Um................?

Can I have your old clawfoot bathtub? I am so dreaming of taking a great bath in one.

hehehe.

But seriously, I think you can easily replace it. No biggie (and I say that without an agenda). ;-)

Our solution is not for everyone, but here goes. The tub is close to two walls, our son is 6'4" and 235 lbs and not done growing (and he's claustrophobic) so here is what we're doing. Clear shower curtains will be attached to the two walls at the same height as the curtain rod. The rod (at the back of the tub - faucet at front of tub) will be re-sautered and moved back to the edge of the tub, and opaque curtains on hooks run on the rest of the rod for privacy. This way the shower curtains can be draped into the tub and our son won't feel he's in a phone booth.

Thank you for your suggestions! I appreciate them all. And believe me, I have thought and thought and thought about not removing it. jcin los angeles, thanks for the website, I definitely will check it out before doing anything else. Our biggest problem is not just the shower curtain set up, but the fact that the surrounding 3 walls are not tile, and get wet and it's just a mess! There is no where to put our shampoo's and stuff, and so we have a huge metal hangy thing to hold them, hanging inside the tub.
I'm not sure if there is any way to really accomplish what I want, if I keep it. I dunno, let me check the websites and see what I am up against. My major concern is the plumbing. As it is now, the pipes are on the outside, but there is a metal pole, running through the front for the shower, which is attatched to the *lovely* thing hanging from our celeing which holds our curtains. Tee hee hee

I love all the plumbing on the outside. Shine it up, refinish it, and embrace it, show it off - celebrate it - it's original. I told my son and daughter they'll just have to put their shampoo/conditioner, soap on the tub floor and then put them back in the cabinet next to the tub when they're done. They both can't wait for their first soak - she's 18 and wants the candles and atmosphere, he's 17 and a football player/weight lifter and considers it an indoor hot tub that he'll actually fit in.

Well..................I have decided to leave the claw foot tub. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I looked at a website one of you mentioned, and you're right, there are things we can do to make it look better, like putting in newer shiny pipes.....instead what I'm going to do is re-do the floor, get a new vanity, and shine up the claw foot.

Now my project will be ripping out my *cabinets* in the kitchen, and putting in new one's. That, is desperately needed! LOL

Thanks everyone. Thanks again.

Dana

If you are worried about splashing on the walls you might want to consider tiling the walls as time and money allows.

I suggested this to a friend of mine to take care of the tidal waves her boys created when they showered.She says it works great.

Put tile on the floor and walls and add a drain on the floor. Now your tub is in the shower. You can splash all you want. ;-)

Dana, thank you - you made my day! Glad to hear you are saving the tub. You won't be sorry. Believe it or not the original claw tub is a feature which is now included in real estate listings to attract old house buyers. Chances are people who don't like baths just have never lived with a nice deep luxurious old tub. A bath in such a tub bears no resemblance to a bath in one of those horrible shallow modern bath tubs.

It might take some getting used to but the claw tub with a tall gooseneck faucet is a great substitute for a shower. After a good soak you rinse off sticking your head under the faucet. Or, some people use the hand held showers. I just have a tub only and I never ever have wished I could have a shower. When I lived with a shower only I really missed having baths and would in fact sometimes go to friends houses to use theirs!

For the people who just GOTTA have that stand up shower==see if there is ANYWHERE else in your house where you can put it. The tiled floor with drain sounds like a great solution too.

In one of my earlier incarnations I used to frequently visit a B&B in Manchester, VT called the Eades 1880 House. Anyway, this place, specifically the bathroom in our room, sold me on old houses. It had a claw foot tub in a marble enclosure, much like a booth, with a drain in the floor, and a small curtain that pulled across the door. Gorgeous and functional!