We have a Kohler Archer in a shower/tub combo that is 19" deep and it's not easy to get in and out of. I think another 5" would make it pretty treacherous, especially considering that when you get out, you're wet. OTOH, the Archer is a really nice depth for soaking, so it might be a tub you should consider if you keep the shower/tub combo where it is.

One option that comes to mind - hard to tell from your description whether this would work - would be to create a step to get in and out. You need about a foot in depth and 7" or so in height to make a step...

Good luck!

Since you are talking about moving it, what happens to the drain pipe? Are you able to place the tub somewhere else without giving yourself drain route problems?

I agree, I can't figure out why the difficulty of getting in and out of the tub should be viewed differently when it is used as a shower rather than only as a tub. It's just as risky stepping over a high obstacle with water all over the place. A step is not a help; it's safer when floor heights are the same on both sides of a doorsill, and this level-same-ness is even more important when stepping over an obstacle. Since there is a wall very close by, if anyone slipped they would be able to put their hand on that wall, for balance. B.t.w. grab bars can be installed and used as towel bars too.

Encouraging people to sit and swivel is good. Personally I would make the surround ("deck") very wide on one side and as slim as possible on the other side. Then users can sit on the wide area or step over easily on the narrow side. Besides, your space is narrow and long so it fits the plan.

I've seen this tub. Your assessment of it is correct. It has straight sides.

Thanks Davidrol. Wow--you have actually seen the tub? I can't find it anywhere in NYC. I would love to see it--any ideas? Thanks for the validation of the plan and the idea of double-purpose towel bars/grab bars. I have also planned to have the contractor put a stud behind the handshower slide bar which would be installed on the half wall as close to the opening as reasonably possible to use as a grab bar.

Moen makes a slide bar kit that turns the slide bar into a grab bar as well. That is inexpensive. At the other end of the price scale is another company whose slide bar can be a grab bar too. But don'T read too much into this. One doesn't "take a risk" with a slide bar that is not deemed officially to be transformed into a grab bar, on any average day. Some people absolutely need to put hundreds of pounds of moving weight on their bars every day. Some don't.

Whether in NYC or any other place, whenever I want to see an item, here is what I do. (Beware: it's work) I prepare an email, in advance. I send it when I'm sure it's clear. Nothing confusing, nothing that asks multiple questions. I send it to the manufacturer. I go to their web site and find the Contact Us tab and send it. My email asks them to guide me to the retailer that will have THAT item on display. They always respond. They always say they don't know specifically, but they list "here are the top retailers with the biggest selection of our product". Then I have a few options. One is to call the manufacturer and ask who their employee is, who knows the territory best. I dig for their number or their email or the right to have an email from me forwarded to them. And I ask again, out of this list, where will I find Product X. Another option is to call or email each retailer on that list and ask if Product X is in their showroom, or in their inventory and "available for a quick look-see." Getting an item out of inventory is possible if they know you are coming for that purpose; otherwise good luck.

I dream of a day when the internet (and database services) will have matured to the point that I can do less work, to see more product more easily.

It makes perfect sense to think that I could ask manufacturer ABC where I should go, to see one of their products.
It makes NO sense that they would not track this.

Their one employee who handles that territory covering those retailers will know.
He or she knows by memory only; it's not an internet-enabled consultable database.
He or she should be updating THAT database, as a future service.
Right now, the manufacturer doesn't know whether the product shipped as showroom product actually did get installed in the showroom and is still on display.

I think there is a lot of finagling of the accounting going on, or favors being done behind the scenes, when they give massive discounts for showroom purchases and then let the retailer sell it fast as a showroom model. Sometimes so fast it doesn't even get into the showroom. Hint hint you might be able to get a big discount if you tell someone who doesn't have it in his showroom that you want to buy the next one which he'll order as a showroom order. Basically, say aggressive things like that and you will get a better sense of the real price.

If you call the manufacturer instead of emailing them you are at the mercy of the person your call falls upon.
You might be able to insist on having your call routed to the voicemail of the territory rep but don't count on it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Davidrol. The Kohler Greek, according to Kohler, can be used in an alcove installation by using the tile bead kit as the tub doesn't have an integral tile flange. That is one reason I suppose not to have any deck on the sides because this will be used as a shower and the water will pool between the side of the tub and the wall if there is a deck. On the other hand, maybe there a way to somehow pitch a narrow deck so that I don't have that problem.

Two questions:

1. Do you think that the pitching idea works?
2. Do you have a view on using the tile flange kit? I have seen raging debate on this--some say it's fine, others say it is crap and that they fashion their own out of some other material, others say that you should never put a tub in an alcove that does not have an integral file flange.

