Freestanding Vs. a Built-In Bath: Important Points People Forget to Consider
Tuesday 12th March, 2019 – Return to Bathroom Blogs
Deciding on a freestanding bath or a built-in bath tub can be a difficult decision when renovating your bathroom. It really does depend on many other factors such as the rest of your home’s style, the size of your bathroom and the type of people that will be using the bathroom. However, they each have their own pros and cons to consider; so we have put together some of the important positives and negatives for both bath types:
The Free-Standing Bath
Positives
In many respects, the positives of a freestanding bath speak for themselves as they are mostly visual. Depending on your choice, it will make your bathroom look a whole lot more expensive; a pretty significant benefit for resale. This is because its stunning design acts as a massive statement piece in most bathrooms (as can be seen in the bathroom above renovated by Ark Bathrooms). What’s more, it will give your bathroom a resort feel, perfect for when you’re coming home from a stressful day at work.
Negatives
While many of a freestanding baths positive traits come from its aesthetics, many of its negative traits come from its general practicality. First of all, they don’t come cheap and this is especially true if you have an older bathroom with an existing built-in bathtub as it will require more of a redesign – although this can be easily performed by Ark Bathrooms. Additionally, they may take up more space than a built-in bath which makes them impractical in smaller bathrooms, although the same goes for built-in bathtubs. Finally, some people report that cleaning around the bath can be more problematic but this really depends on where the bath will be situated.
The Built-In Bath
Positives
When you think of the positives of a built-in bath they often make up for what a freestanding bath lacks. This includes the fact that they are often cheaper (although like anything this does vary) and this is especially true if it’s an older bathroom with an existing built-in bath as it will be easier to install. Another possibly subjective positive is that they are easier to keep clean than a free-standing bath, but again this does vary. Finally, many young families choose built-in bathtubs from a practicality stand-point.
Negatives
The negatives of a built-in bath are mostly related to appearance as they can lack the wow factor. This is primarily because they don’t always give the same luxury and modern look as a freestanding bath – although they still can be luxurious (as can be seen in the bathroom above renovated by Ark Bathrooms). The quality of the built-in bath, the quality of the surrounding fixtures and the choice of tile will all influence its overall appearance.
At the end of the day, both bath types can look spectacular in their respective settings. It all comes down to your individual taste and practicality. While a freestanding bath’s positives come from its aesthetics, many of its negatives come from its practicality. The opposite is true for built-in baths. What’s more, many modern households increasingly don’t see the need for a bath at all, so maybe the question should be to bath or not to bath?