The Ultimate Free Standing Bath Buying Guide

The Ultimate Free Standing Bath Buying Guide

Whether you’re renovating your bathroom or building a new home, one of the best ways to ensure your bathroom is contemporary and “on-trend” is to opt for a free standing bath over a traditional insert bath.

In my opinion, nothing says “retreat” more than a free standing bath, and that’s what you want from a bathroom—for it to offer a space where you can relax in complete privacy and unwind from the stresses of the day.

If you thought choosing a free standing bath would be a simple task, think again. It’s no easier to choose a bath than it is to choose a vanity or shower. With the magnitude of styles and designs available, choosing a free standing bath in 2021 is more difficult than ever before. As such, we’ve decided to put together an ultimate buying guide to help you choose the best free standing bath for your new bathroom.

In this guide, we will look at the plumbing requirements, positioning, style, size, and accessories, that all need to be taken into consideration during the buying process.

Free Standing Bath Positioning

The first thing you need to do before you even consider buying a free standing bath in Perth is to determine the positioning of the bath in your new bathroom. Know that the positioning is important because certain types of free standing baths are designed to be positioned against a wall or in the corner of a room, as opposed to being in the middle of a room or away from walls. One example is our new Madrid Back to the Wall Corner Bath.

As stated above, free standing baths are best positioned in one of three locations:

  • against a wall,
  • in the corner of a room, or
  • the middle of a room / away from walls

You will know which position is best for you by creating a bathroom floor plan/bathroom layout. If you’re building a new house, you can refer to your house plans, which will have this set out for you. If you’re renovating or haven’t yet decided on the layout of your bathroom for your house plans, then start with the room’s dimensions, and include the shower, vanity, and toilet to reveal how much space you have left for a free standing bath. You can then play around with the positioning and size of each fixture till you settle on the most functional and practical layout.

If you have a spacious bathroom, consider positioning the free standing bath away from the walls as a feature. Otherwise, see which position works best in your space, against a wall or in the corner of the room.

My earlier article, How to Design the Bathroom of Your Dreams, may also assist you in planning your bathroom layout.

Free Standing Bath Plumbing Requirements

Once you have finalised your bathroom floor plan and know the positioning of your free standing bath, you then have to consider the plumbing requirements, primarily the location of the spout and waste.  We will discuss spouts more in the Free Standing Bath Tapware section, but there are mainly two considerations, which we’ll touch on here; wall-mounted bath spout and a floor-mounted spout.

If you opt to position your free standing bath away from walls, you will need a free standing bath spout. Thus, the plumbing for the spout will need to come through the floor. However, if you are positioning your bath against a wall or in the corner of the room, you can choose between a wall-mounted spout or a free standing bath spout – it just depends on which you prefer, your budget, and which offers the best use of space.

If you’re renovating an existing bathroom, you may be considering leaving your plumbing where it currently is to reduce costs, in which case, you can skip this section and continue reading about Free Standing Bath Types. However, if you’re renovation means changing your bathroom layout, you have to factor in the plumbing requirements. You will need to consider your subfloor – if it’s a concrete slab, this can cause additional problems and costs. If you have a raised floor with crawl space beneath your home as I do, then changing plumbing isn’t that difficult. It’s about the same amount of work as plumbing in a new bathroom.

Free Standing Bath Types

As mentioned earlier, there are various types of freestanding baths. While they are all self-supported, meaning they don’t have to be supported by a frame (like insert baths), they each differ in terms of where they are best positioned.

  • If your bath is positioned against a wall, a Back-To-The-Wall bath or Standard Free Standing Bath is suitable.
  • If your bath is positioned in a corner, a Standard Free Standing Bath is best suited
  • If your bath is positioned in the middle of a room / away from walls, a Standard or Claw Foot Free Standing Bath is suitable.

Standard Free Standing Baths

Galaxy Oval Freestanding Bath

Galaxy Oval Freestanding bath

Standard Free Standing Baths are, by far, the most popular and common type of free standing bath, which is why we have such a variety of them in our Freestanding Baths range.

Their popularity stems from their flexibility. As you can see from the list above, Standard Free Standing Baths can be positioned anywhere in a bathroom; against a wall, in a corner, or in the middle of a bathroom – they look great in any location.

Their flexibility is due to the many shapes in which they are available. They can be oval, oval with raised ends, egg-shaped, rectangular with rounded corners, rectangular with squared corners, round; the list goes on.

In terms of placement, Rectangular Standard Free Standing Baths are best for corner locations. Round Standard Free Standing Baths are best positioned in the middle of a room, away from walls. The other shapes are suitable for any location.

Back-To-The-Wall Free Standing Baths

Morocco Back to the Wall Freestanding Bath

Morocco Back to the Wall Freestanding Bath

Back-To-The-Wall Free Standing Baths are another popular choice, which is why we also have some of these baths in our Freestanding Baths range. Their back-to-the-wall design makes them the ideal choice for baths positioned against a wall.

