Anyone have experience with installing a walk-in bathtub?
I’ve got a walk-in tub coming in a few weeks for an older client’s bathroom remodel, and I know it’s gonna be a little trickier than a regular tub.
The plumber will do the plumbing, but I’m mainly wondering about getting the whole thing in and ready to go.
It’s 1/2″ wider than the doorways currently, so I could pull the door jambs out to bring it through, but there’s also a pocket door which may take a little more demo to get it through. I’ll be punching out through the exterior wall to put in a new set of windows right above the tub. Since I’ve got to add a header and reframe for the window, I’m wondering whether it might just be easier to open up the whole ceiling to floor space where the window will be and bring in the tub through there and skip any door/trim/drywall fixes bringing it through the house.
I know my questions are kind of vague, I’m not even sure what I’m asking….guess I’m just looking for any advice from anyone who’s put one in before. Prep, plumbing, finish, moving, whatever…I’ll take any advice, e.g. “bring 4 guys and steel toe boots”
Paul
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Learn more about the pros and cons of single-room ERVs.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
Depending on the type of siding the window may be the way to go, if you don't need to remove the siding off half the house. I got my 4x6 tub in that way with three helpers but it was through a 4x4 window alot easier. Me I would remove the door and jamb.
Wallyo
what ever happens take pics and report back.
had one job with one fall thru ...
but thinking that market will probably grow.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Well the tubs don't seem to make sense when you stop to think about them for five minutes. You have to fill the tub after you get in, wait for it to drain before you get out. Would make more sense to spend the money on a tub lift.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
You make a point, Dan. But I'm thinking there are a lot of folks out there who would put up with that minor inconvenience to be able to have a bath when they wanted instead of waiting for someone to be there to make sure they don't fall. They're not so incapacitated they need a lift contraption, but they have a hard time getting into a tub even with grab bars and stabilizers.
Maybe they took a spill and the family understandbly freaked and insisted they not use the tub unless a caregiver/relative is around. So they're stuck with having to ask for help for this simple task. Imagine a largely independent senior walking into the bathroom and having to use a tub lift - bet that would end their soaking days.
Don't mean to take you to task - just another viewpoint. My husband is interested in one of these (not elderly, but COPD, arthritis & bad knees), so I'll be following the comments with interest.
But if someone is too incapacitated to get into a regular tub then they probably are unsafe in one of these units -- one slip and they're under water and invisible.At the very least there absolutely MUST be a tempering valve installed feeding the controls, so that scalding risk is minimized.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Excellent points, both. But I seem to remember that some units have an emergency open feature from inside (assuming the person in conscious). Water everywhere, but better than drowning!
My thinking along the subject is to make it easier for the moderately incapacitated to use the tub and minimize their risks of falling or straining.
But like I said, an electric tub lift would do the same, for about the same money.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Yeah, I guess so. I'm operating on the "one more rung down the latter" point of view. You know...first you have to get bifocals, then you have to listen more carefully to make out a conversation if there's lots of background noise, you can't lift quite as much as you used to. You just deal with it on a year to year basis.
My not-elderly husband is now tethered to an oxygen tank and can't do many of the household tasks he once did easily. He uses the powered carts in the stores, too, and cheerfully deals with it. We are both aware that time is taking it's toll. But I don't want him to be the captive of a machine when there's an option for him to get into the blasted tub on his own power.
I just think, if it were me, that I'd walk into my bathroom and see that contraption and think, well, it won't be long now....
Yeah, I have polio/PPS and risk a sudden downhill at any moment, so I think about this stuff a lot. I suppose it might be different if I were a tub guy, but I prefer showers in the first place so my first choice would be a sitdown shower. After that I'd try to plan ahead and not go for the short-term solution.Besides, there's no room in our house for that tub anyway.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
You know, if I could get my husband to be a shower guy it would be a great solution, as our master bath only has a shower. He likes the bath because it helps ease aches and pains and uses the guest bath. I like the shower because it's quicker and our tub is not especially comfortable.
We might have room for a smaller, walk-in tub, and possibly a lift. Let's assume for a minute that we decide against both for now and want to add a deck mount tub that gives him the soak he likes for as long as he can get in and out. What would be your suggestions as to how to make it more comfortable to use as well as safe? As a designer, I'm familiar with ADA requirements and guidelines, but they're only a starting point. It helps to have input from someone who faces the same problems.
BTW, about 14 years ago my sweet border collie crashed into me during play time and broke my left tibial plateau (big bone just below the knee) nearly clean across. I didn't get a cast because of the fear of arthritis (did get plate/screws), but my dr. said I could not stand on that leg for 3 months. Those 3 months I spent with a walker and a wheelchair started me thinking about how we design our world. I just couldn't get into a tub for 6 months. I'm thankful everyday for my good health and mobility!
