I don't know what a los tub is. but I did a search and came up with this picture below. Can you make your shower shorter by some inches or so?

After a lot more searching I found some other options. Now I need to decide if freestanding will work aesthetically (IOS has a TON of interior room but at $3400 is a bit pricey though it does eliminate the deck and granite on top). The width of the room sheetrock to sheetrock is approximately 143 inches (11 ft 11 inches) and it has to house the shower, tub and toilet. I have gotten crazy with room layouts and while I can do some wacky things to create more room it turns into a mess.

I would like shower to be no less than 38 inches wide. It can be as deep as I desire though it is the width that lines up with the shower head. Most likely it will be about 48 inches by 38 inches (the 38 value coming off the 143 inches aforementioned).

If I allocate 39 inches for toilet bay and thin knee (pony) wall it leaves 66 inches for the deck if I go with a drop in/undermount setup.

Tubs now under consideration if we go with a deck setup:

MTI Andrea 11 (60x36) - offers 43 inches floor space and 18 inches to overflow

Kallista Small Perfect (60x32) - offers 46 inches of floor space due to design of front edge of tub.

They offer similar interior width though Kallista has a 16 1/4 inch overflow.

The Americh Wright might also work though it is not a frontrunner. It also offers 43 inches length at floor level.

If the Kallista had 17+ inches of overflow depth it would be an easy decision from a deck perspective.

As far as FreeStanding tubs goes, the Victoria and Albert IOS tub offers a TON of interior space for a tub that is 59 inches long by 31 inches wide:

http://vandabaths.com/usa/products/ios/

It has nearly 54 inches of interior floor space and 18 inches to overflow ( holds 103 gallons which in itself can cause hot water heater concerns!)

I feel better at least having options that should work. The IOS is roomier than the 66 inch Underscore tubs. My gut feeling is we will lean toward the deck options as my instincts are telling me the room will look better.

Try the Mirabelle Edenton. I'm 6' and fit. But if you think you can be fully submerged and not have a bed in your legs that'll never happen, not even with a lot of 66" tubs. If you're talking shoulders out if water, try the Edenton.

The Edenton was on my list when I was convinced I wanted to do an air tub. It seemed to offer a lot for the given price point and was difficult seeing others being worth 50% more to me, especially if the air bath part became like an exercise bike!

But after thinking things through and looking at the overall renovation budget, adding the air feature was going to add about $2K to an already overblown budget and I decided against the air (would require substantial electrical work to make it happen).

I sat in a 60 inch Aquatic tub and truly felt as if I were in a sardine can. Very deep but my knees were almost in my armpits. My current and very cheaply made "garden tub" has about 41 inches of floor space and it is short for me but I am not folded up. The Edenton 6036 specifies 37 inches of floor length which is similar to the Aquatic. I like the overall layout of the Edenton but know I would need the 66 inch version to feel comfortable. it also has tremendous depth to overflow, a very nice feature.

My other half is fairly against freestanding so for now am leaning toward the Kallista which has 46 inches of bottom floor space. The MTI has 3 inches less on floor but can go deeper to overflow but it also becomes a wider deck once finished.

I had thought the freestanding would be a good solution but it is not getting the WAF. If bathroom were 12 inches wider this would be easy but now am trying to make sure we don't end up with everything is too small.

I had considered doing a large shower in spare or doing the larger tub in spare and only having a single large shower as well as a single large tub in house. Just doesn't seem the right thing to do for resell later on.

I don't need to lie flat but do prefer my legs to be mostly straight out when I am sitting in tub. Lots of knee bend when sitting upright is not that desirable for me. If I had 66 inches of space I would probably be buying the Edenton but just not convinced the 37 inches in 60 inch version is enough given my Aquatic experience!

Is this a soaking tub or a tub/shower setup? Your post on the logistics is confusing. Do you have a diagram?

Is NOT a tub/shower combination. I would have to hand draw a layout as at present time no CAD software to use (or time to learn).

