In the fast-paced life, there are always people who insist on leaving a tender corner for themselves -- a bathtub that can let the body and mind completely stretch. It is a hot water utopia when you are tired, a romantic space to bathe with your lover, and a joyful ocean for your child's childhood. If you also harbor the dream of a bathtub, don't be bound by the inherent thinking that small homes can not be installed, this strategy will tell you with real experience: the cost of capricious is not high, the key is to find the right way. If you want to learn more, the best way is to visit Shanghai International Home Expo.

1.Break the size curse: small bathroom bathtub feasibility analysis

Many people's first concern about the bathtub is that the bathroom is too small to put. Take the common 5-6 square meters bathroom as an example, it seems difficult to squeeze out the space for bathtub as it has to accommodate toilet, sink, shower room and even washing machine. But the actual case proves that reasonable planning is completely feasible:

Real case: a homeowner 6 square meters of dark bathroom through the diamond shower door design, successfully embedded in 1.2 meters of cast iron bathtub, to solve the problem of space interference, the child has been enjoying the fun of playing in the water. The key is to measure and plan in advance, use the diamond shower room to release the opening space, with ultra-thin bathroom cabinets or customized shaped cabinets, so that the small space to achieve a shower + bathtub + toilet + storage four in one.

Japanese experience: Japan's small homes generally use 0.8-1.2-meter small-sized bathtubs, by increasing the depth (60cm +) to ensure the volume (200L-300L), even if the 1.85-meter height can also be comfortable to sit and bathe. This design logic of shortening the length and increasing the depth breaks the inherent perception of the traditional long bathtub and makes it possible to accommodate a bathtub in a small bathroom.

Material and shape reference: small size bathtub material variety, aluminum stone models suitable for modern minimalist style, cast iron embedded models to save space and suitable for retro decoration, metal independent models with industrial style design, can be added at the bottom of the leg to avoid water problems.

2.Material selection

(1) Cost-effective choice: acrylic bathtubs

Acrylic bathtub is the mainstream of the market, lightweight and easy to install, low price (500-3000 yuan), can realize a variety of shapes. But be wary of poor quality products -- some low-priced models use recycled materials, easy to yellow, cracking, short life. Selection should be recognized thickness ≥ 5mm of new material plates, surface luster uniformity, press no obvious depression of the product, high-quality new material models life of up to 5-8 years.

(2)Preferred durability: steel enamel bathtubs

Steel plate enamel bathtub to steel plate as the substrate, the surface covered with enamel glaze, representative brands such as Germany Kaldewei, its 3.5mm steel enamel technology wear-resistant and easy to clean, heat preservation is better than acrylic. Low-priced models need to be embedded installation, the need for masonry (cost about 1000-2000 yuan), suitable for medium budget, the pursuit of durability of the family, especially suitable for dark bathroom environment, enamel surface stain resistance, not easy to hang dirty. Independent steel plate bathtub price is higher (6000 yuan +), more suitable for users who have requirements for quality.

(3) Quality choice: cast iron bathtubs

Cast iron bathtub using vacuum casting embryo body, surface glaze is delicate, strong insulation (slow decline in water temperature), easy to clean (porcelain enamel surface stain resistance), life expectancy of more than 20 years. But the disadvantage is the weight of large (1.2 meters models about 150kg), the installation needs to be reinforced ground, and the price is high (Kohler and other international brands start at 10,000 yuan, domestic high-quality models 6000-8000 yuan). Its classic claw leg modeling comes with decorative, suitable for retro, American and other decoration styles.

(4) The pinnacle of value: aluminum stone bathtubs

Aluminum stone bathtub is made of aluminum hydroxide and m-phenyl resin casting molding, the biggest advantage is that the shape is flexible, can achieve round, shaped, ultra-thin edge and other designs, a strong sense of modernity, commonly found in mansions or five-star hotels. Its surface is fine and easy to clean, but the stain resistance is slightly inferior to cast iron bathtub, need to avoid sharp objects scratch. The price band is 10,000-3,000 RMB. Domestic high-quality brands (e.g. PG) are more cost-effective and of stable quality, and are widely used in high-end hotels such as Intercontinental.

