history of bathtubs

History of Bathtubs

Lead pipes were used to supply Roman cities with water from the aqueducts. Not only would the water be used for public use in fountains and baths, but they were also capable of supplying it to private homes.


The earliest plumbing systems ever discovered date back nearly 6000 years to the Indus River Valley in India where copper water pipes were excavated from the ruins of a palace. Fast forward 3000 years to the island of Crete where the ancestor of a pedestal tub was unearthed - five feet long, made of hard pottery, its shape resembling the 19th century clawfoot tub. One of the oldest known bathtubs was found in Knosses , the ancient Mionan city. Archaeologists at the site of the King Minos ' palace found the remains of a 5 foot long, tapered bathtub, probably belonging to the Queen. It was most likely hand filled and drained since it had no outlet. It was painted terra cotta and covered in a bas relief of reeds.

Bathtubs were almost common things in the homes of the wealthy in ancient Greece . Many bathtubs from around 500 BC have been found at various modern day bathtubs. These tubs were self draining. It is apparent that the ancient Greeks sat up during their baths, probably because of the words of Hippocrates , who said that sitting while bathing is healthier than reclining.

The Roman Empire from 500 BC through AD 455 championed the daily ritual of bathing and raised the bar for acceptable sanitation. They used lead and bronze pipes, marble fixtures, and created a comprehensive sewerage system. During this period, public baths were most common, and private baths resembled indoor pools usually encompassing an entire room.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire and descent into the Dark Ages, sanitation virtually disappeared. Bathing was replaced by the use of perfume. Waste was thrown out into streets or emptied directly into rivers that also served as the drinking water supply. In fact, the slang term for toilet, loo, is reported to have derived from the practice of the French yelling out the warning, "Gardez l'eau!" (pronounced gardy loo - meaning "mind the water"), before emptying the chamber pot from an upper level onto the street below.

Following the devastation of the Bubonic Plague, some areas of Europe attempted to improve sanitation by outlawing the practice of discarding waste on public streets. However, widespread installation of underground sewerage systems in European cities did not occur until the early 19th century.

In 1596, the first flushing toilet was invented by Sir John Harrington. He made one for himself and one for his godmother Queen Elizabeth. These were the only two ever produced. After Sir John published a book describing his invention, he was mocked into retirement for his foolish creation. It took almost 200 years before anyone else attempted to create a flushing toilet. In 1775 and 1777, Alexander Cummings and Samuel Prosser each made strides in the reemergence of the water closet.

In 1885, a revolution in toilet making occurred: Thomas Twyford created the first valve less toilet made of china. Until then, water closets were more commonly made of metal and wood. It is widely reported that Thomas Crapper invented the toilet. Not true. He did own a plumbing supply store in England and bought the rights to a patent for a "Silent Valve less Water Waste Preventer," but he should not be credited with inventing the toilet.Up until the 1800s in the US , most water pipes were made of hollowed trees. Cast iron pipe imported from England had one of its first installations in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . By the early 1800s, cast iron production began domestically in New Jersey . In 1848, the National Public Health Act was passed creating a plumbing code for the US .

Almost simultaneously in 1883, both the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company (now American Standard) and Kohler began the process of enameling cast iron bathtubs to form a smooth interior surface. Kohler's first clawfoot tub was advertised as a "horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." These tubs soon became mass-produced as they were recognized as having an extremely sanitary surface that was easy to clean, thus preventing the spread of bacteria and diseases.

Many media sources publish as fact a completely false account of bathing and bathtub history written by H.L. Mencken in 1917. In his story titled, "A Neglected Anniversary," Mencken writes of laws prohibiting bathing, the first bathtub in America , and the first installation of a bathtub in the White House by Millard Fillmore. He wrote the article as a light-hearted farce during a time of war. None of it is true, yet it is often quoted in reputable publications.

The end of World War I brought with it a construction boom in the US . Bathrooms were fitted with a toilet, sink, and bathtub - mostly claw foot bathtubs. But even in 1921, only one percent of homes in the US had indoor plumbing. Outhouses were still the norm in rural America . The Sears catalog, with its uncoated, absorbent pages, was a popular form of toilet paper often found hanging inside the outhouse.

Over time, the once popular claw foot tub morphed into a built-in tub with apron front. This enclosed style afforded much easier maintenance of the bathroom and with the emergence of colored sanitary ware, more design options for the homeowner. It was Crane Company that introduced colored bathroom fixtures to the US market in 1928.

The trend today, though, is shifting back to the elegant style and luxury of a soaking claw foot tub. Homeowners are tearing out their dime-a-dozen built-in tubs and replacing them with reproduction roll rim footed tubs. Now available in both the classic cast iron or lighter weight acrylic styles, claw foot bathtubs are produced in a variety of styles and foot finish options. . The Advent of the Modern Bathtub

Slowly, bathtubs became a fixture in most homes and the first bathtub in America is thought to have been imported by Benjamin Franklin . The first bathtub in the White House was installed by Millard Fillmore in 1850.

Get A Dream Bathroom In Five Steps
By: Jeremy Ranson
Bathroom remodeling ranks with kitchen remodeling as one of America's most popular major home improvements, perhaps because the return on investment when you sell your home is so high.

Bathroom remodeling can cost you as much or as little as you choose to put into it. While a simple spruce-up involving a new vanity top, light fixture and accessories can be done for well under $1000, many people are choosing to yank everything out and start from scratch again. A completely new upgraded bathroom can cost $10,000 or more. Start your project right with the following bathroom remodeling tips:

1. Determine your exact bathroom needs. Do you want to enlarge your bathroom? Do you need another sink? Would you like to add windows? Does the bathroom tile need to be replaced? Think about what your ideal bathroom will look like and then prioritize your needs before your wants.