The wall is 143 inches long. Currently there is a toilet, a garden tub and a small separate shower enclosure on this wall along with 2 knee walls. Tub is in the middle of the wall with a 4 foot by 4 foot window behind it. This is where the new tub will go. One knee wall will be removed as it is just a space filler.

If I can get something drawn out that looks remotely decent I'll post.

I sat in the 60 inch Kallista Small Perfect tub this afternoon and the 46 inches of bottom floor space was nearly perfect. It isn't quite as deep as the others but I'd prefer legroom over the depth ( and 16 1/4 inches to overflow is certainly decently deep). The tub is somewhat decently priced given the name but they truly gouge you on the drain pricing. Given I eliminated the air system I'll live with it!

Have you looked at the Neptune Bora? I put that in my 60 x 60" alcove.

Maax Rubix?

Fripp,

Thx for suggestion. Tub location is in middle of a straight wall and not a corner. THe specs said the bottom floor length of the Bora was a hair over 40 inches and that has been where my issues have been. Legroom. The Kallista I tried today has 46 inches and is just about right so I can lay legs straight out flat with knees unbent.

But do appreciate all the suggestions here. All very helpful

Lee,

Rubix may work in spare bathroom.

I really do need to come up with a drawing of the room layout :)

The tub will be positioned in the middle of an 11 foot 11 inch wall. Is not an alcove installation so will either need to be an undermount/drop in setup or free standing. Free standing does not have WAF so am assuming at this point it will be a drop in/undermount in a deck setup.

Shower will be next to tub but completely separate!

Will try to load a mostly hand drawn layout. Hope this helps!

We wound up getting the V & A Sorrento - it's about as roomy as you can get in a shorter tub, since you have the foot well in the bottom. Installation required some creativity - we built a platform for it to rest in, which is one of the options for the tub. It's the biggest ooh factor in our bathroom.

Youngdeb,

Thanks for sharing the experience and the tub! All the V&A tubs are pretty, assuming I can remian manly and say such a thing! I do admire them. Our bathroom, though, just doe snot have the space to do a free standing justice. I went through a lot of internal debate about whether or not to eliminate either the tub or shower from master bath and have a lot of space for one or the either. But is just seemed a mistake to eliminate such form the house from a future resell perspective.

I would have a maximum of about 65-66 inches of free space for the IOS to sit in with some form of knee wall on either side of it making effectively an alcove area. That would be 3 inches of air space on either end. Getting around behind the tub for cleaning would then be apain and I think the tub would look "squished" whereas yours in the open like they are meant to be.

I spoke with my contractor this morning (will be signing a contract this coming week) and at present moment (subject to change) I am heavily leaning toward the Kallista Small Perfect tub. The only things I have against this tub are (a) depth to overflow is 16 1/4 inches and (b) Kallista should be ashamed for what they charge for the drain and the overflow/drain covers. Retail on their drains is from $395 to $459 (USD) and the oli rubbed bronze covers (parts you see ) retails for $323. They will discount a little off of this but not that much. Kohler gets very proud of that Kallista name!

Very pretty tub. Can you use a Kohler drain instead of the Kallista?

I put in a Kohler cast iron tub and used a Kohler drain that wasn't spec'd for the tub, but Kohler said it would work, and it does. The link below has a video that shows a lot of detail about the drain and trim kits. I have a push button Victorian on my tub, use it daily, and no problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler Pureflo Drain

Can you change the layout? If not, how about making the shower longer and narrower so that you could fit a 66" tub?

Deke,

Nice looking faucet :) And thx for the suggestion. Most likely there are compatible drains out there. i know Kohler makes some more or less universal drains at about half the retail price (not all brass though). I actually found an open box Kallista drain for the Small Perfect tub for $99 and went ahead and pulled the trigger. Has a 30 day return privilege so figured it was worth the risk. Not sure how much the local dealer discount would have been but I figure this is about a $300 savings (assuming it is all there and works!).

Deke, I think I rearranged the room in almost every possible way. Had some self imposed restrictions along with room size. One being a desire to keep some form of knee wall between toilet and tub area. This could be done in various ways I would imagine but for now I kept 3 inches in plan for a narrow knee wall. Just do not like the "exposed" toilet look.

