View full size Diamond Spas, Dan Danenberg The soaking tubs come in a variety of materials and shapes. While all have an Asian feel, they can fit into a variety of decors. Diamond Spas' stainless steel elliptical soaking tub nestles in white river rocks.
Some of us are shower people, and some are bathers.
But there's a way to be both, as the Japanese discovered centuries ago when they developed the ofuro, or soaking tub.
Traditionally, the Japanese get clean with a shower or hand bath and then step into an "ofuro," a deep tub full of clean hot water. These tubs are often large enough that several family members can have a communal soak. It's considered a relaxing and important ritual.
The idea has caught on here, and several manufacturers now make ofuro tubs suitable for one bather or a couple. Usually about 27 inches deep, the tubs typically have built-in seats, and often a grab bar. They're available in a variety of materials, including acrylic, composite, wood, stainless steel and copper.
If you've been thinking you'd like to add one to your home, here are the steamy details on some options, and what you should consider:
WOODEN TUBS
Bill Finlay owns SeaOtter WoodWorks in Haines, Alaska. While he'd been making outdoor hot tubs for a few years, he made his first ofuro at the request of a business associate, and that sparked an interest in perfecting the craft.
"I made a couple of fact-finding trips to Japan, then developed my own techniques," he says.
Finlay makes the Hinoki Ofuro in a couple of sizes, suitable for one or two people. The material is an aromatic cypress native to Japan, the resin is bacteria- and rot-resistant and withstands humidity. The citrusy fragrance is a common aromatherapy component.
View full size WoodenTubs.com SeaOtter WoodWorks' soaking tub of fragrant Hhinoki cypress is the Kyoto model with sloping sides.
ACRYLIC AND COMPOSITE TUBS
Holly Rickert. a bath designer based in Wykoff, N.J. recently won an industry award for a design that incorporated an English soaking tub into a Japanese-style bath.
One of her clients was of Japanese heritage, and had given her some brochures from Japanese hot spring spas. She placed the tub, Cabuchon's curvy Pleasance Plus model, on a bed of river rocks in front of a window with forest views.
"My aim was to replicate the ofuro experience for her," says Rickert.
Made of a proprietary solid composite called Ficore, Cabuchon's tubs aren't heavy. The maker says they retain heat better than most acrylics, don't chip and can be custom colored.
Kohler makes the Greek acrylic soaking tub, a 4-foot-long, 23-inch-deep, one-person bath well-suited to a smaller bathroom. Kallista's Perfect Deep Soak bathtub has two raised corner seats at different heights.
METAL TUBS
Diamond Spas in Frederick, Colo. welds recycled copper and stainless steel into tubs that are lined with foam insulation, then buffed to a nice Old World finish. Like kitchen pans, the copper tubs can be left to develop a patina, or rendered shiny with a polishing compound.
View full size The Oregonian An Asian-style soaking tub in an octagonal shape.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INSTALLATION
Soaking tubs aren't as complicated to install as you might think.
The weight factor. If you're putting in a smaller, one- or two-person tub, you'll actually use less water than a conventional tub. But a four-person version can hold a lot of water -- close to 250 gallons, compared with around 50 for a conventional tub. So floor joists need to be able to hold the weight of the water, not just the tub.
Getting it in. Make sure you'll be able to get the tub sideways through doorways.
Overflow protection. Many tubs come with an overflow failsafe built in, but you should have a drain in the bathroom floor as well. The river rock bed is an attractive way to hide a draining floor system, but you can also tile the bathroom floor and install a drain.
Enough hot water. You'll need lots of good hot water, so upgrade your system, and consider an inline heater that continuously reheats the full tub.
The spa factor. There are jetted options for many of these models, if you'd prefer some bubbles with your soak.
-- Kim Cook
For The Associated Press
View full size Courtesy of Chown Sonoma Cast Stone soaking tub is made of NuCrete.
RESOURCES
Kallista Products: Perfect Deep Soak tub, $1,695 and up, kallista.com
In Portland, Kallista Products, according to its website, are carried by:
George Morlan/GMP Design Center, 503-224-7000, Ann Sacks, 503-233-0611, and Ferguson Enterprises Inc., 503-222-1144.
Home Depot: Kohler's Greek tub, $1,085, stores throughout Portland and Oregon, 800-HOME-DEPOT (800-466-3337), homedepot.com
Designer Holly Rickert: 201-485-8035, hollyrickertdesign.com
Diamond Spas: Stainless steel and copper baths, 800-951-SPAS (800-951-7727), diamondspas.com
SeaOtter WoodWorks: Hinoki tubs, $5,280 and up, 888-810-7717, woodentubs.com
Locally: Check with your bath and plumbing supplier to see if they carry soaking tubs.
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