2. Gather bathroom design ideas. A set of architectural plans will really help you and your remodeling professionals visualize the finished project, but any design preparations can be helpful. Consult with a designer for ideas or check out magazines and cut out ideas, designs or photos that approximate what you want. It can also be helpful to a designer if you can make a sketch on graph paper of what your plans are. Any of these things will be help you to express to your bathroom remodeling professionals

3. Establish a realistic bathroom remodeling budget. At this time you will also need to determine how you will finance your bathroom remodel. Do you have a savings that you can dip into or will you need get a loan? The answer to this will be a factor in determining your budget. Will this be a larger remodel or are you making minor changes?

When establishing your budget keep in mind the design ideas you would like and whether they fall on the pricier side. Also, it will always be less expensive if you don't need to relocate plumbing fixtures, such as toilets or sinks, so if you are on a smaller budget it is more economical to incorporate your current bathroom layout into the new design.

4. Don't forget building permits. Before beginning the remodeling process be sure to secure a building permit from your local city or county government. Failure to do so could ultimately make your bathroom remodel much more costly.

5. Consider popular bathroom design trends. Second sinks have become very popular in bathroom remodels as they allow two people to use the bathroom at the same time. Another popular trend in bathroom design is separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.

If you only have a shower, consider replacing this with a bathtub which can serve double duty as both a bath and a shower. Whirlpool bathtubs have also become very popular in today's bathrooms. Nearly everyone elects to include a bathroom exhaust fan, often incorporating a heater on a timer, as well.

Article Source: http://www.propertymagnate.com/articles

Your bathroom can be improved with a good ventilation, which will reduce the chance for mold and mildew. You should consider installing a bathroom fan and using a good backdraft damper at the end of the ventilation.




Annette Teak Bathtub
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Why Remodeling Your Bathroom Is A Must Before Selling
By: Bathroom remodeling is something that has become very popular in recent years and many people are aware to the positive increase in value that can be achieved in your home by creating an up to date bathroom. As a result, most house sellers have been really driving the trend of bathroom remodeling up and making new styles and products even more and more popular.

Bathroom remodeling is the second most important improvement you can make in your home. Remodeling and modernizing a bathroom is rated highly in terms of value and sale ability. Bathroom remodeling is important and an expensive task as well because you are going to change the whole structure of your bathroom. Bathroom renovation is a priority if your trying to update your home for selling.

Home or bathroom remodeling can be a big step in improving both your environment and the value of your home. There are many different things you can do to change the layout and look of your home. Home remodeling doesn't have to be a test of will, but rather an opportunity to increase the value of your home with home improvement. For some, home improvement simply means keeping up with daily home repair.

Bath remodeling consists of tasks such as replacing cabinets, deciding whether or not to replace or refinish tubs and tiles, and also whether to replace floors. The first major decision that you will need to make when choosing to remodel your bathroom is whether or not you will do the work yourself or hire a contractor. Bathroom remodeling and design featuring beautiful and creative layouts will add value to any home. We love steam showers , bathroom shower enclosures, walk-in bathtubs and vessel sinks. Bathroom remodeling takes time and effort not to mention a small budget. Replacing sinks , lightning fixtures and other items like flooring are also good ideas too.

Toilets are like anything else that you use on a regular basis, they tend to wear out and not work quite as well over time. Replacing your current toilet with a brand new toilet is a good idea, though not one that is mandatory if your current unit is still working well. Toilet bowls can be simple and functional but are you remodeling to be simple and functional No, you are remodeling to express yourself, to bring comfort to your life, to enhance the decor of your home. Here again you are faced with a myriad of options: one piece or two?

Sinks, lights, walls, the bathtub, the toilet; any of these can be upgraded to turn that dingy bathroom into something much more elegant. And since bathroom remodeling prices vary based on what your looking to do, you're bound to find something that fits your budget and your ideas. Sinks can speak volumes about a room and should not be overlooked. You may be able to find some wonderful examples online, but the best way to really see how nice a new sink can add to your bathroom is by visiting your local building supply.

Considering how much time you spend in this room, you definitely want that space to be comfortable, functional and as good looking as possible. Hiring the best and most reputable company can be a hard task but keep in mind that the biggest company is not always the best. A company with referrals should be the company of choice and the company best suited to do the job.

Article Source: http://www.propertymagnate


Relax and indulge yourself in this Annette Teak Bathtub ($5,500) by 10 Crescent Lane. Hancrafted in Denmark, this rectangular-shaped bathtub is made from solid teak blocks that are kiln dried for six months, and interlocking invisible marine-quality rubber. By combining ancient traditions with modern technology, the Annette Teak Bathtub, will not only last a lifetime, but will also give you years of relaxation


Want to soak in real Luxury, then answer me - what is the most expensive Bathtub in the world?

The Archeo Copper Bathtub including the bath set and handshower from Kallista is the correct answer. Although there are many more expensive custom built tubs, we are only talking about the most expensive bathtub in production. Archeo, meaning "ancient and beautiful" in Greek, perfectly describes this solid copper bathtub that is hand-crafted by the same coppersmiths who restored the Statue of Liberty's torch. The spacious bathtub is 65 inches long, 31 inches wide, 30 inches high and 21 inches deep. This luxurious tub can hold 71 gallons of water (that’s more than anyone can need) and weighs 154 pounds. An elegant, fluted-shell copper bathtub faucet set with handshower complements the bathtub. It also features a turn knob finely etched with a starfish sitting on a seashell.

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