31 Comments

I absolutely love the infinity tub. Actually, l love whoever designed it for giving me something to laugh about this morning. It would take a short book to detail how bad an idea this is. I can see the flooding bathrooms everywhere as the more mathematically challenged users draw their baths only to discover to their dismay as they slide into the warm water, anticipating a relaxing soak while admiring the beautiful view (perhaps of a wall or toilet or maybe one of those equally awful sinks) only to discover too late that they have miscalculated their body volume and the lip drain can’t keep up with the overflow from the rising tide. Perhaps, after cleaning up the mess, they will conclude that it might be better to fill it fully once they are settled in. Again they slide in. They begin to relax as the water level rises to engulf their aching body. The stress of the day (in particular the stress from cleaning up the flood from their last attempt) begins to fade away. They smile to themselves as they imagine enjoying the peaceful uninterrupted view over the water once the tub is full. The moment approaches. Finally the water level gently breaches the lip. Ahhh, peace at last.

Wait a minute! The realization comes. Every time I breath or shift my arse or move in any way at all the water level changes and some water floods out and I have to touch up the level. And every time a little water breaches the lip I have to listen to the random water torture drip as it trickles down the drain.

I never quite understood why people enjoy soaking in their own filth. This tub does nothing to enlighten me.

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Tubs:

"I look forward to when I hit IDS2042, and someone has finally designed a tub shaped like a lounge chair, with a wide deck around it and beautiful, integrated grab bars to help you get in and out, perhaps heated so you can warm your towels as you bathe. Safe, comfortable tubs that work for everyone of every age and are beautiful too. Is this so hard?"

Sounds like a capitalistic opportunity for you, Lloyd! "Build it and they will come!" I am (slowly) starting the rehab of my two bathrooms in which the first floor one should have a large tub. So what can you offer me?

Bathroom sink:

You like the idea of "no stoppers" which mean not filling up the bowl. I also dryly note that you, like me, wear glasses. My wife wears contacts and as part of her morning bathroom rituals, fills the bowl after stoppering it so as to have a great place to catch her hard contacts without scratching them AND know they aren't going to bounce around and NOT go down the drain.

Jus' sayin' - different designs for different people on which to make personal choices. I, on the other hand, might just pick one of those sloping ones. The one (not shown here) that is shaped like a Nautilus is visually interesting...

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“Sounds like a capitalistic opportunity for you, Lloyd!”

That’s **my** thought. If tub and sink design is that bad, then design, market, and sell your own products. It’s how the world works. It’s how you could make a buttload of money, and fund your other sustainable endeavors.

It certainly would beat the bellyaching that Kelly seems none too keen on hearing about every year.

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See Lloyd! Your two loudest "Loyal Opposition" guys WANT you to succeed! You've found a void in the Marketplace - now, do as VB states and Serve Your Customers (which is what capitalism is all about - serving others and providing solutions to their needs and wants).

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And Version 2 could incorporate a recirculating dedicated water heater (see Stephan Sheehy) as an option along with "side by controls" and grab bars to be able to give consumers more choice! Bazinga!

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So now, opportunities to constantly create and replace constant kvetching that your wife hates.

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Now, can you do something about the Toronto bureaucracy that hates kids having a good time tobogganing, saucers, and sleds?

The No Fun League strikes again!

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You'll need a bigger water heater for some of these tubs. Or at least you would if you ever take a bath in one, which you won't because most people shower. It's too deep to bathe little kids in. On the other hand, several thousand dollars is cheap for a sculpture that big.

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Once thing I've noticed over the years is that the average American water heater has barely high enough FHR (unless the temperature is turned way up) to fill the average American bathtub, especially in places with colder tap water. No wonder people don't take baths all that often.

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I have a combo boiler that favours the hot water tank over the radiators, so if I have a bath when it is really cold and empty the hot water tank, the radiators are off for a few hours, and the house gets noticeably cooler. So I don't use the tub when it is below 0°C when I want it most!

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Wouldn’t the solution be to just have a bigger hot water tank (or tankless point of use water heater)? Seems to me that you’re having to unnecessarily compromise on your own comfort level when there are alternatives.

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I am looking at doing something like that.

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tubs are a waste of space, water and especially time!

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I disagree, I love soaking in a hot tub. I do my best magazine reading there!

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I'm not saying to ban tubs, what I am saying is that it's a waste of space, water and time. Most countries don't have them .

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Lol... that is where you get your inspiration huh? :)

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I have a disabled son, being able to use a bath tub is an important part of his health routine.

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Regarding tubs, I agree completely on all your points, but it is hard to go against the grain, when clients have an idea on their mind, and when all they see are instagram type images of all those fancy tubs. They do look pretty. In my country it is not common to have bathtubs, most of us shower instead, so it is more of a luxury/stautus thing, and so, looking good has a lot of importance, even more than being practical, for the maybe 10-20 times a year it is used. If i had to, I would do a regular platform tub for myself, even if it looks "old fashioned"

Roca does distribute here, as a luxury ish brand. One thing I don't fully understand, is how do we clean the slit drain? I prefer a typical round one.

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I think the idea of covering the drain is to ensure that nobody sticks anything into it, as there is no overflow.

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"how do we clean the slit drain?"

Great question! Lloyd, another capitalistic opportunity for you!

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We have a walk-in, sit-down tub for my wife who cannot use a shower (medical issues). I have used it occasionally, it is good for a soak with Epsom salts after cold or for aching muscles (long time since that happened)! It could use some good industrial design, it isn't pretty, but it has many of the attributes LA wants.

What the walk-in, and most bath-tubs, miss is a shut-off valve that allows the taps to be serviced without shutting off the water supply to the whole building.

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Not my house, but it's my design, & our company's stamp is on the permit, so yeah, it is my business.

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I would have loved to had this article prior to a client going directly to the GC & installing one of these stupid things. On 2nd thought, may not have mattered! From speaking with her daughter, the tub has only been used once in 6 months as the client uses one of the 3(!) showered in the home. The moral of the story is this is basically a bragging right when she shows off the ensuite WC to visitors looking to see her reno.

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If the client wants one, why should the GC say no to the idea? Because YOU don’t like the concept?

Not your house, not your business.

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Of course it is my business, that is why people hire architects and designers, thats our job. And we should pick products that are safe and can be used by everyone.

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And when the client overrides your advice? Would you go with what they want?

After all, it may be your business but it is THEIR money, right?

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No. They can hire someone else. You guys love Ayn Rand, read the Fountainhead where Howard Roark says fuck off, “the best is a matter of standards—and I set my own standards.”

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"You guys love Ayn Rand..."

And you can substantiate that insinuation....how? It seems that every person on the Left brings that up is looking at it as a conversation stopper; there's nothing left in their debating quiver. You certainly wouldn't put up with VB, coji, or I plucking a similar "Leftist boogeyman" as a return retort in the same vein?

Simply stating that that you'd just quit on the spot would show that you value your principles over payment would have been sufficient. At least then I could say "an honest answer" and leave it at that.

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fair point

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