A free-standing bathtub can be a luxurious addition to your bathroom. It is a suitable accessory that complements both conventional and modern design schemes. Industries use an assortment of materials to create bathtubs that satisfy the budget and preferences of customers.
A copper bathtub is rare in bathrooms because it is an expensive feature ranging from £3,000 to £10,000. Hence if you are thinking of installing one in your bathroom, it is advised to acquaint yourself with the pros and cons of Copper Bathtubs.
The pros of copper bathtubs include aesthetic appeal to the interior of your washroom, making it look sophisticated and elegant.
Additionally, copper has a rich color that adds warmth to your decor. It is also an environment-friendly metal that is durable and naturally resistant to rust. Thus it hardly requires any maintenance.
The cons of copper bathtubs are that they are costly and not readily available. Also, creating them requires expertise and skill, which not everyone has.
To gain a deeper insight into the pros and cons of copper bathtubs to help you make your decision, continue reading the article below.
What are the Pros of Copper Bathtubs?
1. Unique Style
Because of its rich color and luminosity, a copper bathtub brings a sense of luxury and refinement to the washroom.
Using copper to create a bathtub gives a timeless effect because, unlike other common metals, copper has a beautiful appearance. Also, since people rarely use copper in their bathrooms, having a copper bathtub guarantees a unique style.
2. Durability
Another one of the pros of copper bathtubs is durability. Other metals can develop dents or scratch easily, however, copper is highly durable.
It displays natural resistance to indentations and scrapes that other building materials do not. Moreover, if you accidentally scrape copper, the scratches vanish over time because this metal slowly transforms in color.
After years of use, copper can acquire a greenish tint which ultimately hides the marks.
3. Least Maintenance
One of the pros of copper bathtubs also features the lack of maintenance. Copper does not demand much care and maintenance, which is common for several building materials.
With most bathtubs, to keep away mold and bacteria, you need to clean them with sanitizers and chemical cleaners. Moreover, soap scum residue can also develop on the surfaces of bathtubs that aren’t made of copper over time, resulting in a dirty look.
However, copper is naturally resistant to mold and bacteria, so you do not have to worry about buying potent chemicals and regularly washing your tub.
Instead, simply wiping it with a towel every few days is enough to keep your tub looking spic and span. According to Barrie Cutchie, the design director of BC Designs, Copper kills bacteria and viruses without help from cleaning products.
This alone is one of the most notable pros of copper bathtubs.
4. Conductor of Heat
Being a metal, copper is excellent at conducting heat. Hence the pros of copper bathtubs include that when the tub is full of water, copper makes the heat spread evenly throughout it, resulting in a uniform temperature.
Moreover, copper makes the water stay hot for longer by preventing heat from escaping.
Thus, copper bathtubs are perfect for those who enjoy long, relaxing baths. Sometimes copper tubs can have a lining of another material, like nickel or enamel, making the tub less expensive than one of pure copper.
Although nickel also conducts heat energy, it is not as efficient as copper. A copper bathtub with enamel lining the interior appears more conventional.
5. Highly Versatile
Copper is a highly malleable and appealing metal, making it a suitable material for manufacturing bathtubs. Many countries create copper bathtubs, including Mexico and China.
Experts heat sheets of copper and hammer them to form various shapes depending on the structure and proportions of the bathtubs required. Hence copper bathtubs are very versatile and can come in several shapes and sizes based on what you need.
Thus, a copper tub can complement any bathroom design, whether classic, contemporary, or antique.
6. Beautify with Age
One of the pros of copper bathtubs is their ability to increase in beauty with time. People refer to this quality as a ‘living finish.’
Pure copper reacts with the surrounding environment and darkens its color naturally as time passes. It begins with a pinkish color, which slowly deepens, progressing through a series of red-browns.
It eventually settles down and acquires a deep, rich color. Hence you do not have to worry about replacing your copper bathtub with time. Bathtubs of pure copper age beautifully with every passing day!
What are the Cons of Copper Bathtubs?
1. Expensive
One of the cons of copper bathtubs is that copper is not readily available in bulk in marketplaces. Hammering the sheets of copper into a specific shape requires immense skill, making copper bathtubs very costly.
Hence not everyone can afford to install a copper bathtub in their washrooms. Only people who have a lot of money to spare can afford this luxury.
2. Difficult to Arrange
Another drawback is that a copper bathtub is not a typical accessory of retail home improvement stores.
Most shops do not even have copper bathtubs, so anyone who wants to purchase one has to order it from skilled manufacturers and choose from the limited options available.
Furthermore, you mostly have to make your transaction online, which means that you arrange and pay for reliable shipping and handling beforehand as well.
3. Heavy-weight
A free-standing copper bath is heavier than an acrylic or steel tub. According to an expert manufacturer called William Holland, on average, copper baths weigh 45kg which means that the floor has to be sturdy enough to bear the weight, and a whole team of workers is needed to install the tub.
4. Limited Variety
Potentially experts can use copper to create tubs of many different shapes. However, in reality, because of the limited number of customers, very few varieties of copper bathtubs are present in the market.
The most common style is the Bateau style, in which the tub is deep and has tall sides. It provides a more rigid bathing experience with your back straight, although the water covers your shoulders and knees.
On the contrary, a common tub lets you recline.
5. Bath Salts Can Damage the Tub
One of the cons of copper bathtubs is that while bathing in one, you have to be very careful about the products you use to prevent any damage to the tub.
Experts advise that you should refrain from using bath salts in a copper bathtub because the salt adversely reacts with the copper. This makes the copper tub turn green, just like sweat causes untreated jewelry to change color.
Pros and Cons of Copper Bathtubs – Conclusion
Since there are both pros and cons of copper bathtubs, it is up to you to decide whether opting for one is the ideal option for you or not.
Copper baths indeed produce a very striking and grand look. Since not many people can afford to install a copper bath, having one in your home creates a statement.
It makes your bathroom look unique and offers an aura of luxury to your decor. Hence, if you wish to complete the look of your luxurious bathroom, you should get a copper bathtub installed.