Enamel quality on new vs old cast iron bathtubs

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32pdx

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My husband and I are building a new house, and are in the middle of deciding on tubs, sinks, etc. for the bathrooms. I was set on a Kohler Villager tub for the basement bathroom (will be used daily off and on as we will have student interns staying with us for 3-6 months each year) I'm thinking that tub will also have to do light duty as an ad hoc utility tub- washing the dog, fleece and yarn (I spin and weave), misc. art project, honestly in our house there's no telling what all that tub will be used for! We plan to live in the house for at least 20 years and, like everyone, are looking for durability and ease of maintenance.

However, my salesperson at my plumbing showroom told me that the promise of a durable, not likely to chip finish that attracted me to the cast iron tubs is no longer true for the currently manufactured ones. Reason being that the enamel no longer contains lead, and therefor no longer adheres as smoothly or as securely and is much more prone to chips and cracks than in the old tubs.

Our current American Standard steel tub (kids bathroom, frequent use) looks terrible after 9 years of use - chips, discoloration on bottom and especially around the drain. I was hoping that the cast iron option would hold up much better, she believes that it would perform about the same as a steel tub.

Does anyone have any experience with cast iron tubs manufactured since, say, the 80's. Of course technology is always evolving, but I'm wondering how a no- lead enameled cast iron tub holds up over the long haul. In other words, does my helpful sales person know what she's talking about?
 

hj

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Well, in the first place there is on comparison between a steel and cast iron tub. They have completely different finishes. I will have to do some checking, but since the lead free, if true, finish would be fairly recent innovation, there is not history to back up her claim. What is she trying to sell you instead?
 

32pdx

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The subject actually came when we were talking about a tub for an entirely different room- I was as asking about Zuma and Toto soaking tubs. The Totos are cast iron and are actually more expensive than the Zumas, but she recommend the Less expensive Zuma over the Toto.

I was in a different showroom today and the man there said the same thing, although he still thinks cast iron is a good, durable choice. I just find it strange that I can't find any information about this online.
 
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