Welcome back to our walk-in bath guide. Having read part 1 you will now have an appreciation of the types of baths available. In part 2, we look at the more practical aspects of the decision making process including, finances and feasibility.
Part 1 – Your Walk-In Bath Options
Site Feasibility
Once you have chosen a bath or narrowed down a short list it is time to consider if it is feasible for your bathroom. The first question is will it fit? In most instances our baths will fit on the footprint of your old bath if it’s a straight swap. If a room is being converted into a bathroom then it’s always wise to measure up first and consider the room you’ll need around the bath to comfortably get in and out. Where one bath might not fit there are always other options that are likely to be more suitable.
The next question is will it work? Walk-in baths require a hot water system that can manage an adequate flow rate to fill the bath with hot water. Where the water system cannot produce the minimum flow rate, Absolute Mobility can give further advice on how this can be overcome.
It’s always good to get a bit of advice at this time. Speaking to an accessible bathroom specialist such as Absolute Mobility can be really useful as they have years of experience fitting mobility bathing solutions to draw on.
Finances
A walk in bath is a specialist product that is made to order and some parts of the production process, such as fitting the door, are done by hand. Because of this, and the specialist installation required, this purchase will cost more than a standard bathroom.
If you have a set budget in mind, it’s worth being open about this with your chosen supplier. A reputable supplier and installer such as Absolute Mobility will do their best to achieve a solution that’s right for your needs and your budget.
As always with a project of this nature, you should have your funds in place before signing on the dotted line. If you are considering a grant from a local authority, the applications can, in some cases, take as long as twelve to eighteen months.
An installer will likely require a deposit of 50% with the balance payable upon completion.
Supply only
It is possible to buy the bath only and find your own plumber to fit the bath. But if you do take this option there are some pitfalls to be aware of.
First, due to their specialist nature, many plumbers decline to fit walk-in baths. Finding a good plumber who does know how to fit them may be a problem. If one can be found, you need to be aware you are not dealing with an established company. A “man with a van” will have lower overheads, and hence be cheaper to hire, but may well offer less in the way of installation guarantees, especially on a product they are unfamiliar with.
Secondly, when you buy the bath in this way you are responsible for ensuring the products you buy are compatible with your site. This involves a lot of detailed work, and if you’ve never done anything like it before, be prepared to jump into uncharted waters and learn about aspects of plumbing.
Choosing a specialist installer like Absolute Mobility may work out a little more expensive. But they will take the headache, hassle and uncertainty out of the decision.
The Best Way
The best way to go about having a new walk-in bath fitted is to engage the services of a specialist installer. Absolute Mobility are professional experts in this field and fit nothing but walk-in baths, power baths and easy access showers for the mobility market.
When you commission them to undertake the work they will project manage the whole installation. You are buying their expert design and technical knowledge, first class installation service (see their Checkatrade.com rating) and full installation guarantee (see ours here).
Please take a look around their website for full details of our products and services or get in touch on 0800 29 22 110 to discuss your requirements. You can also book an appointment with one of their friendly Mobility Advisors, who can bring an example of a walk-in bath to you via our mobile showroom.
Alternatively, if you are local to the Absolute Mobility Henley on Thames showroom, you can call to arrange an appointment to view and try out examples of their baths.
