It's time to start thinking seriously about your whirlpool bath purchase. If you have been looking at whirlpool tubs for months now, dreaming about the day when you can relax in the swirling bubbles, it's time to make the dream a reality. Choosing a whirlpool bath is easy when you know how. Pay attention to the following buyers tips to make sure you get the best deal and the best fit for your bathroom. Answer these questions to find your ideal tub.
- What Will Fit in My Bathroom?
It's no good buying the perfect tub with all the gadgets attached if there is no way it will fit in your existing bathroom, and you don't want to remodel. Take care to measure the bathroom before you start shopping, taking into account the amount of space you will need surrounding the tub for the surround, and any shelving you may need in order to keep shampoo and toiletries close at hand.
- What Will Fit Through the Door?
If you are installing a whirlpool tub into an existing bathroom, measure the height and width of the door opening and check that the height of the tub will fit through the door. You will also need space for turning the tub once it is in the room. When you are installing a tub in a new build you have more flexibility as the doors will not be in place if you install the tub first. In extreme situations you may be able to take out the windows to get the tub into a ground floor bathroom, but this is not ideal and can create a considerable amount of work.
- What's the Weight?
If you are putting the whirlpool bath on the second floor you will need to consider if the existing flooring will handle the weight of the tub, plus the water, and the weight of the occupants. You may need to reinforce your floor. Or install a smaller tub.
- Will I Need to Remodel?
Look at the site for the tub and decide if you are going to have to make renovations to the bathroom or if the tub can fit right into an existing plumbed space. It is obviously easier if you can install the whirlpool bath into an existing space, but if you want to do a full remodel you have much more flexibility.
- How Often Will I Use the Tub?
Think about your lifestyle and how often you plan to use the tub. If you are going to enjoy the tub every week, add some extra features to get your money'worth. If you and your partner are going to soak together, make it a two-seater model.