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With more styles, sizes, and accessories available than ever before, shopping for a clawfoot tub can be both fun and easy. Follow the guidelines below to find the tub that's right for you.
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Selecting a Tub
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| Start by measuring the amount of room in your bath. Choose a tub that is several inches shorter than the length of your finished walls. This allows the plumber to assemble the drain and water supplies while the tub is in place. Be sure to measure the door width to make sure the tub can be moved into the bathroom. Check this against the tub width and height in the specifications. |
| Next, determine whether you would prefer an acrylic or cast iron tub. Acrylic tubs come in many traditional and modern styles, and are typically lighter weight. Cast iron tubs are heavier and are often an accurate reproduction of actual antique tubs. |
| Finally, select from several different tub styles. Choose from slipper tubs, traditional roll top tubs, dual or double-ended baths, freestanding baths, and soaking tubs. Each style is normally offered in several sizes and drilling options, making it easy for you to find the tub you need. |
| Now that you know which tub you want, it's time to move on to finding the right fixtures. |
| Finding the Right Tub Drain
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| New clawfoot and freestanding tubs require a decorative drain that has a long overflow tube. This is largely due to the increased water capacity of these tubs, which tend to be longer and wider than antique tubs. The drain is cut to exact size at the time of installation. |
| Make sure the drain is the right size. Usually, you will need to choose between 1-1/2" and 1-3/8" tubing. Special tubs, such as slippers, soaking tubs, and shower trays, may require specific drains. |
| Most drains are made of solid brass. Brass drains have a long life, do not easily corrode, and will never rust. They are also available in a wide range of finish options. |
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Choosing a Tub Faucet
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| First, determine how you are going to mount your faucet. You can choose to mount it on the tub wall, on the tub deck or rim, or you can elect to have a freestanding tub filler. Many tubs are available with all of those drilling options. |
| Tubs with wall mounted faucets have two small holes on the wall of the tub above the drain. Most holes will measure 3-3/8" on centers. |
| Tubs with deck mount faucets have holes on the rim of the tub, on either the side or the end of the tub. Most holes will measure 7" or 3-3/8" on centers. Some tub rim mount tub faucets are available with couplers, making the faucet adaptable to various center measurements. |
| Tubs with freestanding tub fillers have no faucet holes, and sometimes have a continuous rolled rim. This allows you to position the faucet anywhere you like in relation to your tub. |
| Purchasing Water Supplies
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| Water supplies are in most cases both decorative and functional. Like tub drains and faucets, they are most often made of solid brass. Choosing a model with valves allows you to turn off the water to work on the faucet or in case of an emergency leak. |
| Selecting supplies that fit your faucet setup is essential. Supplies for deck mount faucets travel from the floor up through the rim of the tub. |
| Supplies for wall mounted faucets travel up from the floor to the wall of the tub. |
| Freestanding tub supplies travel up from the floor to the faucet, completely independent of the tub. These tub fillers are also available in kits, which include both the supplies and the tub faucet. |
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Adding A Shower
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| If you've determined that you're going to use your clawfoot or freestanding tub for more than soaking, you will need to add a shower enclosure. |
| The easiest way to add a shower to your tub is to select a shower conversion kit. A kit usually includes a tub faucet, riser pipe, showerhead, and shower ring, and is a simple way to buy your essentials all at once. |
| If you already have a shower setup, you can choose from a wide variety of different shaped shower rings. The oval, rectangular, D-style and round shower rings work best for clawfoot tubs. Straight, neo-angle, curved, and L-shaped shower rods work best for standard drop-in tubs and existing showers. |
| Optional Tub Accessories
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| In addition to the essentials, you may find that you want to add something extra to your clawfoot or freestanding tub. Choose from an array of tub caddies, soap baskets, clawfoot tub coasters made from solid brass, decorative shower curtain hooks, and much, much more. We even offer custom tub painting, ranging from solid colors in satin or semi-gloss to artistic faux finish done by our on-site tub painting specialist. |
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