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octus99517

Installing tub into shower alcove

Octus99517
11 years ago

Hi all! My wife is tired of taking (or not taking) baths in the 14" deep tub in our child's bathroom, which is currently the only bath in the house. That bathroom is too small to accommodate a large tub, so I would like to install a tub in our master bathroom. Because of size and plumbing constraints, we will need to do a shower/tub combo. Here is my question:

We currently have a tiled shower alcove 55" across and 34" deep on the right wall of the bathroom at the back corner, with fixtures on the right side. There is 46" of space in front of the alcove until you get to the opposing wall. I am thinking about installing a large tub (like the Kohler Archer 72" x 36" Drop-In) crosswise with a bit more than half of it sticking out of the alcove. The shower and fixtures would either remain where they are, 90 degrees to the tub end, or be moved to the back of the alcove. Has anyone seen a configuration like this, with a tub sticking out of an alcove? Is there an obviously better solution. Thanks in advance.

Comments (5)

  • Octus99517
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here is a diagram of the bathroom layout.

  • Octus99517
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    And here is a rough mock-up of what the configuration might look like.

  • nycbluedevil
    11 years ago

    Octus

    Check out my hall bath photo. I posted last June under "pics of my new bathrooms". I am not good at linking posts. I put a Kohler Greek tub in an alcove but turned it sideways so you enter from the front. The tub sticks out like you describe, if I understand you correctly. This is also a shower. We have a rainhead so the water comes straight down, eliminating the necessity for a shower door.

    Hope this helps!

  • Octus99517
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks bluedevil! Your bathrooms look beautiful. The Kohler Greek tub does stick out in the same way I am envisioning, although I was contemplating a much larger tub. I could actually fit the Greek tub in the existing shower alcove without it sticking out. If you check this post again, I would really appreciate if you could answer a few questions. How is the Greek tub for bathing? I know it's deep, but it's only 3' long at the bottom, which seems pretty short. In terms of showering, do you have enough room to stand and does the rainhead shower really avoid water splashing out? Again, thanks so much for taking the time.

  • nycbluedevil
    11 years ago

    Optus

    The Greek is a really cool tub. In our situation, it is the tub/shower for our daughters. We have just the shower(shown in the other pics) in our master bath. So I use the tub when I feel like having a soak. I am 5'3". If I sit straight up, I can almost straighten my legs but the tub is meant for you to sit with legs bent, like the Japanese Ofuro tubs. It is wonderfully deep too.

    The tub is fine for showering. I purposely put a step in front to make it easier to step in and out and I also put a grab bar on the wall. Regarding the water, it really and truly does not spray out much. The step gets a bit wet but the floor in front does not get wet at all. The rainhead (I did a small 7" one) makes all the difference.

    Here is one important thing and it is the reason I ended up with this tub. The tub must be entered from the short end since it does not stick out of the alcove enough to get in from the side. Most all tubs are slanted on the ends. Entering a tub from the front end is an invitation to have your legs slide right out from under you. I had to find a tub with a perfectly upright end and the Greek tub had it. The short length was a bonus actually because it fit the room better. And the tub fills faster and uses less water.

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