Like I said, I'm not really a tub person, so can't make much in the way of recommendations. Also, my problem is primarily weakness vs arthritis-like stiffness, so the optimal adaptations would be different. Eg, I can with relative ease bend my leg to take a tall (eg, 15") step, but I don't then have the strength to actually lift my body and actually step up. Someone with, say, Parkinson's would likely have the strength to take a 15" step but could never bend the joints enough to take more than a 3-6" step.
These differences affect how big you make steps, how many grab bars you have and where they're placed, etc.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
why exactly do you care if some old person wants to buy a walk-in tub?
did one of your parents recently inquire about this and yer afraid they're gonna spend your inheritance?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I care whether someone wastes their money on such a tub (that won't suit their needs) when the money would be better spent on a roll-in shower or a tub lift. My wife has heard of a couple of elderly folks who got the tubs and then found them impractical to use.(And why do you care what I care, anyway?)
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
because you seem pretty set on how other customers should spend their money and how other contractors should limit their products offered.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Walk in tubs look good in pictures but I don't give them much long-term promise for the same reasons you've outlined. Five years from now questions will come up on the boards on how to remove or renovate these, I'll lay odds. Sitting there waiting for one to fill is bad enough but waiting for it to drain so you can get out sounds like a real pain in the *ss in my opinion. Disabled or not, you don't need that frustration.
I'm kind of with you on this. It seemed crazy to me that you have to be in the tub already, bare and shivering, before filling it up. It does have a hand sprayer so if it were me I'd grab that thing and start running it over myself as soon as the water reached a good temp while I'm sitting there.But Susie's got the right idea: this lady is as cool as can be. 80+ and still spitting bullets. Her family is helping her live out her remaining years in the comfort of her own home which happens to be on a little lake that they built. Beautiful location. her husband died a couple of years ago, so she lives there alone but is really independent and about as nice as they come. I barely know her and I already know I'm going to really enjoy working in her house for a few weeksSo I don't think the tub is the most practical thing, but they did their research before picking it out, and know it's shortcomings. It does have a mintue drain on it, so it drains the whole tub supposedly in a little less than a minute. But she wants to be able to sit in the tub and read and look out the window on the woods around her house and d*mn if I ain't going to do my absolute to make sure that she can enjoy it as much as possible!Paul
Note what I said about the tempering valve.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Good for you and for her!!
My grandmother passed away peacefully at 86, my husband's mother at 95 and both were full of piss and vinegar until they left us.
U can't put a dollar amount on independence.
me ... I'd rather walk in under my own power as long as I could.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
"You have to fill the tub after you get in, wait for it to drain before you get out."
Old people have lotsa time.
Q: It it true that an alligator won't attack you if you carry a flashlight?
A: It depends on how fast you carry the flashlight.
But, if you haven't noticed, remarkably little patience.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Actually Boss, we older folks have "LESS TIME" and I sure as heil don't want to spend it sitting in some big plastic tub, staring at a tile wall, waiting to get my bot wet. Sorta like watching the grass grow. These things never made much sense to me. It looks to me, even when it is full, you still end up taking a shower.
I know it's been a long time, but here's a follow up on this project.Tub went in pretty smoothly. I've got an awesome plumber.The homeowner loves it. She's still very mobile so she uses her other bathroom a lot, but uses this one when she wants to sit and relax. It's got a great view, especially with the new window added above the tub.It's easy to get into, fills up quickly, and has a "minute-drain" on it, a vac-pump helps suck the water out at a great rate. Only caveat is to make sure your DWV can handle the extra pressure (no problems there so far)She lives on a private lake so I can see why she would want to set up her home in order to stay as long as possible (see pics)It was one of those projects that was much farther away from my house than I normally will go, and wasn't a glamorous project (though matching the 80's style cabinetry with giant 1/4" radiused edges WAS pretty awesome), but I felt really good at the end of it, and she was such a sweet person to work with. She definitely made my Christmas card list.Edit: Yes, that was a pink fiberglass shower in there before. Height of fashion when the house was built!
Edited 3/15/2009 3:26 pm ET by hipaul
Thanks for the pics.
I copied one to show the possibilities.
Nice final design.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Thanks Jeff.
Use the pics however you want.
I'm glad I got to end up doing the project. As I said, it wasn't the most glamorous, but I made use of the space I had (that little cabinet has a pull out shampoo caddy and behind it access to the pump and electrical), and it all looked good at the end. She and her husband built the house in the late 70's and everything in it meant so much to her. That's why I used the same kind of tile and matched the 80's style cabinetry rather than trying to update too many things. In the end everything felt clean and new, but it had all the things that she had grown to love in it.