The shower at 38 inches wide is already plenty narrow. If I decide to cut the toilet down to 34 inches in width I'll give the 2 inches back to the shower. There probably would have been a way to squeeze a 66 inch in there but toilet area would have shrunk, knee wall would have gone.

As it is the Kallista tub offers as much legroom as the 66 inch Kohler Underscore. I would have preferred it have been 17.5 or so inches to overflow versus the 16 1/4 but I gave more preference to legroom.

Otherwise I would have gone for an Edenton, Underscore, etc. I really wish the room were 8 inches wider asit would have made it much easier. At the end I gave a lot of thought to upgrading spare bathroom tub and simply eliminating tub from master and installing a huge shower instead. Just couldn't make myself do it.

I feel pretty confident the Kallista will work. They really should be ashamed of themselves for what they charge for the drain and drain cover kit. Shaking my head but guess no one held a gun to my head! I thought $459 was horrible for the retail price of the drain... and then was shocked that I would have to buy a $300 trim kit to go with it! Darned drain and trim kits are the price of a tub!

Lee,
' The toilet area only has 36 inches in the drawing. The 47 1/2 inches is from the window molding to the wall. Am attaching a revised drawing to better explain. I sent thisn drawing today to my contractor so pardon the questions attached.

Only place I could find the Watertech tubs was Lowes and I did not see the shape of tub in your post that was a soaking tub.

Trying to fit a toilet, tub + deck and shower on a 143 inch wall has been a challenge. Just hate that I am the rare male who likes a hot soak at night ( aching back and legs). If I weren't a tub person I would have just dropped it and saved some $$ along the way!

I just had to live with a 60 inch tub that I felt I could fit in comfortably. I know each of us fits into things differently and there are different good solutions for different people. I am very thankful I had opportunity to sit in an Aquatic Serenity 60 inch tub as the legroom was miserable. That was when I learned first hand how every tub can be drastically different.

A for example is the Kallista Small Perfect 60 x 32 inch tub is nearly as big interior wise as the MTI Andrea 11 60 x 36 ( nearly not quite). The Kallista 60 inch tub has more bottom length than the 66 inch Kohler Underscore. Moral of story is look at every tub specs IF a certain paramter is an issue for you!

It's not just you. I'm a dude that likes a good tub. Showers are for mornings and quick cleanups, and I shower rather than bathe about 2/3 of the time, but at the end of a long day when my back aches I head for the bath. I made the mistake of buying a 6' tub that had a sloped back that looked comfortable to lean against in pictures, but actually pushes into my shoulders uncomfortably. I tried putting a foam pillow behind my head so the rest of my body would be moved forward a few inches, but it helped only a little. I have a 6' tub and it's still too short to stretch out comfortably - I've used 5' tubs that seem roomier. I also don't like that it's 36" wide but wastes alot of space on thick sidewalls; inside, it's too narrow in places.

Is this layout preordained by existing plumbing, or could you move the toilet to where the RH sink is now, and either squash the double sink or go with a single wide-bowl/two faucet sink, or move the second sink to where the toilet is now and make it about 30"w?

Correct, many of the Watertech tubs are available only with jets or air.

Lee,

Glad I'm not the only male tub soaker out there :) When I was in a nearby showroom going through the catalogs every tub scene had a woman in it.. no males! Felt like I needed to do something manly for a second (kidding). I am hearing more and more people are doing away with their tubs and opting for larger more elaborate showers. I probably could have done that... just made sure I had a good tub in spare bathroom where I actually have room for a larger tub. But I also know some people like having a tub in their master and not everyone with little children want a deep tub in the spare. Thus resell in years to come helped me decide to keep the master bath.

I gave thought to similar room rearrangements. The room will be a full gut so moving plumbing is an option (albeit with a cost). But last thing I wanted to do was end up with a piecemeal bathroom. After settling on the Kallista tub given it meets most of my wants especially that of legroom I feel fairly good about things.

