Do solid stone alcove tubs exist? Cast Iron vs Acrylic vs One piece
Rachel Orosz
4 years ago
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Rachel Orosz
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Cultured Marble vs onyx collection vs solid surface shower pan
Comments (78)Lenore, who is installing the granite slab shower? Start there and make your priority be hiring a VERY experienced tile professional - one you have vetted carefully to insure that their qualifications meet your design requirements and product selections. Stone slab installations are not for the B team, and especially in a wet area. Can it be done? Yes, depending upon the structure over which a solid surface stone is installed and the methods used. We install solid surface shower walls regularly, but from an empty cavity which we build to meet all specific design and installation specifications, including the pan. A solid stone slab cannot be supported by the pan (it is not meant to support a slab wall). A slab wall is pinned and tied so it is self supported, not supported by a pan. This is a very complex installation. A LOT to consider. As one example, the thickness of your slab? 2cm. 3cm? (effects the weight load on the space). And I could go on. After you have carefully vetted the qualified tile contractor, have this conversation with them. If you question or want to clarify their recommendations, check back or seek professional advice from other qualified sources. Please consult with a professional onsite. Good luck with your project....See Morecast iron or acrylic tub
Comments (30)OK, I know this thread is ancient but I just had to add my two cents worth for people who come along later as I did. The idea that cast iron retains heat longer than fiberglass or acrylic tub materials is simply a myth. Cast Iron, even with porcelain over it is a better CONDUCTOR of heat than any of the modern tub materials other than steel. Steel and cast iron will conduct heat at more or less the same rate with differences that would only matter in a lab. Cast Iron will transmit heat to the surrounding air and other materials faster than fiberglass or acrylic, which are both better insulators than cast iron. This is the exact opposite of retaining heat. Anybody who doubts this: Take a cast iron pan, fill it with hot water. Take a plastic pan of equal size and fill it with hot water of the same temperature. Put the pans side by side with a thermometer in them. Check them an hour later. I guarantee you the water in the cast iron pan has lost more heat and is colder because cast iron is much better able to radiate heat to the surrounding air than plastic. There is no way that any metal tub whether steel or cast iron is going to keep the water in it warmer than fiberglass or Acrylic will. Yes cast iron does radiate some of the heat from the water back to the bather above the water line, which some people like, but it does this because it's a better conductor of heat, not because it holds heat. The sole advantage of cast iron is, admittedly, much greater strength and if you want maximum strength steel is stronger still. I've demo'd multiple cast iron tubs into pieces with a sledge hammer. It shatters easily. Try that with steel....See MoreKohler cast iron sink vs. Whitehaus fireclay sink vs ??
Comments (15)It occurs to me, re household help, potential future babies, and a kitchen you have to baby, that given your parameters you really don't want to deal with the clay sink. The marble only needs to be babied if you hate patina. When I had marble (cheap beige in an apartment abroad) I promise I didn't baby it. It was fine. Yes, you can get scratches and pits, and if something colorful soaks in it's a pain to get it out (though sealer probably helps a heck of a lot with that), but, as the guy from The Petch House famously said here on GW, "It's ROCK!". Fireclay is more durable than vitreous china (what normal bathroom fixtures are made out of), but it's not iron. It's fine for the woman who doesn't cook, but all the ifs of who else might be dropping a heavy hot pan or banging into it on his bicycle make me think it might be a problem in the long run. Kohler's current surface is fired at extremely high temperatures which is what they say makes it so very hard to chip. If a greige (thanks, again, Casey!) chip in your dark blue won't bother you, you won't mind redoing that part of the kitchen if it has a problem, or if you're willing to chance that yours is going to be one of the ones that never gets damaged (because plenty don't), then go with the fireclay if you think it's prettiest. And in a very blue moon a Kohler gets damaged too (though I think there's a warranty). But I have a whole list of things that my housekeeper, who's very careful and conscientious, but not emotionally attached to my stuff the way I am, has nicked, misused or broken. And she's a treasure! I was mightily tempted by a V&B fireclay sink, but life's too short to worry about it....See MoreKohler Cast Iron Tubs? Acrylic Tub? Americast?
Comments (13)My acrylic Bain Ultra air tub was set in a bed of mud with a piece of think plastic between the mud and tub. This was done for the ease of removing the tub if ever the need arises. It's as solid feeling on the bottom as my husband's Kohler cast iron tub. As for cleaning, that's a different story. You're not supposed to use anything abrasive on acrylic. Believe it or not, Scrubbing Bubbles is considered abrasive :( That's been my go to tub cleaner for years. To clean my acrylic tub RIGHT, I use Gel Gloss. It's a pain (literally!). You spray it on, let it sit, buff it and let it dry and then wipe the residue. When I'm in a pinch for time or physically limited, I will use Scrubbing Bubbles. There are very few non abrasive cleaners out there. One Bain Ultra suggested was Lemon scent Lysol. NOTHING works better than Scrubbing Bubbles!...See Morewdccruise
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