Metal bath or plastic - pros and cons?
 

Hello all

Quick one. I am fitting a new bathroom suite in my house this Spring
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see. I'm thinking
metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic, other than
weight/cost ?

what does the team think?

cheers
dave P
London

Dave Phillips wrote:
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see.

Plastic's warmer (ie. it doesn't suck the heat out of the water as quickly),
steel's stronger. Take your pick! If yours is a family of Teletubbies, I'd
chose steel.
YMMV
--

Reply address is spamtrapped. Remove theobvious for valid e-mail address

In message , Dave
Phillips writes
Hello all

Quick one. I am fitting a new bathroom suite in my house this Spring
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see. I'm thinking
metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic, other than
weight/cost ?

I used to think I'd never get a plastic bath as they were horrible
flimsy things, the last bath I fitted ended up being a (good quality)
fibreglass one as I couldn't get a steel one that fitted, it's nice and
sturdy, doesn't flex and is much nicer to get into in the winter, you
can use limescale remover on it which (I don't think) you can do on
enamel baths. I'd go fibreglass again.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk

Dave Phillips wrote:

Hello all

Quick one. I am fitting a new bathroom suite in my house this Spring
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see. I'm thinking
metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic, other than
weight/cost ?

what does the team think?

A good quality one of either type costs similar.

Cheap ones of both are flexible and need more care to support.

Pressed steel is robust, and if thick enough gauge, fairly solid, but
pulls heat out of the bath water faster.

Acrylics are more easy to mould in complex shapes, and a bit warmer.

Enamelled steel chips when things are dropped in it, whereas the gel
coat on acrylics - if thick- is less noticeable when this happens.

I ended up spending a fair bit on some very thick acrylics, because they
were warmer, and very stiff.

At the absolute bottom end, I think I'd probably prefer a cheapo tin one
to a cheapo fibreglass one - as being a tad more robust.


cheers
dave P
London

bof wrote:

In message , Dave
Phillips writes

Hello all

Quick one. I am fitting a new bathroom suite in my house this Spring
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see. I'm thinking
metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic, other than
weight/cost ?


I used to think I'd never get a plastic bath as they were horrible
flimsy things, the last bath I fitted ended up being a (good quality)
fibreglass one as I couldn't get a steel one that fitted, it's nice and
sturdy, doesn't flex and is much nicer to get into in the winter, you
can use limescale remover on it which (I don't think) you can do on
enamel baths. I'd go fibreglass again.

You can use scale remover on both, unless and until you chip through the
enamel.

Your experience is consistent with mine. Both are pretty good value, and
it may be a detail that forces the choice.

I have vivid childhood memories of ice inside the bathroom window, and a
teaspoon of hot water in a cast iron bath, and maybe a paraffin heater
to dry yourself by and set light to the towel on.

I hate all victoriana stuuf. If only people had to experience the
environments in which these bathrooms actually were used, they would
hate them as I do. Its a complete mockery to have a huge iromn tub
brimful of water and central heating all around set in a victorain setting.

Modern bathing experiences are one of the reasons I am glad I grew up
and ended up more affluent.

Paul King wrote:
Dave Phillips wrote:
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see.

Plastic's warmer (ie. it doesn't suck the heat out of the water as quickly),
steel's stronger. Take your pick! If yours is a family of Teletubbies, I'd
chose steel.
YMMV

I seem to recall an episode of TT where they had a sponge-bath, I don't think
the Tubby Villa has any bathing facilities.
I wouldn't mind one of the sentient vacuum cleaners though.

In message , The Natural
Philosopher writes

I have vivid childhood memories of ice inside the bathroom window, and
a teaspoon of hot water in a cast iron bath, and maybe a paraffin
heater to dry yourself by and set light to the towel on.

I remember exactly the same things, can still smell the paraffin heater
thinking about it . . . and of course there was the putting of salt in
the toilet to unfreeze it.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk

bof wrote:

In message , The Natural
Philosopher writes

I have vivid childhood memories of ice inside the bathroom window, and
a teaspoon of hot water in a cast iron bath, and maybe a paraffin
heater to dry yourself by and set light to the towel on.


I remember exactly the same things, can still smell the paraffin heater
thinking about it . . . and of course there was the putting of salt in
the toilet to unfreeze it.

We never stooped that low fortunately.

I'm thinking metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic,
other than weight/cost ?

Steel baths are much stronger. I hate wobbly plastic. Perhaps spending
serious money would get you a nice plastic bath, but I'm usually looking in
the 100 quid bracket, which gets you a nice steel bath, or a pathetic
plastic one.

Plastic does, however, allow you to get lovely shell shaped mouldings that
would look excessively twee in a five year old girl's ensuite.

Christian.

The message t
from "Christian McArdle" contains
these words:

Steel baths are much stronger. I hate wobbly plastic. Perhaps spending
serious money would get you a nice plastic bath, but I'm usually looking in
the 100 quid bracket, which gets you a nice steel bath, or a pathetic
plastic one.

I can no longer see the actual message but not so long ago someone
suggested packing the underside of a steel bath with insulation. That
was immediately rubbished by someone else who suggested as an
alternative a spray-on layer of insulation. How thick a layer would be
needed to mimic a plastic bath and how easy would it to be to achieve a
reasonably uniform layer?

--
Roger

bof wrote:

and of course there was the putting of
salt in the toilet to unfreeze it.


Not a problem with an earth closet, and a toilet shed which you move
once a week!

Regards
Capitol

Dave Phillips wrote:
Hello all

Quick one. I am fitting a new bathroom suite in my house this Spring
and am currently looking at different types of bath. These either fall
into plastic/fibreglass or metal, as far as I can see. I'm thinking
metal, but are there good reasons for choosing plastic, other than
weight/cost ?

what does the team think?

cheers
dave P
London
I have fitted 4 steel baths and wouldn't use anything else now.
They have squarer corners and don't wobble around like plastic so it
easier to tile up to them and seal the edges.