Anyone use a clawfoot tub (w/suspended shower ring) in the house?

[gumshoe]

I am starting renovation of my other small rental house. It has 2 bedrooms (maybe 3 if small den upstairs is considered a bedroom) and only 1 bathroom. The bathroom has a clawfoot tub with suspended shower curtain ring so a person can stand up and take a shower in it without getting water all over the place - you know the kind I'm talking about? So, my question is: For those of you who use this type of tub/shower, are there things you don't like about it? e.g. shower curtain billowing in on you while taking a shower, trouble stepping over the high edge of the tub, maintenance/cleaning, etc.

The reason I am asking is I was discussing this with a contractor, and he recommended I take the clawfoot tub out and replace it with a regular tub and shower curtain (or door). I thought it would be kind of cool to keep the clawfoot tub because it goes with the era of the house (1910's) and lends a certain vintage charm. I've rented the house for many years, and people have never complained. But that could be because I keep the rent below market, and tenants may be happy to forego a more "modern" bathroom for the savings.

I would not rent the house to more than a couple people, in all probability. So, if you were a tenant, would this clawfoot tub be a deal breaker for you?

[Sunset]

I rented an upper floor in a house about 10 yrs ago, it had that exact bathtub, shower curtain system.
It was totally fine and not an issue.

Sounds to me like your contractor is looking for extra work, as the bill to remove the old tub and install a new one (and the plumbing) and tile work would be quite an increase.

Since it fits with the age of the house I'd keep it.
If the curtain is billowing, a more expensive thicker/heavier one , or one weighted at the bottom might solve it. I never saw it as a problem.

Now being old, I'd want a walk in no-step shower, but unless you are trying to rent to old folks, why bother.

[calmloki]

We had a house and several apartments with diverter at the tub spout and suspended shower ring over a clawfoot. No complaints, but not the finest accommodations. People saw what they were renting.

[gumshoe]

Thanks, Sunset and Calmloki! Just what I wanted to hear. I'm going to wait a bit longer and see if I get any other comments to the contrary . . .

[target2019]

A claw foot tub would not be a deal breaker for us. Our first 5 years together we lived in a small 2-bedroom that had the tub, but no shower diverter! I might see it as an attraction today, but can't speak for the normal curve. If the rest of the home has that decor, it makes sense to me that the tub should stay.

[Tom52]

As we age we think more about safety hazards in our home. We moved from a house that had step in tub/shower combinations to a house with a Roman style shower in the master bath. We like it much better for safety reasons. We don't want to slip and fall and break something. I would think you would need some convenient grab bars for stepping in and out of a tall sided wet tub, otherwise it would not work for us.

[harllee]

I had a house one time with a clawfoot tub and the suspended shower ring and I HATED IT. The shower curtain was always blowing and getting on my skin. The worse part was that my DH (who has knee problems) had difficulty getting in and out of the tub because of the high sides and almost fell a couple of times. If you are going to rent to older people it might be a deal breaker.

[calmloki]

I agree with harilee - when I used the tub/shower as a shower the curtains were problematic and arranging them (particularly at the valve/shower supply line) was a hassle. Ditto getting three curtains arranged to allow exposing the tub/entry while not obscuring the valve and working with the shower ring suspension rods. Also didn't care for the slippery slopes of the porcelain clawfoot tub, hate rubber anti slip mats, and gal the bath girl was having none of the rough surface anti-skid strips. That said, she is a firm believer that there is nothing better than the back slope and size of a clawfoot tub: we built a bathroom for one in our house up north. But we also did a shower for me.

[NgineER]

I have them in three units and have not heard complaints about it, but I don't like it if/when the curtains billow and touch you.
Most tenants think it is charming when they see it, if they look good that is, but might not realize how it feels when the wet curtain touches them. Weights or magnets will help.

[gauss]

Our friends family's vacation home has one of these.

The negative critique that most of us have is that it seems very dangerous and prone to injury.