2/ i have no ideas on this.
1/ i have no specific ideas on this "per se" but I do know that it's fine either way, with all intended consequences understood and admitted in advance. I personally would put the wall flush to the tub so that I would not have a silly patch of wasted space and water to wipe up every single time. It won't self-drain. It cannot be sloped to a drain.

You can have wall on two sides, and a deck on a third side (for the big flat seating area I mentioned above); but this is just idle talk from someone who may be helping, or maybe isn't helping by saying this. Disregard it if it doesn't fit your plan. Do what you want to do. If I had a "deck seating area" I would have to account for a way to keep it dry during showering. Only by being on site would I know what I would do. Maybe, maybe photos would help a more detailed discussion. Whatever happens, it's not a big deal. Water on a flat deck surface is common, not unusual, not a problem.

Others will contribute too. I hope they do.

The fact of having seen this tub does not make me more qualified to comment than others.

HTh

Ok, I will comment on the tile flange.

Anyone can make a tile flange. You can too.

You can buy the manufacturer's tile flange and then you have it, to use or to discard if you choose to make your own, for any imaginable last-minute reason that may pop up. It's not a big amount of money wasted.

Don't overthink this; just buy the tub and install it (but install it "well"). Any internet stranger can say they wouldn't want to put a tub in that doesn't already have a tile flange on it, but people can say anything about their personal standards and then in real life you would be surprised what they REALLY do. (Often they can self-justify anything.)

I realize I'm a bit late to the party, but we have an old, and I mean OLD (anyone know when they first came out?), Kohler Greek Tub/shower combo. Yes, it's obviously higher than getting in and out of a standard tub but it really doesn't bother me. I've smashed the top of my foot a couple of times but it was due more to my clumsiness than anything else. It may be an issue for shorter folks/kids (I'm 5'8" and hubby is several inches taller). We don't have a deck or anywhere to sit for entry though - we just step over. We love the jets, we just wish there were more (we only have 4 - did I mention it's OLD?). Good luck with you new tub!

Wow, thanks bumble doodle! Tt is great to know that the tub works well as a shower. We are tall too--at least most of us (two of my teenage daughters are twins and one is 5'2" and the other is 5'10", so maybe the short one complains a bit but that's ok, since she complains about everything!) We are getting the non-jetted version. Also, I am hoping that building the deck at the front will help with the water spray. I am pushing the tub back into an alcove under the window the long way (so we get into the tub at the 32" side rather than from the 48" side) and we are trying to go without shower doors in order to make the bath feel open. With a deck, we buy a few more inches of length to help avoid water on the floor. We may not succeed and will put a panel on if we have to. Any thoughts on this?

Use glass on hinges to close it off and open it up. Like a shower door. Same price too.

Drats nyc, I screwed up. DH just told me our tub is NOT the Kohler Greek Tub. I am SO sorry! It looks EXACTLY like the Kohler but is a bit longer at 58" and just over 23" deep.. So, I can attest to the ease of getting in/out but not to the brand. Again, my apologies!!

nycbluedevil - Did you ever do this? We've been thinking about converting our shower in our master bath to a bath and the only bath which will fit is the Kohler Greek tub. We want to install a shower in it as well. If you did this, please let me know how it turned out.

Yes and it turned out great. I did a step in front of it and a grab bar. I also used a rain head which comes straight down so I need no shower curtain or door. The step gets a bit of spray but the floor in front of it stays dry. I continued my radiant heat onto the step. I posted a few pictures of my bathrooms which includes one of the tub under "pics of my new bathrooms" back in June.

Thanks nycbluedevil...it looks great!

nycbluedevil - One more question! Which end is the drain on...the end near the back wall or the end where you step into the tub? We would be installing in a similar alcove (used to be a shower) and we are wondering which end will make it easiest to step in or if one end is better to be nearer to the shower.

Thanks!

We put it on the end where you step in because what was most important was not to sit on the drain! So figure out where you would sit. We have a rain head that is in the middle of the 48" space. It hangs directly from the ceiling. I would strongly recommend that you do that if you can to avoid splashing. You can also put a rain head on an arm that comes out from where a regular head comes from if you can't drop from ceiling. If you don't do the rain head, then you need to consider what you are doing regarding curtain/door. I am not sure how easy it is to put a door on the tub. I never seriously considered it.

nycbluedevil - Thanks for the info...we certainly don't want to sit on the drain!

We're planning on putting some kind of curved curtain rod in at the opening of the alcove and have the shower head on the side (as it is today).