If you are thinking about giving your bathroom an overhaul you will surely find there are many more options these days for bathroom furnishings compared to when you last designed your bathroom. One of the most popular choices for the main focal point of the bathroom in the Australian marketplace today, which is of course the bathtub, is a freestanding stone bath.
Freestanding baths are made from various materials and come in a variety of sizes to suit just about any bathroom design and size. While not the cheapest option on the market, the freestanding stone bath is one of the more sought-after and most visually appealing designs.
Like freestanding baths made from other materials, with a freestanding bath you are not restricted to limited shapes or designs. You will find freestanding stone baths in many diverse forms, ranging from rectangular to oval shaped, and all designs from those with corners to others with smooth rounded edges.
These stone baths also come various sizes from the standard small 1300mm length for an individual or those that are 1800mm in length and can accommodate two people. You might think that a bath made of stone would feel rather rough, but the opposite is true – freestanding stone baths are actually silky smooth to touch. They also have a matt stone appearance. Bath manufacturing companies use a high technology for producing freestanding stone baths which typically using stone quartz mixed with resins.
Freestanding baths are seam-free with no veins of fissures. This is the main reason why they are resistant to shock and very difficult to chip. When you take your first bath in a new freestanding stone bath, you will probably be surprised at how comfortable the bath actually is.
As well as being super-comfortable, a freestanding bath also offers elevated heat retention over baths made from other materials.Another important point is a freestanding stone bath is resistant to the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms.
One thing you will have to consider when you decide on a freestanding stone bath is the structure of your house. Due to the stone freestanding stone baths are quite heavy, and of course you also need to consider the additional weight of the water and that of one or two people who will be inside the bath. In the event you are not sure, it is definitely advisable to call an expert in to examine your bathroom first to see if it would hold a freestanding bath of this weight. In the event you are advised against it, you still do not have to give up on the idea of installing a freestanding bath – you will just have to go for a lighter material such as acrylic.
Another issue that must be given careful thought beforeyou go out and buy a freestanding tub is if the installation of the new bath is simply replacing an old tub with a new one, or if the work is a total bathroom renovation. If you are remodeling the entire bathroom then steps will need to be taken to house the necessary plumbing for your freestanding bath during the preparation stages.
However, if the freestanding bath will replace a standard bath tub then the issue of moving the waste water has to be given more thought as unlike with regular bath fittings, where the waste water pipesare located under the bath, with a freestanding bath the waste system needs to be below floor level.