Other issues come into play. The Ios tub holds over 1000 pounds of water when full. Bigger the tub more the full weight and so on. Then comes water heater sizing, time it takes to fill the ub and so on. Have a feeling the 16 1/4 inches of fill depth to overflow will be fine and I'll certainly enjoy the 46 inches of floor space!

You and Lee aren't the only guys. At first hubby didn't want to plan for one, but now he's actually looking forward to a soak in the tub once the remodel is done. Ours will be a 60x32 though, I'm only five foot and no problem for me, I had him sit in the showroom model and he was ok with the 60. Our actual model is a tad different than showroom but not too many around here to see. The current tubs in the is house are both shower/tub combo, I don't want to soak in that.

Divot,

Sounds like we gathering momentum here with men and tubs :) If it weren't for my back and calf muscles I might be a shower person but the hot soak is something I enjoy before bedtime. I started out with a strong desire for an air tub and as I proceeded many things came into effect. Mostly fact I would most likely be limited to a 60 inch tub and I really wanted extra legroom.

In the end I guess each person has to decide for themselves what matters the most. For me it was legroom and also a desire not to pay for a bunch oif acrylic that wasn't turning into more interior space.

I was lucky that I found someone near who had a few tubs on display. As Lee pointed out above, tub outer size is not always much to go on. After sitting in the Aquatic 5 foot tub I realized any tub with under 40 inches of floor space was going to be out of the question for me.

That led me to looking at the provided specs for each tub. I was surprised at how much difference there was between tubs of same size. The Kallista 60 inch tub has more interior legspace than does the 66 inch Kohler Underscore, though either would have been acceptable if I had had the space.

I have same issues though.. very few tubs to sit in to see what best fits. Can only imagine selling big tubs is not the most profitable industry to be in these days, especially when so many will go out and try and then buy elsewhere, but that is another conversation altogether. It is a difficult thing though figuring out what best fits one's needs. Had I had room for a 66 inch tub I probably would have gotten an Edenton soaker tub to save some money but I just could not make it fit without having a nasty impact on shower size and or toilet space.

> When I was in a nearby showroom going through the catalogs every tub scene had a woman in it.. no males!

Yeah, about the only time I see men in tubs in brochures or manufacturer's websites is when they're showing a larger two-person tub like the one shown here:

...and these invariably show a contented-looking couple enjoying each other's company, which can look nice enough in a photo but in real life the few times I've been in a 2-person tub the whirlpool motor was so noisy we had to SCREAM AT EACH OTHER to be heard over the roar of the jets. That's even more true with tubs that are configured so you're facing each other rather than side by side:

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None of which stops me from badly wanting a 2-person tub. I've seen 72" x 36" tubs that are perfectly sized so they're just wide enough to accomodate two but aren't so huge that I'm wasting alot of water if I bathe alone (which alas is usually the case). The long almost 45-degree slope at the back of my 6 foot tub, besides sticking into my shoulder blades when leaning my back against it, also complicates lying on my side since I need to bend my knees to get my head forward of the sloped backrest into the flat area, and side by side facing each other (as opposed to side by side lying on your backs) is the only way two can fit into my tub due to the narrow interior.

I grew up in a house that had a bathtub but no shower, so I got used to taking baths all the time. Several years ago I moved into an apartment with only a shower, and I was able to live with that only because there's a nice hot tub at the indoor pool/gym I frequent that I almost always use after a workout or swim, and occasionally drop by just to sit in the hot tub.

This post was edited by lee676 on Sun, Aug 25, 13 at 19:20

I think I am getting old as a single tub is a fine thing lol But like you I grew up in a showerless house so perhaps I had a bath ingrained that way. Aching muscles at night just fits in nicely!

Sounds like a bad thing to have bought a large tub with intent on having a lot of room only to find it doesn't feel good. This is the real downside to shopping for a tub when for most part you can't even see it before buying. I had a fairly limited selection to try while visiting 3 different stores, and I did not want to mail order the tub. If I get a defective one I figure the store will at least be responsible for getting it returned. Now I need to order the darned thing!