They are shaped like a ‘D’ on the outside – with a flat back and rounded front corners. The straight back edge fits flush against a wall to provide a nice, clean finish. Whilst the outside is shaped like a ‘D’, the inside can be oval, rectangular with rounded corners, rectangular with squared corners, etc., as you will see in our Rio (rectangular) and Morocco (oval) baths.

Claw Foot Free Standing Baths

Claw Foot Free Standing Baths

Black Bath

There’s nothing more formal, more elegant, or more regal than a traditional Victorian-inspired Claw Foot Free Standing Bath. Characterised by their claw-like feet, Claw Foot Free Standing Bath’s don’t have an internal frame and feet like other types of freestanding baths. Instead, they are supported solely by their claw feet.

Claw Foot Free Standing Baths make a stunning statement; however, they don’t suit modern homes. They’re best suited in traditional homes or contemporary homes with traditional design influences. And while you can technically position them anywhere in a bathroom, they offer the biggest ‘wow-factor positioned away from walls in the middle of a bathroom.

Free Standing Bath Size

Free standing baths come in a range of sizes to fit bathrooms of all sizes. You no longer have to have a large bathroom to be able to include a free standing bath in your bathroom design. With the types of baths listed above, you will find the perfect fit for your space, regardless of positioning.

Common sizes of free standing baths are 130cm, 150cm, 160cm, 170cm; however, they will likely differ depending on the type and model. It is possible to find free standing baths in Perth smaller than 130cm and larger than 180cm; however, they are scarce. Most baths in our Freestanding Baths range are 130cm, 150cm, or 170cm in length.

Free Standing Bath Tapware

To complete a free standing bath installation, you need some type of faucet to facilitate water flow. As mentioned earlier, there are two main options; a wall-mounted bath spout and a floor-mounted spout.

Wall-mounted bath spouts are the most typical choice because free standing baths are more commonly positioned against a wall than in the middle of a room. Wall-mounted bath spouts are also much cheaper than floor-mounted spouts. However, floor-mounted spouts are also suitable for baths positioned against a wall or in a corner.

Today, there are many options for wall-mounted bath spouts; there are traditional three-piece sets with turn assembles and a spout, or the more modern option of having a separate spout and mixer or a joint wall mixer set that comprises a spout and mixer combined. There’s also a selection of spout options, including fixed spouts, swivel spouts, cascade spouts, and waterfall spouts.

Floor-mounted spouts, as mentioned, are suitable for any bath in any position, but they’re a necessity for baths positioned away from a wall, such as those in the middle of the room, which has no wall support to mount a standard bath tap.

They are seen as a luxury accessory due to their opulence. Striking in design, floor-mounted spouts add another level of ‘wow’ to a free standing bath. In addition to facilitating water flow, some floor-mounted spouts can provide extra practicality that wall-mounted fixtures cannot.

There are three types of floor-mounted spouts;

  • standard freestanding spouts, which don’t include a mixer and therefore are suitable for baths positioned by a wall;
  • freestanding bath mixers, which feature a built-in mixer, and
  • freestanding bath mixers with a hand shower, which provide the added practicality mentioned above.

Both freestanding bath mixers and freestanding bath mixers with hand showers are ideal for baths positioned in the middle of a room or away from a wall as they don’t need a wall to support a separate mixer.

Freestanding bath mixers with hand showers are the ultimate free standing bath accessory. Not only do they look luxurious, but the addition of the hand shower makes for a more enjoyable bathing experience.

You can view our range of bath mixers, spouts, and freestanding bath mixers here.

Conclusion

Including a free standing bath in any bathroom, new or renovated, is an excellent idea. However, it’s important to consider all factors to ensure you buy the best-suited bath for your bathroom design and personal needs.

Thankfully, with the range of free standing bath types and sizes available in Perth today, you’ll have no problem finding the perfect bath for your space. Simply start by deciding where your bath will be positioned in your bathroom floor plan. Generally, a free standing bath will be posited against a wall, in a corner or away from walls in the middle of a room.

You also have to factor in the plumbing requirements to ensure your chosen location is doable. This is really only a concern for bathroom renovations, where the bath and other plumbing fixtures are moved.

With your position finalised, you can then start to shop for free standing baths in Perth. Look at which type of free standing bath best suits the position you decide. There are Standard Free Standing Baths, Back-To-The-Wall Free Standing Baths, And Claw Foot Free Standing Baths. Standard Free Standing Baths can be positioned anywhere, while Back-To-The-Wall Free Standing Baths are designed for wall installation, and Claw Foot Free Standing Baths look best in the middle of a room. Unsure which type is best for you? read our post, Benefits of Back to Wall Baths Over Freestanding Baths‘ – you may find the benefits surprising!

Once you know what type of bath is best for your position, you can choose the size based on your bathroom floor plan and your tapware based on your bath’s position and your needs and budget.

For free standing baths in Perth, start your search right here at Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We have a large range of free standing baths, all available at the lowest possible price.

View Our Freestanding Baths