The use of a walk-in bath has become highly popular in recent years, as more people are living longer, they want to stay independent and live in their own home. To support this a whole industry of aids and support has risen up and walk in baths are among the front line in the war against losing independence.
They are easy to use without complicated instructions and the benefits they bring to people with mobility issues can be significant. The design features of this type of bath enable them to step in with peace of mind knowing that they will not tumble and land up on the floor, indeed the serious issue where a senior is sprawled out on the floor with no one being able to help them up and no way to communicate with the emergency services that they need help is a frightening one, for them and their loved ones, and everything must be done to avoid this situation occuring.
In simple terms, bathtubs for the elderly and disabled individuals are specially designed to avoid this type of scenario, in the case of a deep soaking walk-in tub the high walls make it almost impossible to fall over as there is nowhere to fall over into, but not all seniors need this type of assistance, it needs to be a balance based upon the users needs and bath aesthetics looks.
Now if you are also preparing to install a walk-in shower bath then before making your final decision there are a few crucial things that you should consider ensuring the process goes smoothly. Now let’s have a look at the facts below:
Guidance On Choosing the Right Walk In Bath For You
There are various shapes, designs, colours and sizes of disabled baths that are available on the market, some of them are multi-functional and can be used for the whole family, and some have more specific functions, by spending some time to talking to knowledgeable people such as Paul at Odyssey Walk In Baths in Bury St Edmunds you can make the right investment.
- The first thing you need to do is take measurements around your bathroom, begin by measuring your old bath, take the width, length and the height, also take measurements of the walls around the bathroom and any other obstacles in the way such as toilet, draw this on piece of paper and take some photos if need be. This will help you get a better understanding of the space you have.
- The next thing you should do is to consider if you want a 1 piece or 2 piece bath, 1 pieces tend to be stronger and have less cracks and crannies for mould and bacteria to enter.
- Ensure you ask the experts what materials the baths are built from and how long they will last, not all disabled baths are built equally.
- Picking a bath that can help to improve the look of your bathroom should be high up on your list, for example what glass / plastic features are you looking for, is it curved or squared.
- Budget – you should shop around, some companies charge a lot more for a bath because they have a lot of selling staff, you also may not want to go with the cheapest offer either, you want a good price with good technical knowledge.
Now once you have decided what kind of walk-in bath you want the next thing you need to do is call a plumbing for installation service. On average it takes half a day to fit a new walk-in bath and shower, the plumber will take out your old bath and insert your new bath, if it’s a straightforward install you can allow half a days’ time. You should ask the plumber to come and visit beforehand and check the measurements and make sure the bath can fit through all the doors in your house easily. Let’s look more closely at the benefits of hiring a professional plumber.
Benefits Of Hiring a Plumber to Install a Disabled Bath
- Professionals are highly trained, experienced and possess great skills. Hence you can trust them to manage and complete the project safely.
- They are always well equipped with the right set of tools, materials and equipment that is needed to install new baths. Therefore, by hiring them, you don’t have to waste your time and money to buy or rent any specialised tools.
- Plumbers have professional qualifications allowing them to install a bath safely, this means there is less stress for you to worry about.
- Plumbers are experienced in all manner of bathroom products and will organise the work so that it is installed on time.
- As mentioned before your starting price for a basic and straight forward installation should be 400 GBP for half a day’s work.
All in all please consider all the points above when buying a Walk in Bath to choose the right one based upon your criteria and financial situation, and then phone around a number of plumbers to find someone responsible and knowledgeable about installing such products, you could always ask friends in the area for local plumbers who come with recommendations.
