two bandstexturescolors of tile around the tub.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
We recently installed a fiberglass claw foot tub. Don't know what it weighed, but one person could lift it. The only problem, it had to be attached to the floor because empty it would slide if you bumped it. It looked nice, and i think i came from Lowe's
You think it came from Lowes?
The client on this job purchased all the materials, and I was on another site when it was delivered. I can call him if you want to know.
I'd be more curious if it was one of those $3-5K deals, or something much less harmful to the wallet.
Well, I called the client, he didn't give the exact price, but it was in the $3000 to $4000 range. After you add chrome feet, drain assembly, and valve with showerhead. Rediculously over priced in my book for a fiberglass tub. I thought it would have been cheaper. Sorry not much help.
A google on Acrlic claw foot tub got lots of hits.Here is one supplier, looks like they start around $1100, plus fittings.http://www.vintagetub.com/productsearch.aspx?categoryID=84&categoryID2=120&utm_id=ID122
Hey Bill, you found the same website I did last week. There are several out there, and it looks like I'll be going the Internet route. My only concern is that its 'Internet' and haven never done this kind of business before with an unknown its a mental obstacle.
I am surprised that Lowes and Home Depot would rather kill their concept of price-competitiveness and sell $3-5K name-brand only products than consider one of these companies as an OEM supplier for a store-brand alternative. Its one thing if I were walking into a Home Depot Expo center (meaning I have more money than brains), but this is a practice they need to walk away from for the mass market consumers.
I guess the higher-ups at HD are too focused on the Falcons losing so much that its distracting them from common business sense in other areas. Hah
Hey Bill, my wife reminded me that good friends of ours happened to perform the same project in their master bathroom a little while back. So, I sent an email to him and sure enough it is exactly what he did. He sent me a picture of his setup, and he bought from Vintage Tub and Bath, too.Anyway, he sent me a link on the tub he bought, and a picture of the end result. I noticed the tub itself, delivered, with white feet was ~$1K, but I gather the fixtures he used doubled that final cost. Still, I like how his turned out.
i had bought an awesome 5' clawfoot circa 1919 from a Architectural Salvage place, but a friend a talked me out of my big remodel idea. I wish I never listened to him... Have a custoemr re-doing her old cape and she is putting all old fixtures in. We actually found her an original American Standard pedastal sink, it was on the curb in my neigborhood. Saved her about 300 bucks as that's what they go for here in good condition. She bought an old tub around her neck of the woods. Sits in big iron bed type thing, not on clawfeet.There is nothing like a bath in one of those old babies. I grew up in an old house that had 'em and I miss em.That being said, we did a remodel for someone who had us pull out a cast iron tub with the full apron to the floor. They put in one of those new-fangled acrylic clawfoots, a "slipper" tub.If a reproduction resemblance is satisfactory, then I guess that'll work for you. I don't think they are the same, they look like new and like they are trying to be something they aren't. But I confess, as a former antique dealer, I'm kind of a snob with that kinda thing. They are much lighter though, that's fer sure. But I think they paid around $1500.00+ for theirs, they bought it online.I got my little clawfoot baby for 150.00 and she was as smooth as the day she rolled out of the factory. So if you want the real thing, I'm sure you can find one if you shop around. Also, I had checked into the workability of new fixtures with the old tub and I had no problem finding matches for the holes. And yes, you need to place it far enough from the wall to allow clean-up access to the floor. I never used a shower when I was a kid, but someone I know said he did and he had to use the shower curtain on a hoop thing and hated it, said the curtain would never quite cover your back end and would wrap around your wet skin like a wrapper. I dunno, guess that's personal taste.
Nuke,
I got a cast iron tub for my new Bathroom addition at http://www.clawfootsupply.com. I would recommend these folks. They have a lot of tubs in stock, both cast iron and acryllic. I got the tub 2 days after I ordered it.
The tub we got is about 300 lbs. Once you add water and a person your geeting to the point that you need to make sure the floor system is engineered to handle the load. My contractor doubled up the floor joists in the Bathroom and added blocking.
I think if you go with an antique type clawfoot tub you need to carry the design through to the whole Bathroom. We bought an antique dresser to convert into a vanity (see attached). Bathroom walls will have Beadboard. Large windows will have elegant curtains. You get the idea.
Edited 12/30/2005 3:42 pm ET by MikeK
I just did this very thing for a customer last month. We had to re-plumb the supply and drain lines. New tile of course. And it was on the second floor. It took 4 guys to get up and around. It will be a beautiful bath as soon as the vessel vanity goes in.
I'd be glad to give you a small claw foot tub that I need to get rid of, but I'm afraid you'll have to come get it in Southern Colorado.
Life and suffering are inseparable.
Keep an Eye on the width of the plumbing fixtures compaired to the original holes. We did a tub and didn't realise that the tap and the holes in the tub were different sizes.......
Ditto on the antique ones. I got a 6 foot one for $100, re-glazed it for another $200, brassed the feet for $300 and added new hardware and a shower diverter and cage for about $600. Looks terrrific.
Regards,
Scooter
"I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow." WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
I just putin a clawfoot cast iron tub, 60in. bought from Lowes for less than 1200.
Barclay brand.
Someone there is playing with your head.
Stef