Clawfoot Tub Buying Guide

Note: The following article is design to explain the key features of clawfoot tubs and to help buyers make an educated decision about which features and accessories they need.

Clawfoot tubs are more popular than ever with many different styles and retailers to choose from. Ten's of thousands are purchased new every year and many thousands more are refinished.

Identifying your needs

When shopping for a clawfoot tub, start by identifying your needs. Will this tub be you primary bath or will it be in a guest room? Do you need a simple tub faucet or one with a shower? Do you have any building constraints on the size of the room? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you get started selecting the tub that's right for your home. Check out the features and accessories below.

Sample Clawfoot Tub Layout

Selecting a Tub

Start by measuring the amount of room in your bath. Most jobs are limited by the length of the room the tub is going to be in. For easiest installation, purchase a tub that is several inches shorter than the length of your finished walls. This allows the plumber (or you) to assemble the drain and water supplies while the tub is in place. Also check the door openings to make sure the tub can moved into the bath. Check this against the tub width and tub height in the specifications. When picking a tub find one that will work with the type of tub faucet you want. Some tubs can be drilled to accept deck mounted faucets. This creates a larger bathing area in the tub. Others prefer the standard faucets that are mounted on the inside wall of the tub. Most antique tubs have faucets mounted on the wall of the tub.

Tub Drain

Clawfoot Tubs require a decorative drain. The drain is typically highly polished chrome or brass. It can be purchased with over finishes such as nickel. Most drains are made of solid brass. Brass drains have a long life, do not easily corrode and will not rust. New tubs typically require a drain that has a long overflow tube due to the increased water capacity of these tubs. Older tubs had lower overflow holes and do not require the extra length. To be safe purchase the extended overflow which will fit 99% of all tubs new or old out there. The drain is cut to size at installation time anyway.

Water Supplies

There is a greater choice when it comes to water supplies. Most installations use valves that are decorative and functional in conjunction with the water supplies. Similar to tub drains water supplies are typically made of solid brass. They are then given a finish at the factory of chrome, nickel or polished brass. They can be purchased with or without valves. Buying the models with valves is recommended since they are not easily added after installation. The valves allow you to turn the water off to work on the faucet or in the case of an emergency leak. Valves used are typically compression type going into the supply lines and threaded type going into the pipe rising through the floor. Most typical installation have brass pipe nipples coming through the floor. This allows for a clean installation that is durable and easy to assemble. There are other variations of water supplies including deck mount supplies (allow the tub faucet to be mounted on the deck of the tub) or slipper tub feeds which allow the faucet to be mounted outside the tub.

Tub Faucet

Choosing a tub faucet is easy. First, determine if you are going to mount your faucet inside your tub (on the tub wall) or on the deck of the tub. If you have two small holes on the wall of the tub above the drain, you will need a wall mounted faucet. Measure the distance of the holes starting at the center of one hole and ending at the center of the other. Most tubs will measure 3 3/8" on centers. You now need to decide if you want a tub filler, tub filler with hand shower or tub filler with standup shower.