I am in the planning stages of a bath renovation. My wife would like a wooden bath tub. Like this:
http://www.thetubconnection.com/tubs/wooden_tubs.html
Anyone here had any experience installing, or more importantly, I guess, longevity and maintainence. I don’t mind the price so much, but I also don’t want to replace it in a few years down the road.
Thanks
Edited 10/6/2007 5:14 am ET by carlmccarty
Replies
Since your post is getting down to the bottom of the list with no replies, I will reply to move it up for others. Do you, or your wife, enjoy doing maintenance? I hope you do, because a wooden tub will take a lot of it. First, you'll have to pick a wood like cedar or inoke (sp?) that will handle being wet a lot without rotting, getting slimey, turning black, etc.. From what I have heard, Japanese hot-tubs ("furos") work because they are kept filled all the time. If you want to do that, and wash before you enter the tub, wood may be okay. Anyway, as they say, good luck with that.
Thank you.
This is exactly what I thought, but I needed another opinion to convince you know who.
Well, I hate to be the one who kills it; that was just one opinion. You could see past discussions about it if you use the "search" function at the top of the column that lists all the discussions. Try words like "furo" or "wooden bathtub" and the like and you should get to the old discussions. Many, but not all, agreed with my point of view (or really, I agree with theirs). You may be able to use wood and seal it with epoxy--sort of like building a wood strip canoe, but inside out. But still seems like a lot of work and some maintenance.
hello carl,
although I agree with danno about wooden tubs, I have built a couple a few years ago in Newfoundland. These are apparently still very little trouble to maintain, but they are kept full all the time.
(That was a great old truck, that GMC.)
Ron
and a great pic!
rez
Thanks.
Do you have any more pics like that?
rez
I have a few more pictures of that same job if that's what you mean. Those are two 40' diameter wooden bathtubs I built for the Ocean Science Centre, which is part of Memorial University of Newfoundland.
They have had a building built over top since then and tht building visually overwhlems the original lab in the background.
Here's the lab's two original and smaller tanks with their occupants
http://www.osc.mun.ca/seals/sealscam.html
Ron
Nice.
I might be inclined to agree with Ron and Danno but the link that you provided leads me to believe that these tubs are more then just some ole wooden tub.
I didn't try to find any info on them but is it possible that these tubs have some coating that prevents the wood from to much exposure to the water? Not sure just curious if they don't have something that we're not familiar with.
Is it possible to call them and inquire about water damage to the tubs?
Doug
Edited 10/6/2007 8:36 pm ET by DougU
You could always epoxy-coat the tub, but the epoxy would eventually crack and let water through.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
IMO, the desire to own that would wear off pretty quickly. Seems like a lot of work.
Like this?:
http://www.laguna.li/english/produkt1_1.html
Carl,
You can build a relatively low maintenance wooden bathtub by fully encapsulating it in epoxy. By sheathing the surfaces with glass cloth the epoxy is reinforced. The glass fabric becomes invisible if properly done, and not too thick. What you have then is really a transparent plastic tub with a structural wooden core.
Bill
Thanks Bill.This is what I intended to do. I built a cedar strip canoe several years ago using the same method. It was very solid, easily comparing to a fiberglass or kevlar canoe. I am just not sure how the epoxy will hold up over time, like 10 years or so down the road.
carl,
Do you still have the canoe? How is it holding up?
I built one about 12 years ago from "Canoecraft" and I also bult the "Cosine Wherry", both in wood strip and epoxy.
I haven't seen the canoe in years, but the rowboat is in my workshop now awaiting repair. Repairs don't seem so very intimidating if you can handle the original construction.
Ron
No. I sold the canoe a few years ago. It was the "Hiawatha" also in Canoecraft. I think I'll eventually build a small boat to fish with, WHEn I get the time.
carl,
I helped a friend glass his "Hiawatha" last Sunday. It looks like a beautiful hull. I thought it might be fast.
Ron
I've never seen a fiberglass job where the glass was invisible. It can be pretty transparent, but you can still easily see that it's there.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Dan,Properly done with 4 ounce fabric and the special coating hardener, the glass cloth is difficult to detect. Not totally invisible, but so good that few would notice it unless they were scrutinizing the job like a critic. The fabric has to be hard onto the wood (squeegee) and the weave fully filled with overcoatings of resin.I do not know how the properties of polyester and epoxy differ as to the ability to make the fabric disappear from sight. My experience is pretty much limited to epoxy.Bill
Yeah, and I've done mostly polyester, in less than critical applications, visually. I have seen a few nice cases of wood boats being glassed, but the glass was still obvious (to me) from several feet away.In any event I think we'd agree that no one is going to be able to do an invisible job on the first try. Though they will likely peel the paint off the walls with their language, until they get the hang of it.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
Dan,Agreed. This takes skill, care, speed, and patience in equal measures to do well.Bill
Warning:
McAffe virus scan showed the woodentub.com link to contain a 'trojan horse' virus.
I deleted link immediately, could not find any google link to see if it really has, or what type, virus.