We just finished up a bath remodel with a Seabridge walk-in tub. The unit was a pain, mostly because of a lead time problem and the poor installation instructions, but once installed I think it will be a nice feature.Our tub had two 1-1/2 drains and it does drain quickly. I did not time it so can't be more specific than that. I also don't know how many gallons it holds, but the filler we installed has a flow rate of 20-25 GPM so it shouldn't take that long.The unit was pricey, but as other have pointed out, this can solve a big hurdle for a person that has some difficulty with conventional bathing methods. I just hope the seal on the door never gives way.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
question on the instalation , under the pump did you put a drip pan to catch any water if or when it leaks and devert it to a outside location , also did you put a mixing valve on the hot side of water feed ?
Be interested to know the owner's opinion after the tub's in use awhile...please do post pics and follow up!
Will do.
Just tapping you in case you wanted to see the follow up on the tub.
Any special plumbing requirements for a tub that size? How long would it take to fill?
Nope, no special requirements other than making sure you've got a good drainage system if you get the pump assisted drain. It sucks a lot of water down that thing pretty fast.
It takes about as long as a regular tub. It's got the seat built in to it, so if I remember it holds about the same cu. ft as a regular tub, but don't quote me on that.I'm sure it's no fun having to sit there inside it for a minute or two while the water fills up (that's why there's the hand shower), but I bet it's a lot less fun not to be able to take a bath if you're less-enabled than you used to be.
Thanks for the update!
Job looks great and integrates into the existing style just fine. The lake is wonderful. No wonder your sweet client didn't want to move!
Just a couple of questions: What mfr for the tub and do you know how long it takes to fill?
The tub is from Safety Tubs out of Texas. She had looked at a Jacuzzi walk-in tub, couldn't find any locally to try out, but happened upon a display by these folks.She liked the feel, the cost was about 2 grand less, and there didn't seem to be any big differences (on the outside) between the two. She wasn't interested in any of the fancier options, she just wanted a tub to get in and soak. It was a pretty long lead time on the tub, and when it arrived the delivery truck couldn't make it up the gravel road to her house, but he did take the time to help me strap it to the back of my tailgate (wouldn't fit under canopy) and walked behind as I slowly drove up with the tub balanced precariously. What a guy.I don't remember how long it took to fill up. About as long as a normal tub as far as I can remember. But then again, I don't like waiting for a normal bathtub to fill up, so for me it seems like hours no matter what.Only thing I don't like about the units (or maybe just this one in particular) is the door handle. It's just a friction hold lever that wedges the door tighter as you push it down. Because it wedges itself tight to the door, it seems a little hard to open and close for someone who might have lessened strength. But she's had no problem so far.
Thanks for the info! Nice of the delivery guy to give you a hand - so many can't take the time or risk these days.
We'd like to put in one of the tubs for my husband next go round with the master bath. I just finished a cosmetic update with new vanity, paint, flooring and storage cabinets. Hope to do a complete tear-out next time and put in the tub.
Again, good job!
more than once I've had to remind delivery guys that actually delivering stuff in kinda part of their job.
One guy wanted to leave the Sub 700 out in the driveway, outside the garage door.
I said I had a better idea ... how about right infront of that nice alcove I built for it up in the kitchen?
as he was looking for excuses ... I actually asked if he realized when he filled out the job application for delivery guy at the appliance store ... that actual delivery of appliances would someday be involved? He looked like he wanted to punch me, but his helper got the biggest kick out of it. In the end ... the helper even asked if I wanted it in the "fridge hole" or right outside. Kid laughed thru the whole job.
as the other guy stormed out as quick as he could ... I pulled the kid over and handed him $40 and told him if I found out he shared it with the ahole I'd never tip him again. I usually keep a coupla $20's in my wallet for appliance day for each guy ...
he got both.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Jeff, is it not amazing that people from an appliance store want to dump a $5000+ fridge at the end of the driveway?? Good for you for giving the helper a bit of spending money and a good laugh that day!
On the other hand, I do understand when delivery people can only deliver to the street, garage, etc. It's that way when a factory delivers a cabinet order directly to the homeowner; their insurance only covers drop ship to the nearest storage space or the drive or street. Plus, they usually have a tight delivery schedule and must be at the next dealer between certain times. Sometimes, however, the drivers do go the extra mile and help out the homeowner and installer. I'm not always there, but the HO or installer generally provides the extra thanks when I'm not around!
Appreciate the story!
I've installed about ten of them on remodels & hooked up about 15 others that was new construction, but they were already in place.
Nothing real special, but they are a bit awkward to move around.
We were putting them in a state assisted living place so the bathrooms were quite large.
The lift & drop method is the way to go if you can get a big enough hole for it to pass through.
The 15 that we hooked up on the new construction was for a maternity ward, so just not old & disabled use them. ;-)
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” —Albert Einstein