We are think about replacing a 60"x30" cast iron alcove tub with a new model. We're prepared to pay a little extra for the cast iron tub but not sure how much more the installation would be.
It will be a few hundred more than an acrylic.
It's a two man job for most plumbers. At least two men. I used to install them when I was younger. The last one was a few years ago, and I would say it's also my last. I did do a ton of them in years past though.
Whatever the cost, a good cast iron tub is worth the initial investment.
5, 10, even 30 years from now a cast iron tub will still look good.
Not so with a plastic one. They will be dull and dirty looking - if they are even still in place by then.
I just got the quote from the plumber: $200 extra labor. The Kohler cast iron tub was also about $200 than a comparable acrylic. So we decided that an extra $400 has worth it.
I just got the quote from the plumber: $200 extra labor. The Kohler cast iron tub was also about $200 than a comparable acrylic. So we decided that an extra $400 has worth it.
Nice!
Once the tub is in the room I was able to set them. It's mainly getting into the home.
Kohler does make a really nice cast tub. My son and I watched them at the factory pouring the molten metal into the molds. I wish we could have taken pictures, but that is never allowed anywhere I've been. Though I do have some really nice video of the Flushmate factory in Detroit that nobody else has seen.
I did a bathroom remodel last year and put in the Kohler Villager tub. 60x30 alcove and 320#. It's been 9 months and still think every day, I'm glad went with a cast iron tub! That tub is a bargain, too.
[now I to took a 400# sunken jacuzzi tub out of the master bath during demo last weekend and all I could think is, "I'm getting to old for this crap"... but that's a different story ]
By the way,
Whenever I install a new tub - of whatever type - I always take batts of fiberglass insulation and wrap or stuff it around the underside of the tub after it's in place. You would be surprised how much longer the water stays warm if you take a good long soak.