Freestanding bathtubs are more comfortable and easier to install as compared to built-ins. These do not require any mounting equipment, and you do not need help from a plumbing man.
Freestanding bathtub problems include no wall support for curtains, do not have a shower, water splashes on floors, breaking risks and difficulty moving, and issues in the placement of toiletries. Moreover, you can face cleaning issues, damaged subfloors, and safety risks.
They have various designs and sizes, and you can select them according to interior theme and space.
| Problems | Solutions |
| No wall support for curtains | Ventilate the placement side |
| Do not have a shower | Use a shower mounting kit |
| More breaking risk and difficulty moving | Select the bathtubs made of lighter material |
| Issues in the placement of toiletries | Use stool, caddy, and trays |
| Affect subfloors | Prefer acrylic types |
| Cleaning issues | Locate them away from walls |
| Safety risks for children and elder people | Add two-step stairs |
| Larger and require more spaces | Select their size and design according to bathroom size |
No wall support for curtains
The freestanding bathtubs, as their name indicate, are not mounted near the walls. These are present between the bathrooms and away from walls and any supporting system.
It becomes difficult to cover them from the sides and separate them from the remaining space because of the absence of supporting material.
You cannot add glass panels and curtains on their sides to cover the boundaries and decrease the overall humidity. People place them randomly in their bathrooms and according to their designs.
I prefer to place them in a vertical direction to make them look more appealing. You cannot add curtains on their sides because of the absence of wall support.
It can also create steams on glass windows and mirrors when you take a bath with warm water.
Avoid adding them between the bathrooms because they can increase the overall humidity and make the floor messy when you shower.
Add them on one side so you can keep the other side dry. I also prefer to add them near the windows for quick moisture removal.
Do not have a shower
Freestanding bathtubs do not have a shower, and it is challenging to mount showers for them. In addition, these are away from walls, and you cannot install showers without any support material.
I placed them against the walls for shower installation to make them more comfortable, but there are pitfalls associated with them.
These are not firmly attached to the subfloors like the built-in types, and these can displace from their sides. It creates more mess on floors when you turn on the shower, and these tubs do not remain in their place.
You can add the showers by purchasing their respective kit for their installation. I do not add showers in them because water splashes directly come on the floors without curtains and glass panels.
More breaking risk and difficulty moving
The chances of breaking freestanding bathtubs depend on their manufacturing material.
These are more at risk of breaking when you change their location frequently. The issue occurs when you do not call other people for your help, and these can fall on the floor from your hands.
Moreover, the chances of breaking also increase during the repair of other bathroom fixtures. The heavy thing can collide with them because of their exposed surface, producing cracks in their material.
Most are made of heavy manufacturing materials, including stone and marble types. These are difficult to install because of their weight.
It becomes challenging for people to move from one place to another. Therefore, it is better to prefer one made of lighter material, including acrylic and fiberglass, because these are easy to move.
In addition, the risk of cracking and breaking is more in stones than in wood, fiberglass, and acrylic types.
Issues in the placement of toiletries
Freestanding bathtubs do not contain shelves or free space on their sides, as you see in built-in ones. As a result, you face difficulty placing your soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and other bathing items.
Moreover, the accessibility to grabrails and towel racks has also become difficult because you cannot install them without supporting walls.
I do not find space to hang my towel and place my soap and shampoo. However, I place them on the floors because it is challenging to get out repeatedly to pick up these items.
You can use small stools, place them near the tubs, and use them to store your necessary items. Moreover, you can also use the bathtub caddy and trays for the placement of your toiletries.
Affect subfloors
Freestanding bathtubs are heavy and can affect the subfloor materials when remains in the same place for longer. Therefore, the material of bathtubs and floors matters greatly for their correct installation and decreases the damage risks.
You cannot install the heavy ones on the wooden and plank flooring because these are not designed to bear heavy-weight materials.
You need to add the subfloor support for their installation to prevent cracking and denting.
You can use the acrylic tubs for wooden and plank flooring without any supporting material because these are lighter and cannot damage the subfloors.
Add the supporting base when placing the stone and wooden type on your bathroom floors.
Cleaning issues
Many people face cleaning issues while adding a freestanding bathtub in their interiors.
You cannot displace them frequently for their cleaning and maintenance. In addition, you cannot clean the floor area where these are placed.
You cannot clear the bathroom walls properly if there is little or no space between these fixtures and walls. Put them away from walls, so soap scum cannot come on them, and these become easy to clean.
Change the location of these fixtures so you can clean the subfloors and prevent them from ruining.
Safety risks for children and elderly people
These are not suitable for kids and elders because of their large side walls. Freestanding types are heavier and larger than conventional ones.
It becomes difficult for children and elderly people to get in and out.
Moreover, these are not safe for people with less mobility who cannot climb high places. This is because the distance from the floors to their inner side is more.
I purchased two-step stairs from the market to place them on the sides of tubs so my children can easily access the interior without the risk of falling on the floors.
They require more spaces
Freestanding bathtubs are larger as compared to conventional built-in bathtubs. Therefore, you need more space in your bathrooms for their placement on floors.
You cannot add them in the smaller bathrooms because it can make the area less ventilated by taking up a lot of space. Moreover, it also decreases the walking area when you add them in smaller interiors.
It becomes challenging for people to renew their interior and add more accessories because of the limited space. You cannot add them in the corner like built-in ones, which can make the interior less spacious.
I always select their size and design according to my interior dimensions and theme. Avoid using the larger ones in the smaller interior because it can make the interior messy and decrease walking area.
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