(5) Other materials to avoid potholes

Wooden bathtub has a natural texture and good heat preservation, but in a humid environment (especially in the South) easy to mold, high maintenance costs, not recommended for home use; ceramic bathtub transportation and installation of easy to damage, low market penetration, purchase with caution.

3.Embedded VS freestanding

Traditional embedded bathtubs are commonly found in old hotels, which need to be fixed by masonry, the advantage is space saving, the disadvantage is single modeling, maintenance trouble. With the rising cost of domestic masonry, the cost of masonry (labor + materials about 1500 yuan) makes it less cost-effective. Freestanding bathtubs have become mainstream in recent years, without masonry, can be flexibly placed in the bedroom, window and other areas, especially suitable for aluminum stone, cast iron and other high-value materials. It is especially suitable for aluminum stone, cast iron and other high-quality materials. When placing it, it is necessary to reserve space around it (it is recommended to be more than 30cm away from the wall) to enhance the sense of visual transparency. Japanese system bathtub belongs to the overall bathroom design, and the ground, drainage system integration, domestic use need to pay attention to the bottom of the water problem, can be solved by adding a leg high or choose the style with a drainage sump.

4.Cast iron VS aluminum stone

Cast iron bathtubs and aluminum stone bathtubs are two choices with outstanding overall performance:

(1) easy to clean: cast iron bathtub enamel surface stain resistance, gently wipe can be clean; aluminum stone bathtub surface fine, but need regular maintenance, stain resistance is slightly weaker.

(2)Design: cast iron bathtubs are mainly in classic retro shape, aluminum stone bathtubs are good at modern minimalist or shaped design, more fashionable.

(3)Thermal insulation performance: cast iron material thermal conductivity is slow, the water temperature is long-lasting, the bathing experience is more comfortable; aluminum stone bathtub thermal insulation is medium, suitable for users who are sensitive to water temperature.

(4)Installation difficulty: cast iron bathtub weight, need to be fixed on the ground; aluminum stone bathtub lightweight, can be placed independently, installation is more flexible.

(5) Price threshold: cast iron bathtub domestic quality models from 6000 yuan, aluminum stone bathtub is generally more than 10,000 yuan, the budget medium cast iron, the pursuit of design choice of aluminum stone.

5. Bathtub faucet: the last key barrier determines the experience of use

(1) Installation: oversized bathroom or bedroom bathtub can be considered floor-standing faucet, high value but expensive (high-end brand models 3-4 million yuan); ordinary families preferred into the wall or wall-mounted faucet, into the wall in advance of pre-buried piping, hidden water pipes more beautiful, wall-mounted second.

(2) Functional requirements: must have temperature control function (40 ℃ constant temperature anti-scald) and hand shower, hose length is recommended ≥ 1.5 meters, strong water pressure to facilitate flushing bathtub.

(3) Material: refused plastic faucet, recognized pure copper chrome material, good texture and long life, Japan's low-priced plastic models are easy to aging and leakage, is not recommended to choose.

6. Written in the end: your bathtub, your sense of life rituals

From 6 square meters of cast iron bathtub to five-star hotel cast iron bathtub to aluminum stone independent cylinder, essentially has nothing to do with the size and price, but the active choice of the quality of life. Don't let the lack of size and the trouble of cleaning become the reason to give up -- reasonable planning can make the small space accommodate big dreams, and high-quality materials can make daily maintenance easy and pleasant.

If you want to turn off your cell phone late at night, let the hot water spread over your shoulders, and watch the lights outside the window or the stars above your head, then believe me: this seemingly capricious decision will become a gentle bulwark against the world's hustle and bustle. After all, there's more to life than being efficient, and there's also time to slow down and take a bath.

Source: JALO HOME

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