As said earlier I am really glad I had a chance to sit in the Aquatic 60 inch tub. The bottom well was only 37 inches long and it was way way too short for me. I would never have thought of Kallista had I not seen it in showroom. Not cheap though. Getting the drain kit form eBay may have made the difference. But getting the 46 inches of leg space and ability to sit and see how it feels makes me feel better. After hearing about your experience with an uncomfortable tub I don't think I would buy a tub without trying it first.

I'm not sure where you're getting your measurements, but the Edenton is over 44" along the bottom, and it is more spacious (even in the 30" width I had to use) than nearly every other 60" long tub I sat in. You can get it without the air bath feature for around $850, I believe. I paid $1850 for it with the air bath. As I said, I'm 6' tall. I sat in dozens of tubs and there were only three that fit lengthwise. I ruled out the Archer because the acrylic felt cheap to me and the armrests made it feel too narrow. The Hydroststems Lacey was too expensive. That left the Edenton.

Do not base your decision purely off of interior dimensions either because the angle of the fronts and backs drastically affects the usefulness of the interior space. If it's really important to you and you are in an area that allows it, you need to dedicate some time to actually sitting in a few options.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mirabelle specs

The Edenton, at least the one you linked to, is a skirted tile-in alcove tub which is not what he's looking for.

It seems that every major manufacturer has a 5' tub with a squared-off interior designed for maximum floor space now. Of the ones I looked at, the Maax Rubix was the roomiest for each exterior size category, though I didn't check every last one.

I didn't have the option to check out many tubs in person - I had about one week to find a tub AND have it delivered, which ruled out almost everything. I needed a 6' alcove tub, which isn't common. I had so little time to investigate, I wasn't aware that many drop-in or tile-in 6' tubs are available with manufacturer-supplied add-on tile flanges, which would have increased the options substaintially (although opinion differs as to how well they work compared to tubs will integral tile flanges). Few stores have more than a few on display, and I couldn't find any designated showing 6' alcove tubs (I did try out a 5' Kohler Archer that's also available in a 6' version - I also didn't like how narrow it was, but the Mariposa I got was even worse, if cheaper; it varies in width, very narrow at the knees). The rushed time to find one was the result of renovation/remodeling work on the floor above that uncovered a structural problem that required shoring up the ceiling above, building a new load-bearing wall, ripping up the concrete floor, and installing new plumbing, and the contractor said it would be much less expensive if the downstairs bathroom were installed at the same time before putting up the new walls and filling in the concrete. So I had to quickly scope out tubs (and everything else) online in a few days. If it bothers me enough, I may rip out the tub and install another one, but that involves removing the lowest row of 12" ceramic wall tiles, and in some cases, moving the drain from the end to the center. (my aching back isn't just a problem at night; it's just that's the only time I'm able to soothe it by bathing most days).

Most stores show only a few tubs - they're big and take up alot of floor space. The big box stores have them on display vertically on shelves, which doesn't help much. They are all wary of people shopping at their store, only to buy at the cheapest online vendor once they decide what they want. Some brands, like the ones sold at Porcelanosa or Ferguson are only sold there so that's not a problem, and I wound up getting a Mirabelle 5' tub for the other bathroom (not the Edenton), which I could actually sit in at the store. It's good but not perfect. Mirabelle is a Ferguson house brand in the US sold only there; Ferguson and Mirabelle don't manufacture anything, they rebrand products made to their specs by other manufacturers. The Mirabelle tub was made by Clarke, though I don't know if they make all of their tubs. Annoyingly, although there are about 5 Fergusons a one-hour drive or less in my city, they all show the same tubs in their showrooms, with others not shown anywhere. Why not mix it up so each one has different models on display so prospective customers can try them all?

If I were to buy another tub, I'd be fine with a road trip up to 200 miles in any direction if it meant seeing 50+ tubs in person I could sit in. I think Kohler has one, or used to, in Wisconsin which isn't too far away, I'd plan a day trip. Some I've seen even have some whirlpool/air tubs filled with water.

I tried the Edenton at the store display, and though I like the room inside, I found the sharp edges and steep backrest made for an uncomfortable tub. I fear this may be true in many tubs with this general style. I like the headrest at least to have a high-radius contour.

