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Affordable -but nice- bathtub recommendations?

14 years ago

We used an American Standard Princeton in our last remodel, after a lot of research on my part because I wanted a tub that felt solid like cast iron but without the weight and price tag. At the time I did not see any complaints about Americast... this was several years ago. Now I see many people on this forum commenting that they've heard bad reviews!! We lived with ours for about 18 months before we moved and were extremely pleased with it, FWIW. I was assuming I'd get another for this house but now I am worried by all your comments.

Now I need a similar tub for the (very low-budget) remodel of a small bath in our new house. The existing 1956 cast iron tub has badly stained enamel, and isn't very attractive.

I don't want a flimsy, hollow-sounding plastic-y tub like the cheapies at Home Depot. But I can't afford cast iron. This needs to be 30" x 60", I'm sure many of you have struggled with the same decision: what have you all used and how do you like it?

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Comments (6)

roobear
14 years ago
I think you have to take reviews with a grain of salt. Sometimes people just end up with a factory lemon and sometimes the product is really bad.

I think more people are motivated to write bad reviews when they have a negative experience than to write a positive review. So for all the negative reviews there could be hundreds more satisfied customers that just never take the time to write a positive review.

Just because you don't get cast iron doesn't mean the tub can't feel solid. If you install a fiberglass or acrylic tub set in a bed of mortar with proper support via the instructions, the tub will have a very solid feel to it.
trtsmb
14 years ago
Have you considered keeping the original tub and have it refinished?
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Stacey Collins
Original Author
14 years ago
I considered refinishing, but when I priced that out in our last house, it was more money than a new American Standard, and the one refinished tub I saw in person really didn't look that great. And this one's really not very pretty. If it were a victorian house and a fabulous old tub, I would definitely consider it more seriously. This is a 1956 ranch and the tub's nothing special. It also has a lot of thinset or grout or something glopped on it from the PO's very sloppy tile job. And the walls are wavy and seem to have atleast two layers of cracking ceramic tile on them. I'd planned to take it all out down to the wall studs, so it seems like it would be a LOT easier just to remove all the cruddy tile, tub, and all down to the studs and start over.
User
14 years ago
Curious to see what suggestions come about/
Are you now considering the Princeton Americast(trying to figure out if I should be considering it)?
Stacey Collins
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, I'm down to either the Princeton Americast (which I had in my last house) or the Kohler cast iron Villager. They are in the same price range. I like the styling of the Princeton better, though.....

Any other input appreciated!
jejvtr
14 years ago
My vote would be for the Kohler CI - great price point, and Cast iron has proven the test of time -

You may be dealing w/very out of square/not level walls & flooring based on your description

GOod luck

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