(another) Seeking bathtub choice advice (thread)

[Ptron]

I'm finding it much more difficult than I would have thought to find a replacement bathtub. I was hoping for some ideas.

I need an alcove tub with apron. My bathroom is 60-1/8" " to 60¼" wide by ~8' gutted. Due to the proximity of the toilet a 30" wide tub is preferred although a 32 would fit. The surround will be tile.

I would have liked to keep my old cast iron tub. Stylistically it's pretty cool and unless you look closely it looks good, but close up it's really etched and dull. I tried buffing compounds and such but they didn't do much. I know about the refinishing option but why go with something that may look like crap in ten years when you have the bathroom gutted?

Stylistically, I prefer simple with rounded features such as the American Standard Princeton. I'm not so big on angular features or superflous contours.

Material-wise, I would love cast iron, but haven't found anything that fits that isn't some ugly coffin shaped thing. I really don't want plastic. I would be fine with one of the whatever-casts. I've seen some people say that the finish goes bad on them fast but I can't imagine why that would be. They're still porcelain aren't they? Plus I see that American Standard has be making them for many years and has pretty much ditched CI tubs for them so they can't be that bad, can they?

So here are my two big concerns that are keeping me from just going with the A.S. Princeton:
1)The no skid surface. I really don't want a no skid surface. Ugly, hard to clean and most importantly, irritating when you want to sit down for a bath. An American Standard rep told me they are required to have a no skid surface is this true? Don't they bug the crap out of people who really want to use the tub for baths?
2)The tiling flange: Their documents say you have to shim the wall even with it. That's like over a ¼" of shiming I'd have to do to the entirity of the big walls, isn't it? Or are the flanges not that thick?

[jadnashua]

As to the tiling flange, depending on how thick and high it is, and the size of the tile you are planning to use, you may be able to run the cement board up to just above the edge. You should install a vapor barrier behind it, and run that over the lip. If the tile will be supported by more than half of their height, lapping it over the filing flange without the cbu behind it will be fine.

There are lots of threads on Americast...use the search function for numerous opinions. No idea if anti-slip is a requirement. For help on tiling, check out www.johnbridge.com.

[Ptron]

As to the tiling flange, depending on how thick and high it is, and the size of the tile you are planning to use, you may be able to run the cement board up to just above the edge. You should install a vapor barrier behind it, and run that over the lip. If the tile will be supported by more than half of their height, lapping it over the filing flange without the cbu behind it will be fine.

Ah thanks for the reply and the tip there. I think that's the key. I do have a thread going over at the John Bridge site but I hadn't thought of this as a tiling issue.

There are lots of threads on Americast...use the search function for numerous opinions.

Good point. Did that, read every post on the subject I could find going back a three years here and on johnbiridge.com. I'll throw together a little summary for anyone who's interested when I get the chance.

No idea if anti-slip is a requirement.

Anyone know the answer to this? Do I stand of finding a CI or Amerikohlereljercast tub without it?

[hj]

Probably not, unless you can find some offbrand tub without it.

[Ptron]

Made it down to a big box store over the weekend. They had a line of tubs by a brand Bootz Industries that didn't have the no-slip surface, so I guess it can't be a federal regulation or anything. They were steel tubs though.

[asktom]

Pressed steel is a big quality drop from cast iron.

[Ptron]

Pressed steel is a big quality drop from cast iron.

Yeah. I wasn't going to touch those.

[Ptron]

Posted my Americast book report in a separate thread. Hope that's ok. If anyone stumbles across this thread and has a recommendation for a brand or model that might fit my wants, please let me know. I probably won't buy anything for a while.