Hi all, has anyone made their own bathtub? i want to make my own, a roman style, square, tiled, deep and wide (ish) bath to shower in also. i once rented a house in Perth that had one and would love to replicate. my idea is to build a timber frame and line with cement sheeting, then tile. cant find any info on the web or ANYWHERE! i dont think its too complicated, and being square should make things easy - any comments?
thanks.:confused:

I think it's a little bit more complicated then that. I don't think a timber box frame lined with cement sheeting and tiling will be strong enough to hold the weight of the water when the bath is filled. (Don't forget that 1 litre weighs 1 kg.)

I have seen home made deep square plunge pool that went with a home made sauna but that was a reinforced concrete structure then lined with waterproofing before tiling.

Try contacting swimming pool manufacturers for some help and advice.


Peter.

Can't see why your plan wouldn't work but I would be making sure it was well and truely over engineered.

Maybe using cement sheeting as Sturdee suggested would be a bit sus with the weight unless it was the real thick compressed fibro they use for the floors but most spa baths are only plastic or fibre glass so if you lined it with a good fibreglass lining on ply and the frame was nice and strong it would be probably be OK

A couple of mates up in Darwin did it. They built a frame of ply, added builders mesh and poured concrete in. Once the concrete is dry, remove the formwork, seal and tile. I think they also drilled holes in the slab and put in starter bars as well, so in effect the sides of the bath are 'tied' to the slab.
I think its something that I'd go looking for professional advice on.
Good luck with it.

__________________
Cheers,
Clinton

"Use your third eye" - Watson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clinton_findlay/

It can be as simple as you like, however the key is in preventing flex in the bottom and particularly at the sides.

You will also have to build a fall into the bottom to make sure it drains.

The concrete shell is a good idea, or if you have a slab floor you can build up in brickwork.

It's best to use compressed fibre cement on the inside for rigidity, and line the whole structure with a fibreglass reinforced waterproofing like the WetSeal product.

Then tile away!

Or you could get really flash and do something like this marvellous piece by Artist Wieki Somers.

cheers,

P

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Years ago we rented a house that had a Japanese style square bath made from 28-30 mm pine. It looked great and initially we loved it.

Then we lost interest - it took ages to fill.

Cheers

Graeme