Some of the items that contirbute to this concern include:

• The tub is fairly narrow but has high sides
• The tub is elevated off the floor via the crow feet
• There is nothing to grab on to support yourself
• There is no external step up to enter/exit the tub on the "dry side"

Perhaps these features could be mitigated/eliminated if you doing a fresh design, but I certainly wanted to share them with you up front.

-gauss

[gumshoe]

Thanks to all who took the time to provide additional advice, concerns, thoughts regarding this issue! I have decided to keep the clawfoot tub but will alleviate aforementioned negatives by:

1) Providing extra heavy premium shower curtains that won't billow and "cling" to you.

2) Having the contractor install a grab bar on the wall so a person can steady themselves when entering and exiting the tub. My tenants have all been young people in their mid 20's to early 40's who are pretty agile, but it's a great idea to provide this safety feature.

[FrankiesGirl]

I am likely an odd duck, but when I was a teen, I lived in a Victorian 3 story that looked like a castle (turrets!) and had a clawfoot tub that I almost could do laps in. I would dearly love to have that bathroom again. It was larger than my current bedroom and I am a bath person, so I LOVED it and still think about my next house having a clawfoot. I did take showers, and do not remember the shower curtain hanging from the ring being an issue for me.

If the house is in period for a clawfoot, having it should be a plus for those that are interested in living in a historic building.

[Bamaman]

The risk to having a claw foot tub is just too much.
#1--They're hard to get into due to the high sides. It's too easy to fall getting into it.
#2--Very few bathrooms have floors that will stand up to the water coming out of one of those suspended shower curtains. Preferably, a tile floor would have a floor drain in that situation.

Most would put a decent sized prefab shower in a rental house for simplicity sake. But since I do great ceramic tile work, I'd be building the shower pan and shower from scratch to save $. I'm getting ready next month to refurbish a shower I built 40 years ago.

[MarieIG]

I would be fine with it.

[gumshoe]

FrankiesGirl: I've seen magazine pics of those clawfoot tubs in those beautiful Victorian mansions. You were lucky to have the uncommon experience of living in such a home. Awesome! Hope your dream of having one in your next home comes true!

MarieIG: Thanks for your short & sweet answer! I liked it - lol!

Bamaman: The rolled vinyl flooring in the bathroom will be changed to tile for prolonged durability and aesthetics. As for the risk of injury, I think installing a grab bar and using a removable non-slip rubber mat in the tub should suffice. Just have to be careful, regardless of whether it's a clawfoot or regular tub. You sound very talented - I'm sure you will do an excellent job refurbishing the shower you built 40 years ago! Thanks for your comments.

[kcowan]

We have friends who have such a claw foot tub in a shared guest bathroom. I would usually opt for a rudimentary outdoor shower because I am 6'2 and two high for the ring. I can seevthatbthey have it to discourage long term stays.

I find it discourages daily showers when it is stormy outside. A quick swim is better.

[MrsHaloFIRE]

We had one if these in a rental. My conplaint: tub was slippery with rolled sides Nd if you started to slip nothing to grab but a curtain. Also nothing to hold to get in and out. Had my husband hold my hands. Note Im in my 30s. Nothanks

[gumshoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan We have friends who have such a claw foot tub in a shared guest bathroom. I would usually opt for a rudimentary outdoor shower because I am 6'2 and two high for the ring. I can seevthatbthey have it to discourage long term stays. I find it discourages daily showers when it is stormy outside. A quick swim is better.

Good one!

Funny you mentioned the height thing. The last tenants in this rental house were a couple who rented for 8 years. The wife is average height, but he is 6'7" (not a typo). I don't think I have ever personally known anyone that tall. I am thinking that maybe he took a bath or a "sit-down" shower. Despite drawbacks of a clawfoot tub, I suspect they stayed so long because I kept the rent low and never raised it the entire time they were there. They were getting older and decided to buy a house in a small town in a neighboring county where houses are cheaper, and they also wanted to take advantage of the current low interest rates. They told me they really enjoyed "their home" for the last 8 years and will always have fond memories from living there. I was very happy for them.