The height between the floor surface and the side of the bath is extremely important when choosing the perfect model. It is extremely undesirable to make mistakes in determining this size. After all, the convenience and safety of the operation of the main hygiene object in a house or apartment mainly depends on it. Do you agree?
Properly selected bath height from the floor is the standard and ensuring comfort, as well as the elimination of traumatic situations that may occur during the reception of hygiene procedures. In the article we presented, the standards are given, according to which this characteristic is determined. Installation recommendations are given.
Overview of existing types of bathtubs
In the plumbing market, bathtubs are available in a large assortment. You can purchase a model of cast iron, steel, acrylic, or a novelty such as a quartz product. The choice dictates the area of the bathroom and the amount that you are willing to spend on the acquisition.
The most profitable, from an economic point of view, is a steel bath. It is lightweight, does not create transportation problems and its price is quite affordable. The use of this material allows you to give products any geometry.
But the steel bath will not last very long, because it resists mechanical damage weakly. In addition, it does not keep heat well and is very noisy.
A bath is a place for rest and relaxation, therefore it should be comfortable for all family members
Cast iron bathtub is a classic. This solid, reliable product is renowned for durability. The heavy cast-iron bathtub does not differ in a wide variety of forms, although there are original design solutions. Water in it stores heat for a long time. There is a cast-iron bathtub at 2, or even 3 times more expensive than steel.
These two traditional types of plumbing products began to displace acrylic bathtubs, which appeared on the market much later, but which gained great popularity. They are lighter than their predecessors, but they keep heat well. Quality products made from this material can last 10, 20 or more years.
The advantage of acrylic models in a variety of colors and shapes, but a large number of intricate lines reduces the strength characteristics. There are no pores on the surface of acrylic, so pathogens will never multiply in the bathroom.
A comparison of the technical characteristics and performance of cast-iron and acrylic bathtubs is given in the next article, which we recommend that you familiarize yourself with.
Kvaril contains additives that enhance the characteristics of acrylic. Therefore, kvarilovye baths have a more saturated color, elasticity, shine, good sound insulation
A novelty in the world of plumbing is a bathtub made of a composite material of kvaril, which includes acrylic, quartz, polymer additives. Serve bath tubs for a long time and fully justify their high price.
This material is UV resistant, hygienic, with a hard surface. Models are heavier than acrylic - weigh about 50 kg. The cost of products is high, since they are produced only in Europe.
In addition to these varieties, there are bathtubs made of wood, natural and artificial stone. Their sizes are regulated by norms and standards common to all products.
What does SNiP recommend?
The process of installing a bathtub is a difficult and responsible work that requires compliance with technical standards. First of all, it is necessary to maintain such a parameter as its height from the floor surface. SNiP recommends 0.6 m for any bath size.
This value does not depend on the place of installation of the bowl. It can be placed against the wall if the room is small or in the middle when the bathtub is spacious. The main thing is that there should be free space around - at least 1 m. SNiP also limits the height of the threshold in the bathroom - it should not be higher than 3 cm.
There are exceptions to the established standard - bathtubs in hospitals and child care facilities are raised to a height less than 10 cm from the parameter established by the norms.
The bowl of the bath is set perfectly flat to the floor. After they adjust the legs and mount the harness: connect the siphon, perform the drain adjustment
The standard of 60 cm is not strict and unshakable for home conditions. Growth may not be the same for all family members, so a deviation of 100 mm is allowed both to a smaller and a larger side. It is important to enter and exit the bathtub comfortably.
Installation of bathtubs from different materials
The height of the bowl should be determined in advance. To do this, focus on information such as the growth of the smallest member of the family.
General installation rules
This parameter affects the type of wall cladding. If tile is selected, it is advisable to know the size of the tile. At a height regulated by SNiP, from 2 to 3 rows can be laid on a plot of 0.6 m without residue.
Proper installation of the font involves:
- Strictly horizontal position. This is controlled by the level set on the side of the bath in contact with the wall.
- The angle created by the side and the wall should be 90⁰. Therefore, a large triangle is required to constantly verify compliance with this condition.
The horizontalness of the sides is easier to ensure by using metal gaskets in the form of plates with parameters of 100x100x5 mm.
Their presence under the supports is mandatory if the bath is installed on a base having less hardness than the screed. It can be a wooden floor or parquet, laminate. In this case, without additional stiffening elements, the capacity will sag during operation.
Domestic manufacturers most often use the format 1.5x0.5 and 1.5x0.7 m. The products of foreign companies are slightly larger —1.8x0.8 m
Choosing the height of the bath, it should be remembered that a siphon with a water seal will be located under its bottom. For its normal functioning, a free space of about 150 mm is necessary.
Nuances of mounting cast-iron plumbing
It is especially important to choose the height from the floor before installing the cast-iron bathtub. Since her weight is quite impressive, it is difficult to adjust this parameter after installation. The legs of such a bowl are usually solid, often have an elegant design.
An ornate cast-iron bathtub with engraved or ornamented legs is a classic version. She can stand on lion's feet or supports in the form of petals, vines. The supports are fixed to the housing rigidly. Fix them with complete metal wedges or coupling bolts.
Designed cast-iron bathtub - room decoration. It should be located at a distance from the walls.
If the set of the cast-iron bath includes unregulated supports, then the height is adjusted by trimming them and then grinding them.
The surface on which the product is installed must be firm and even. If the floor is not hard enough, under the legs put metal gaskets with a diameter of 5 cm and a thickness of at least 5 mm.