Lee's absolutely right, which is why I would never buy one without sitting in it if you're going to be tiling and if expense and long-term happieness are concerns. If you don't want an alcove tub (I'm basing that off of the reference to aclove tubs in lee's post), I misread your post, and you're really limited in terms of tubs to freestanding and the few brands that allow you to customize which sides are skirted. I really like the Hydrosystems Lacey, which may be in your budget, but I think the pricing is similar to MTI (I think I was looking at the Andrea but could never sit in it). That's a pricey tub (depending on the configuration you're going with).

The Fergusons around here (4 or so) all have different tubs in stock and there are many other local kitchen/bath plumbing showrooms that carry Kohler/Bain/MTI/Hydrosystems/Toto, etc. So if you're metropolitan in location, you may have more options than you think. (Lee sounds to have been unlucky, which stinks.)

When it comes to finished sides, if that's what you're seeking, I think you're left with few manufacturers. And just because it's an alcove tub doesn't mean it has to be installed within two ceiling-height walls. Mine is not, and I actually prefer it. The access panel is not one of the ugly ones along the side, it's hidden in the knee/pony wall.

I find the angled backs more comfortable than some of the goofy Kohler backs with the curvature towards the bottom. But to get good floor space in a 60" tub, you're limited to sharply angled backs. (I was further limited to a less than 32" width, so be glad you're not dealing with that, too!)

Here's a link to mine so you can see what it looks like. If I had to do it over again, I would likely have chosen the Hydrosystems Lacey and spent the extra money, but I didn't want to spend it at the time and I have no regrets today.

I wouldn't waste time looking at big box stores because they have nothing on the floor really.

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Kevin,

Lee already stated what I was going to say when I got home. There is a good chance I will buy that Edenton model for my spare bathroom. Price is decent, quality is there and it provides another deeper well good legroom alcove option.

However, Master bath will be an undermount (or drop in but I like undermount look even though it restricts future tub access). At this point I just need to get off work a little early and buy the Kallista Small Perfect Tub. I have sat in it and it has plenty of leg room as well as deep enough to overflow to make me happy. Deeper would be nice but not required. It is comfortable to me when I si tin it as far as back slope and the 46 inches at bottom of well for legroom is as big as Kohler Underscore 66 inch.

The MTI Andrea very much interested me though it has 3 inches less legroom than does the Kallista. The Andrea is a little deeper though. But it is also 36 inches wide compared to Kallista 32 inch ( 32 inch MTI has 41 inches of bottom floor space) and is not much larger on interior space. Just a lot more acrylic on outside.

No one near me has an MTI Andrea 11 on display nor the Lacey. As Lee's experience has shown it really is better when you can sit and try the tub first. There just isn't any overwhelming reason to buy either MTI or Lacey given I have not sat in either when I like the Kallista just fine. I very much like the Edenton price better for a soaker but their drop in soakers have substantially less legroom than does Kallista. The Kallista does not get its legroom by making the back of the tub nearly vertical. They get it by sloping front of tub outward. This is a link to the PDF:

www.kallista.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/1106199_4.pdf

It is priced slightly higher than MTI Andrea in soaker configuration so it isn't cheap. Luckily I found the drain assembly on eBay for a very reasonable price.

That's certainly a good option. I just thought you were concerned about price and I was under the impression that Kallista is expensive (not to mention the added install and finishing cost that comes with that application). If it fits you and your budget, grab it.

I suspect my "take home" tub price will be in the mid to upper $1400's for a soaker version. Definitely on the higher side of soaker prices but not much different from the MTI Andrea 11. Given I had allocated $3000 for an air bath initially this still is cheap compared to budgeted but still a fairly expensice soaker. But given my space restrictions and longer legs this fits the bill and in the end I can make a few decisions here and there to balance out cost.

