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Vintage bathtubs for that touch of bath time elegance
The term vintage bathtub can have different meanings to different people, though
for the purpose is of this article we can say that a vintage bathtub is one that
was produced sometime around the early 1800s. This of course was well before the
time that houses and other buildings had the type plumbing close to what we are
used to today. In the time of true vintage bathtubs, many houses did not have
running water and proper drainage systems, and as such the bathtubs of the time
were not plumbed in. This means of course that a true vintage bathtub does not
have the setup for modern plumbing, and then for these bathtubs to be used in a
modern setting they need to be adapted so that they can be used with a modern
plumbing system.
In the early days of bathtub manufacture, one of the main materials that was
used was cast iron - and in some instances wood. These enabled people to have a
bath, but in no way could they be said to be luxurious - in fact they were not
comfortable at all - and needed a lot of hard work in order to keep them clean.
Then in the early part of the 19th century, came the introduction of bathtubs
that had been coated with porcelain. These vintage bathtubs - although they were
not seen as being vintage at the time - were of much better quality, were much
more comfortable to use, and more importantly were much easier to keep clean to
be maintained. It is these bathtubs that are coated with porcelain that all the
ones now being sold under the name of "vintage".
In those days, the days of the true vintage bathtub, the main reason for taking
a bath was to soak - which, of course, is still one of the main reasons today.
However, what this means is that the vintage bathtub is more than likely to be
deeper and to hold much more water than a modern bathtub. The back of a vintage
bathtub is usually rounded, which means they're excellent for reclining in.
A slightly different type of vintage bathtub is what is known as a slipper tub -
a bathtub that possesses a high back, and is made to recline in much more in the
vintage bathtub mentioned in the previous paragraph. A vintage slipper tub is
also a little deeper. For the person who's looking for something with even more
style than the usual vintage bathtub, but it might be a good idea to consider a
Roman tub - bathtub that's very deep, with a side drain, and taps which are
mounted on the side too. The great thing about a Roman tub is that you can lie
at each end, while the bigger sizes of Roman tub enable two people to bathe at
once.
As mentioned earlier, the vintage tub - that's the original vintage tub - really
came into its own when manufacturers were able to cover the base material, which
was usually cast-iron, with porcelain. Most vintage tubs follow this type of
design - a cast iron base which has been covered with porcelain, either on the
inside of the bath only, or on both inside and outside of the bath. However,
nowadays you can get a vintage bathtub reproduction that has been manufactured
in acrylic. And if you really do want a true vintage bathtub, but cast-iron is
not your style, it might be worth looking at a copped bathtub as an alternative.
Copper is a great material for bathtubs in that it is very easy to maintain and
will over time become a beautiful aged color.
Once you have chosen which vintage bathtubs style you want, the next step is to
ensure that the rest of your bathroom fits in with the vintage style. Whether
you choose a cast-iron vintage bathtub, a copper vintage bathtub, or even if you
go for a modern acrylic reproduction, the last thing you want is for your
bathtub to be the only vintage thing in your bathroom.
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