Acrylic Vs Cast Iron Clawfoot Tub

Acrylic tubs are lightweight and durable.

Acrylic vs cast iron clawfoot tub. Acrylic tubs are warmer on the initial touch and unlike cast iron tubs they do not need to be filled with hot water in order to heat up they basically maintain the same temperature as the room. They are substantially less expensive than porcelain tubs and they are available in a wider variety of styles and colors. We ve compiled the information you need to know about each one. Several people will be needed to conduct the installation of a cast iron tub.

Cast iron clawfoot bathtubs many homeowners renovating houses built in the early 20th or late 19th centuries often want to add a clawfoot tub. With an acrylic tub this is usually done at the factory so your tub arrives with a smooth finished surface. The gel coat provides the color and protective finish. Cast iron tubs however are unfinished on the exterior when they arrive.

Acrylic tubs will also get discolored while cast iron ones will not. Traditionally only the interior of a clawfoot tub is finished because the exterior is designed to be painted. Whether or not the tub is historically accurate to the home it brings up powerful feelings of times past. Acrylic and cast iron are two of the most popular bathtub materials.

It s a feeling that the typical modern 60 alcove tub just cannot evoke. But a freestanding tub might need plumbing lines coming up through the floor. Cast iron bathtubs are far heavier than acrylic bathtubs which makes them difficult to install. A water source faucets can be mounted on the wall or on a deck beside a built in tub a drain and in most tubs an overflow to prevent flooding if you leave the water running notes barbara in remodeling 101.

Acrylic is less expensive so if you are on a budget an acrylic clawfoot tub is the way to go. Fiberglass bathtubs start as a molded fiberglass form that gets coated with a layer of acrylic called a gel coat. This is because they last longer and are more resistant to damage than acrylic tubs. Any tub requires the same basic plumbing.

If you want to switch from one to the other consult a plumber to see what s feasible. Vessel sink vanities. The floor underneath a cast iron tub may have to be reinforced because it is so heavy. Acrylic tubs have several advantages over porcelain enamel tubs either steel or cast iron.

When hot water is poured into a cast iron tub some of the heat will transfer into the body of the cast iron. Fiberglass and cast iron bathtubs couldn t be more different than in their construction.