I do think Kallista should be ashamed for what they ask for their drain and associated trim kits. Had i not found the drain assembly on eBay for $99 (open box) I may have taken risk on MTI. As it is now for the overall price point I'm ok with things. definitely not cheap but it does fit the needs. I foresee a soaker version of your tub (Edenton) in our spare bathroom alcove. Is good to hear you enjoy yours and it also looks very nice where you ahve it!

Do you have to use their drain kits? Many tubs use standard openings and distances and can use drain/overflow kits from other manufacturers.

I found the Maax Rubix to be similar to the Edenton but bigger. But I haven't sat in a Rubix and have in an Edenton (and didn't find it comfortable, though it unquestionably makes good use of space).

My one chance to try out the tub I wound up with was when someone was selling the same basic tub on craigslist. I could have bought it if it were in good shape (it had a chip in the corner, but was half the price of a new one), but I could try it out without a local vendor having to have it on display in a showroom. I'm already trolling CL for potential replacement tubs - they often sell for $400-ish for $2000-when-new tubs.

Well that's a lot less expensive than I'd have thought with the ridiculous prices on most of the Kallista things I saw, so it's a good deal to me as far as the tub price is concerned.

(I edited this because it had said "more expensive," which was the opposite of what I was trying to say.)

This post was edited by KevinMP on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 7:28

Incidentally, American Standard sells a "deep soak" drain/overflow kit that positions the overflow about 2" higher than standard, and fits most tubs. I found I could accomplish the same thing with a cheap Watts overflow/drain kit from the big-box store simply by installing the overflow cover and gasket upside down. In either case, you'll obviously have less leeway to splash around since the rim won't get any higher. Also, this approach only works if you get a drain that opens and closes by pushing or twisting it, not a remote lever or button mounted on the overflow plate.

KevinMP, what is the brand/model of the tub you bought
TX
Andrew

Here's a YouTube link for the Maax Rubic - next best thing to seeing it in person I guess. This is the only way I've seen it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8naRqyjpY8
It's not as deep as the Edenton if you are considering that tub. Rubix is 14 1/2 " deep; I think Edenton is 16 1/2" D. Both, I believe are 20" high overall.

I'm also looking for a deep soaking tub 60 x 32 for an alcove installation with an integral tile flange on 3 sides and no front apron AND I want one that does not have a textured (non-slip) bottom, Looks like the Rubix may meet all my requirements - it's the only one I've found so far that does. Anyone know of any others? I also like its comtemporary looks with its straight sides - not a fan of built-in lumbar support - doesn't work for me. I just wish it were a little deeper, like the Edenton.

Don't know if a non-textured bottom is a concern for you. I don't think a textured bottom is that comfortable for bathing and I don't want the hassle of special cleaning it requires.

Good luck in your search for a great tub!

Andrew, as I mentioned I have the Mirabelle Edenton 60"x30"x20" (Mirabelle is a badge Ferguson applies to the tub as its store's brand).

Regarding textured bottoms, that's part of the reason I rejected the Kohler Archer. The Edenton doesn't have a typical textured bottom, and it's neither uncomfortable nor difficult to clean. It's just dimpled acrylic.

Thanks, Kevin, for your info. Can I ask a few questions about the Edenton?

Regarding the textured bottom: Do you have to use a special cleaner like the ROG 3 Kohler recommends? I couldn't find any cleaning/maintenance specifications on the Mirabelle website. Do you know if the Edenton textured bottom is an integral part of the tub and not an "overlay" that's "baked on," "heat applied" (or however it's done) as with the Kohler tectured bottoms, for example?

Have you had any problems with drainage with the Edenton? The basin of the Edenton appears to be flat while the Maax Rubix is pitched towards the front. I actually like the flat bottom better but I'm concerned about drainage issues. I know you're aware of people's complaints about the Edenton; I've never heard of any drainage concerns about the Rubix.

The Edenton is the only tub I'm considering that has an integral apron because I like its interior dimensions.

But, again, if anyone can recommend a deep soaking 60 x 32 alcove tub with integral tile flanges, no apron/skirt, no lumbar support, and no textured bottom (all these stipulations, yikes!), I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

And thank you, Kevin!

