Walk-in Tubs Luxury Features

Feb 11, 2016

Walk-in bathtubs can occupy the full length of the traditional bathtub space using extension panels (if needed) by up to 60 inches. Whether you want to remove an old bathtub to make room for a walk-in tub for an aging parent and a separate shower for yourself or just want to create more bathroom space, the walk-in tub gives you enough flexibility to remodel your bathroom for pure luxury.

Your Own Spa

Bring the spa to you and take full advantage of the walk-in tub’s therapeutic features that include hydrotherapy (air and water massage), chromotherapy, and aromatherapy all within the comfort of your own home. At your convenience, you can work a number of features in unison to enhance your bathing experience and relax your body and mind.

The warm air bubbles and whirlpool working together to massage your body, cleansing and soothing you, embracing and cleaning you, you won't believe that you have such a relaxing agent for you to indulge in at your time of need or leisure. The chromotherapy LEDs radiating through the water, setting the mood to alleviate your stress with their cool colors, it is easy to lose track of time in the luxury of a walk-in tub, which is why it is popular among fellow seniors looking for a convenient, beautiful, comfortable and safe alternative to a regular bathtub.

A Work of Art

You can enhance the elegance of the overall look of your bathroom with a walk-in tub installed professionally with a wall kit. Wall kit options are characterized by different textures and colors. You can either go with your standard white or the botticino cream, breccia paradiso, mocha travertine and many others. These colors give your bathroom a richness in color and texture. Combined with custom chrome fixtures and faucet colors, custom curtains, and the colored LEDs coming from the basin of your unit, your bathroom becomes alive with luxury and beauty.

Remodeling your bathroom with an accessible bathing/showering unit depends on a number of key factors: These include the unit's size, step-in height, style of installation, type of accessibility, and decorative options. Let's go over them one by one.

1. The Sizes

Perhaps one of the best things about accessible tubs is that they don't need to be huge in order to be heavy with upgrades and therapeutic features. The size of the unit will largely depend on your body's measurements and the space available in your bathroom. 

The walk-in tub goes with any bathroom space, design and color theme. Walk-in tubs sizes vary from compact space savers to larger choices designed to cater to your bathing needs and bathroom aesthetics.

If you're particularly tall, then you need to make sure that the model is deep enough for you to immerse your body in when it's time for a deep soak.

Wheelchair accessible models also tend to be larger to create a spacious interior to make bariatric patients feel comfortable when they're seated. Another reason for wheelchair accessible models being larger is the door which needs to swing outwards rather than inwards to help in keeping sufficient legroom. Outwardly swinging doors are typically thicker and heavier than inwardly swinging ones due to the fact that they need to be able to support the water pressure once the tub is being used - one less thing inwardly swinging doors have to worry about.

2. The Step-In

Depending on your mobility, the height of the step-in needs to be as comfortable and manageable for you as possible. The height of the step-in plays a role in bathroom remodeling in rare cases but which do happen nonetheless. If for whatever reason, you couldn't find a model with the low-threshold of your choice, you can always get one that's a few inches higher and have the installers "sink" it lower into the ground. This is done by removing floor tiles to give way for the tub to sit lower, sometimes at a slight angle, to achieve a step-in of 0" or something close enough.

3. The Four Styles of Installation

The style of installation refers to the positioning and orientation of your walk-in tub after it's installed. The four variations of these include apron front (side-to-wall), tile-in (corner-to-wall), freestanding (back-to-wall), and top-mount styles of installation able to fit in any bathroom of any size.

This makes replacing your older regular bathtub or shower stall no difficult task.

• Apron front styles of installation are usually reserved for models install in an alcove part of the bathroom or between bathroom separators.
• Tile-in installations are typically preferred by walk-in shower/bathtub combinations to have two sides already obstructing the water.
• Freestanding tubs are perfect for small bathrooms with or without an unused shower stall. Portable models are also considered freestanding since they can be placed and used anywhere in the house as long as there is a water hookup.
• Top mount: Specially reserved for low-threshold showers, top mounts can occupy an alcove space or a freestanding position. Both positions require flooring (for proper stability in the shower base and drain connection) and some wall removal if you're including a wall panel.

Click to see Ella's beautiful decorative wall panels and accessories to enhance the look of your bathroom. For more on wall surrounds and wainscoting, let's take a look at Re-Bath's decorative additions.

4. Re-Bath's Wall Surround and Wainscoting

Transform your bathtub space with elegantly textured natural stone and ceramic tile wall surround. Re-Bath's wall surround is made out of hard, non-porous polymer that can be the "cherry on top" for many bathrooms missing that element of richness and texture.

Wainscoting is used for aesthetics and protection. It gives the appearance that the space it occupies is bigger than it actually is. From a practical perspective, wainscoting protects the walls from wear and tear common in bathtub areas. 

A brief look at the galleries included on most walk-in tub websites should take your breath away, as their beauty is outstanding and the possibilities are endless.

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