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Home Improvement Needs :: Walk In Bathtubs
Walk In Bathtubs:
The Innovation of Walk In Bathtubs
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Walk in bathtubs are, at first glance, kind of a weird idea.
The idea of having a door on the side of your bathtub seems a little antithetical since the idea of a bathtub is to keep water in and the idea of a door is to let something out. However walk in bathtubs are actually a pretty great innovation.
Benefits
The biggest benefit of a walk in bathtub is that it is accessible to anybody, no matter what their mobility skills. If you are looking for a bathtub to last your lifetime, no matter you future situation, this is a good choice.
Walk in bathtubs can look just like any other bath tub, or they can be special tubs made for people with mobility issues who need to be sitting upright, like they are on a chair, instead of reclining like they do in a normal tub.
Regardless of the design, the one difference a walk in bathtub will have to a regular tub is the door.
Construction
Walk in bathtubs are made of strong materials, like fiberglass and acrylic. The size of the tub depends on how large a tub the buyer is looking for, but it also depends on the type of door the tub will be outfitted with.
Because most walk in bathtubs are required because a user has mobility issues, it is important to make sure that the lip on the tub where the door is positioned does not defeat the purpose of an accessible bathtub.
Some tubs can have step-in heights up to half a foot. If mobility issues are the reason for purchasing a walk in bathtub, look around until you find a tub with an entry that is lower to the ground.
Types of Doors
A door that swings inward requires a larger walk in bathtub. There needs to be room for the person bathing to maneuver around the door to enter and exit the bathtub.
Doors that swing inward in part use the pressure of the water in the tub to stay sealed. Because of the water pressure, this means the door cannot be opened to leave the bathtub during an emergency.
Outward swinging doors do not use water pressure to stay sealed, but they do not leak. Of course you still have to wait for the bathtub to drain to open the door during regular use, but if there is an emergency you can easily leave the tub during an emergency. (You would have to clean up later, though!)
If you have an outward swinging door, your bathtub can be much smaller since there doesn't need to be room for maneuvering within the tub while the door is open.
Cost
Although walk in bathtubs are increasing in popularity, they definitely aren't as wallet friendly as a standard tub. A basic model can cost you around $3000. A high-end model can cost up to $15,000!
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Home-Improvement-Needs.com :: Walk In Bathtubs