It's part of the mold, not a separate, baked-on application. The Archer is like sandpaper glued on, which is the stuff commonly used in cast iron tubs that turns yellowish/brown in showers, etc. It also feels weird to sit on. The Edenton is all acrylic and isn't textured in a raised pattern, it's pressed into the bottom. My tub drains fine. Some people have complained on here about the drainage and blamed it on the mold at the factory and there has been a response (if it's true) that the factory has fixed the issue with the mold, but I think it's also an installation issue. The tub has to be set correctly and in a proper substrate. As I mentioned, I've had no problems. If you look I believe there's also a video link I posted to my air bath with the tub partially filled. That may provide you with additional information. I don't know anything about the Maax, but I recall most of the other options I considered (other than the final ones I narrowed down to) having unattractive shapes or skirts or being too shallow for what I wanted.

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the dimpled texture. I'll try to take a closer-up picture later today.

This post was edited by KevinMP on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 13:28

Kevin,

Do you have access to the blower for your tub? It may be I end up putting an air tub (20% chance) in spare bathroom and it will require an alcove type tub. Only hitch is access to blower. I might have away to access via master bathroom through the wall or could find a tub with removable skirt. or can just say nada and stay with another soaker! I can probably fairly easily fi a 66 inch tub in spare though.

Several manufactuers sell optional add-on tile beads (or in some cases, their tubs can be special-ordered with integral tile beads) that work with their drop-in tubs, which expands your choices greatly. You can tile-in just one of the long sides, rather than three as is the case with alcove tubs with built-in tile flanges.

In addition to the brands already mentioned, look at Duravit, Laufen, Geberit (not sure if they make tubs), and other overseas manufacturers, who seem to be more concerned with space efficiency than their American counterparts. I'm imagining something like one of the several shapes and types of Duravit's Starke series would be right up your alley, a slab-sided tub with thin sidewalls and nearly vertical inner walls; those with end drains have some slope to the backrest on one side and a near-vertical wall on the drain side; the center-drain models are less sloped on both sides and have a long floor - and they're cut to metric sizes that correspond sometimes to 59" or 62" - the latter may fit even where a 5-1/2' (66 inch) tub wouldn't and inherently have 2" of additional legroom

(side note: arrgh! - even the larger, two-person variant in their promotional material won't dare show a man bathing . . )

I actually feel kind of stupid or perhaps I should be kinder to myself and say I am very surprised!

When working on the spare bathroom choices I gave some thought to using all of the available space, knowing I could fairly easily fit in a 66 inch tub if I were willing to do some framing work. I went back to Mirabelle as I wanted to keep costs as minimal as possible (noot cheap just not wanting a Kohler Underscore price unless I were willing to drop the Kallista in Master. I wasn't :)

I looked at the 66 inch Mirabelle Edenton and did not at first catch the width. Only 36 and that won't fit in the spare.

Without making a short story long I looked at the alcove versions but the Edenton required access from the side, something that for my home would be very messy. The Bradenton series offered a removable skirt but I had seen one before and wasn't sure I liked the look. But the Bradenton had decent leg room.

So my duh huh moment. I looked at the 32 inch wide Edenton drop in tun and lo and behold it was 44 1/2 inches. I revisited the 36 inch wide Edenton drop in and sure enough its legroom was 37 or so inches. This was main reason I had dropped this from my short list. Had no idea the 36 inch wide version would be that much shorter.

Now I see why Kevin had no trouble fitting in his tub! It has nearly as much legroom as the Kallista ( 1 1/2 inches less). The 32 inch will fit with a small deck in the alcove spot for my spare and I probably will do the air option. The spare has rapidly become an upscale room anyway and having a nice relaxing air tub there won't be worst thing. My son will love it when he visits and he won't invade the Master.

Moral of story.. if any given dimension is important to you be sure to check every tub and size as internal measurements can be grossly different that external measurements. I thought I had already learned that but alas i quickly forgot it if I did. This may be a win win for us though as the wiring for spare will be simpler.

KevinMP - how is your Kallista? Do you recall what the backrest angle is? I'd love to hear you comments after having it for 4 years now. thanks!