Replacing Tub in 48" Opening...Suggestions?

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dzd9fy

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We are planning for the remodel of our original 1950's pink on pink on pink bathroom and are having a hard time finding a tub that would fit within the exisiting opening.

The tub to be removed is in a 48 x 48 alcove that is bound on one side by the exterior wall, 90 degrees to that is a bedroom wall and parallel to the exterior wall is the bedroom closet wall. When looking down, the current tub basin is diagonal within the cast iron unit that is in place. It does not appear that much additional space will be gained during remodel, as we plan to remove the existing wall tile and expect the build up of the new tile to only afford a maximum of 1" per wall. Directly in front of the tub alcove is the toilet.

Any help on manufacuters or models would be appreciated. Thanks!



p.s. I should note that we are unwilling to turn this into a shower only, as we already have a walking in master shower and a basement stall shower, and will a child a tub is a need
 
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We are planning for the remodel of our original 1950's pink on pink on pink bathroom and are having a hard time finding a tub that would fit within the exisiting opening.

The tub to be removed is in a 48 x 48 alcove that is bound on one side by the exterior wall, 90 degrees to that is a bedroom wall and parallel to the exterior wall is the bedroom closet wall. When looking down, the current tub basin is diagonal within the cast iron unit that is in place. It does not appear that much additional space will be gained during remodel, as we plan to remove the existing wall tile and expect the build up of the new tile to only afford a maximum of 1" per wall. Directly in front of the tub alcove is the toilet.

Any help on manufacuters or models would be appreciated. Thanks!



p.s. I should note that we are unwilling to turn this into a shower only, as we already have a walking in master shower and a basement stall shower, and will a child a tub is a need

The tub you're taking out is still made. It's the Kohler Mayflower, available in about 5 colors:


If you're looking for a straight 4' tub, on the other hand, choices are very limited.

Don't have a cow when you see the price for the Mayflower, not to mention the weight, which may induce a spontaneous hernia..........332Lbs.

HE
 
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dzd9fy

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Howard,

Thanks for the link, that is almost exactly what the current tub looks like, ours does not the the chamfered corner.... I guess that means I will have more than 300 lbs of dbris to remove! Too bad there is not anyone local that would want to reclaim one of these in all their pink glory! :p

Any suggest on a more modern, and hopefully more economical replacement? Thanks!!
 

Cass

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48"...not many people will fit in that...why don't you make it a 48" shower...I would think you may enjoy that better...just a thought...
 
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48"...not many people will fit in that...why don't you make it a 48" shower...I would think you may enjoy that better...just a thought...

Hi Cass,
Because "p.s. I should note that we are unwilling to turn this into a shower only, as we already have a walking in master shower and a basement stall shower, and will a child a tub is a need"

I was going to suggest the same thing despite his initial post script. We have no tub in our house, and we've never missed it. When our daughter was really small, it was easy to do it in a bassinette, and when she could stand, it was just as easy to take her in the shower with the hand-held.

HE
 

dzd9fy

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:eek: I did not realize how poor my spelling and sentence structure was until I read the quote from me above...EEK!

Anyway, yes I agree not many will fit into a 48" long or round tub, but maybe should have instead asked for guidance on a tub that would fit diagonally within that space. It looks like the link above will give me at least one solution that could be dropped into a deck covering the rest of the opening, so thank you!

I must admit I will never understand why they spent so much money on laying out this bathroom in 1950 with this silly tub!
 
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:eek: I did not realize how poor my spelling and sentence structure was until I read the quote from me above...EEK!

Anyway, yes I agree not many will fit into a 48" long or round tub, but maybe should have instead asked for guidance on a tub that would fit diagonally within that space. It looks like the link above will give me at least one solution that could be dropped into a deck covering the rest of the opening, so thank you!

I must admit I will never understand why they spent so much money on laying out this bathroom in 1950 with this silly tub!

There were probably plumbing reps going around to the builders pushing a new design that 'saved space' while selling more cast iron:)

HE
 

hj

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In the 50's that was a "gourmet" tub, and many companies made variations of it, although yours is probably an American Standard one, since they were the most popular version. By putting the bowl on an angle it was about the same as a 5" conventional tub.
 

dzd9fy

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So it looks like I am going to have to do a whole lot of busting and breaking to get that beast out of there! It is kind of a shame, but my son is firmly against the pink in his bathroom! Can you blame a 4 year old!!

Seriously it looks like I will be searching for something that I can drop into a site built deck that is as large as possible....
 

hj

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If you had had a girl, pink would have been acceptable. It might be cheaper to trade the boy in. But unless you can get more "length" than 48", you will probably be stuck with another 4'x4' tub of some kind. You might start thinking about whether the room layout can be changed to accomodate a more standard style tub.
 

DX

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Don't break it yet.

I had that same tub in my old house, from 1938. Square, no missing corner. I thought it was very cool. Unless it's cracked, keep it. Yes, you can refinish it.

If done correctly using the right materials, refinishing works very well. No it's not as hard as porcelain, but will last a long time if not abused. I have an expert doing it for me and we've had very good success. No callbacks.

Look for someone who does a lot of commercial work - refinishing tubs in hotels, etc.
 

kb2009

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I have the same tub...

I had it refinished and it looks really good. However, it was a pain getting there. They use acid to remove the outer glaze on the tub to ensure the paint adheres well. The guy I hired didn't leave the acid on long enough and the paint started peeling after about a month. They came back, scraped the entire thing, reapplied the acid, sprayed it and it's been great for over a year. Here are the lessons I learned that will hopefully help you if you go this route:

- If you have tile around the tub enclosure do not attempt to have this refinished, have them replaced. It's almost guaranteed that they'll peel. I have 4x4 tiles and they have peeled probably 4 times over the last year and a half. Each time they were fixed I lost my tub for 24-48 hours.

- If you want to replace your drain remove it before they come out to finish your tub. Once dry have it installed. If you try to do this after the tub is dry you risk peeling the paint.

- Make 100% sure the painter leaves that acid on long enough.

I really wish American Standard still made this tub, I find it better than a standard size tub, you have much more elbow room when showering.

Good luck if you decide to refinish!
 

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dzd9fy

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I know... I started this almost 7 years ago!

Anyway life has seemed to 'gotten in the way' and he renovation is now finally planned this winter. Any further thoughts/ suggestions?
 
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