Looking for a new bath at the moment, just plain, nothing fancy. I was surprised to find a pressed steel bath is cheaper than a plastic bath -- I had expected the opposite. Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of pressed steel verses plastic baths?
The Natural Philosopher said this in the 're-enamel' thread:
My final thoughts on baths are
(i) cast irion is cold, chips, rusts and lookes orrible, (ii) Cheap pressed steel isslightly less cold, but otherwise still as bad, and flexes badly. (iii) Cheap plastic is warm, but otherwise as bad as cheap steel (iv) large thick cast resin baths are the best of the lot. If they chip, at least the resin fix is using the same material the bath was made of.
Read the other thread for more.
I think they knock spots off plastic baths. The edges are squarer and they don't flex. One pro is that they are said to be conduct heat away quicker but I always try to insulate behind and under the baths I put in anyway. One of the tile & bathroom chains is selling the ubiquitous Kaldewei make for £55, any size!
Consider one of these: (Sorry, you'll have to unwrap the link)
John.
Both vile. Cast iron or thick cast plastic.
They do! They are as flexible as a Fiat Punto bonnet!
I'm after a small Kaldewei. Who's selling them for £55? Thank you, Neil>
Cast iron has the strength of old putty, I know I recently smashed one up with a sledge hammer. Look great for arty makeover TV programs, but in the average family household they're impractical. Thick cast plastic I don't know about but it probably costs a bomb and isn't readily available.
So that would actually be a "con" then?
These are "pros"
Chris
Tile & Bath World. Branches in Newbury, Cheltenham, Feltham, Reading (01189
512722) etc Actually it was £53 but not sure if that included vat. ... I was astonished and miffed as I'd paid >£120 for same bath a year ago from bathstore.com
Mine don't! Neither of the Kaldewei or Ariston steel baths I've fitted flex..... Are you talking about something B&Q sell ?
Pressed steel is much stronger than those cheap plastic baths. When I did our bathroom I installed a Kaldewi that has 3.5mm enamelled steel. It neither bends or flexes. The kids can jump up and down in it with out any harm coming to it. And its very heavy. 2 of us struggled to get it in position, but well worth the money. Suspect anything for £55. Kaldewi do a wide range of baths, this must be one of the cheaper ones.
Robert
I'd say the steel ones feel and sound cheaper. They are stronger for standing in - as you fix up other stuff. The steel is quite thin there is little to choose on the 'it feels warmer' criterion.
The plastic one s come is a much large variety of shapes colours and sizes, whereas the stell ones tend to be plain 'contract' versions in the standard 1.7m length.
I imagine this is the 2.5mm 'contract' bath.
Most Kaldewei ones are 3.8 mm (IIRC), and much stronger for it. They typically cost £150 upwards.
Not sure if the up-spec the enamaling as well on the 'proper' ones.
IanC
Hi Andrew
We did this discussion about two years ago, IIRC. Comments on heat loss, flexing, etc.
I really like our Kaldewei one. Its 750 wide, and has a nice square, slip resistant area for an over the bath shower. Best design I've ever seen/used for this sort of thing. I think they can get steeper sides on a steel bath.
Also has a nice slope at the other end for lazing in the bath.
Obviously you can get acrylic baths in 'over size' as well, so the size thing isn't necessarily a gating factor. I think the Armacast ones are nice and solid , but don't come cheap.
You may have other needs that will change the preferred features though.
HTH IanC
Frankly, the sink, toilet, and most of the rest of the bathroom are unlikely to survive anyway if someone starts swing a sledge hammer around, so there seems little point in having a sledgehammer-proof bath ;-)
I paid around 250 I think.
Readily avialable - except in teh sheds of course.
Probably.
The thicker ones are just COLD.
I had a hell of a job smashing up a cast iron bath. Took ALL my strength with a short sledge - dunno what youd call it - between a club hammer and a sledge.
Only way to get it out.
Shame, as it was worthh a coule of hundred probably...
That's a con (against) not a pro (for).
Considering the relative heat capacities of water, metal and plastic I don't really believe that a steel bath makes your bath water cooler by any significant amount.
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