When installing the tank on a slippery floor, its supports are fixed with waterproof polymer glue. If the design of the legs allows for height adjustment, the parameter is adjusted by means of adjusting screws, followed by tightening with fixing nuts. Correctly align the bowl on one side and from one end.
If the cast-iron bath is in contact with the steel pipe, it must be grounded. This responsible job can only be performed by a professional electrician.
A modern cast-iron bathtub on one of the legs or at its bottom has a special eyelet for the possibility of connecting a grounding wire. If this element is available, it will be necessary to strip the insulation so that the cable at the connection point fits snugly. Then it remains only to connect the conductor with a bolt.
Models of the old image cannot be grounded in such a simplified scheme - they do not have a special eye. At the time when they were released, grounding was natural - a bathtub connected to the ground with a cast-iron water pipe.
Since many changed cast iron to plastic, natural grounding ceased to function. Therefore, for grounding, make a hole on your own in the area of the legs to the bottom of the tank. It is necessary to use the building level in the installation process to withstand the parallelism of the sides of the bowl relative to the floor.
If, after the final adjustment, the product must be displaced, this can be done by gently tapping it. Perform manipulations only with those supports that are closer to the rest with respect to the points of movement.
Steel bath height adjustment
While a bathtub made of cast iron can even be installed in the middle of the room, the steel bowl must necessarily adjoin the walls. Before its installation and alignment in height, it is necessary to tile the walls with tiles. Of the existing methods for fixing steel bathtubs, supports with self-adhesive pads are considered the safest and most reliable.
Often when installing a bath, they are guided by the rules of design. This is not entirely correct - if for the sake of beauty you change the height, the consequences can be sad. A standard exists to prevent possible errors.
When installing the legs with tightening bolts, enamel can peel off both when tightening fasteners and during operation.
Self-adhesive, adjustable, repeating the contour of the bottom of the bowl legs are always paired. They have the shape of a channel and a slight deflection at the base. There is fasteners here - adjustment screws equipped with plastic tips.
Particularly reliable legs for a steel bowl are short but have long adjustment bolts. The bath itself is installed on straight walls, on which there is no finish, previously impregnated with a moisture protective agent.
Before installing a new steel bath, they try on self-adhesive legs to the places of their docking with the bowl. In this case, the first is installed at a distance of about 30 mm from the drain hole. The second - on a flat surface at the opposite edge. Before this, the contact points are wiped with alcohol or a solvent containing acetone for the purpose of degreasing.
Adjust the height of the bath to the required level by turning the hairpins out. All manipulations associated with fastening the legs are easier to carry out when it is in an inverted position
The overlay is slightly warmed with a building hairdryer. Then, having removed the protective film, the supports are installed exactly according to the marking and pressed tightly. Clamping nuts are put on the adjusting studs and carefully hammered into the tips of plastic until they stop. The nuts move close to the tips. The assembled assembly is connected to the supports.
After the bath is installed in a permanent place, perform its preliminary alignment in level and height. Next, proceed to precise alignment. To do this, you need 4 wooden wedges. They are driven between the walls and the side of the bath so that the edges protrude slightly.
The side is pasted over with paper tape. Then the resulting gap is foamed using a bottle with a narrow nozzle. After hardening the mounting foam, dismantle the wooden wedges using pliers. It remains to cut off the remaining foam and eliminate the backlash by unscrewing the adjusting pins.
Proceed to the next stage - finishing work. The bowl is covered with a protective film, tiled on the walls and on the floor. After this, the legs are stretched by hand so that the bath is very tight against the wall.
Tighten the nuts, twisting them to the supports close. To verify the correct adjustment of the height of the bathroom, measurements are taken at four points from the side to the floor. The difference in measurements should not exceed 4 mm. If this condition is violated, the adjustment is performed again.
Features of mounting acrylic models
Acrylic bathtubs are often equipped with a metal frame. There are adjustable legs with which you can easily select the height of the polymer bowl. The attached set includes multi-dimensional metal profiles, where there are already mounting holes, 4 legs, 4 racks in the form of studs, 4 thrust bearings, 16 nuts, and self-tapping screws.
Installation work begins with the assembly of the frame. Do this according to the instructions using long screws
At the beginning of the installation of the acrylic bath, the assembled frame is installed in the middle of the center of the bottom of the bowl, which is upside down on the floor. Legs are attached to the frame. Two supports are fixed under the bottom, three - along the front edge, along the wall - two more. Perform the adjustment of the legs to the required height.
The bath is turned over, checked horizontality using a level. If there are no deviations, connect a siphon. The next step is to fix the edge of the bath to the walls. Do this using special hooks or corners. In conclusion, mount a decorative screen.
When the frame from the metal profile is missing, the bowl is installed on the bricks from which a structure similar to a podium is made. Sometimes, in order not to overload the ceiling, columns are made of bricks instead of this bulky structure. There can be two or three - it all depends on the length of the model.
Video # 1. Demonstration of the rules for installing the bath:
Video # 2. About the nuances that arise when installing a bath:
There are no requirements for strict compliance with such a size as the height of the side of the bathroom from the floor. Existing standards are rather advisory in nature. For the right choice, one should proceed not only from these parameters, but also from individual circumstances.
And how did you determine the optimal height of the side of the bath before buying plumbing? Tell us about the landmarks that have become decisive in finding the best model. Please write comments in the block below, ask questions and post photos on the topic of the article.