Bath for small awkward bathroom

[Whyhellodaffodil]

Hi all, hoping for some advice as our bathroom is currently driving me crackers! It's a narrow L shape room and we want to put the bath into the alcove (or the short bit of the 'L') freeing up floor space, rather than where it currently is - right across the room as you go in, the whole room is currently bath! The issue is that the space we want the bath to go into is 1650mm long and 650mm wide. The length doesn't seem to be an issue as I can find lots of 1600mm length baths, but 650 width is really tricky to find. I've found one tapered bath which could be narrower into the alcove but that's 1695mm long!

I guess my question is whether there's anything I'm missing - can we (well, a builder/bathroom fitter) dig into the (tiled) wall a bit? Is there anywhere that sells narrow baths - I've looked at the obvious websites I can think of. Or can we get one made bespoke - any websites/recommendations would be great. Or is there something else we could do?

I don't want to pay megabucks but I'm guessing that as its not a standard size we will have to pay a bit more so budget is up to £500 max.

I will be getting quotes and hopefully advice from bathroom fitters but any help in advance of that would be amazing,TIA!

[anyoldname76]

do you need a bath? you would probably be better off with a really nice shower

[Whyhellodaffodil]

Hi anyold thanks for the reply - we have a toddler so do need a bath, it's also a family house so I'd be reluctant to not have one as I think it would make selling on tricky. Thanks for the idea though

[Cressandra]

Part of the problem is manoeuvring it in. We have got a slightly longer bath into a slightly shorter space, by, as you say, essentially taking a groove out of the wall. (I think we actually removed the plasterboard and put back a shorter piece.) But we had the whole length of the bath as access so we could just slot it in from the side. You might be able to work with a bath that was marginally overlong and overwide but you might end up having to remove walls to do it. Think about how you would manouvre it in as well as whether it will physically fit in the space. You need to get it round the corner somehow. One way is to stand it on end, but then you need the clearance to get it from vertical to horizontal without the corners snagging on the end walls. Your fitters will be able to advise, just bear in mind that people sometimes have to remove windows to get sofas into living rooms, and a sofa is much smaller than a living room!

What is the L shape surrounding? Ie what is stopping your bathroom being a rectangle?

Have you considered P, L etc shaped baths? Eg victoriaplum.com/product/evesham-1675-x-850-rh-amp-screen-eve023

[Cressandra]

Sorry that one's way too wide, but you get the idea I hope

[PigletJohn]

You can still get 1650mm baths. I suppose they are intended to fit the old pre-metric size. My house has a bathroom 1650 wide. Measure it (several times) to make sure. You can make a slight adjustment by chipping off plaster or by tiling thickly.

I know that Carron make them, they are a good quality maker, there may be other brands.

If you are prosperous you can get their Carronite version, which has a thickening coating applied which makes them unusually rigid and strong.

[PigletJohn]

sorry, my mistake, they don't make 650mm width.

[PigletJohn]

I don't know anything about these other suppliers:

www.qssupplies.co.uk/bathroom-furniture-shower-taps/8429.htm

www.aqva.co.uk/Bathrooms/71849

[Whyhellodaffodil]

Thanks all, this is really helpful, will have a look at those links pigletjohn and will definitely consider how the bath will get into place cressendra - hasn't even clocked that as a potential issue!

[Cressandra]

I'm possibly over-worrying, I'm sure the professionals will have tricks up their sleeves but as rank amateurs it was certainly something we needed to consider.