frequently asked questions
The following lists some of the more regular questions we have received through the web-site. If you have a question relating to our products which is not covered on this page, feel free to contact us. We will make every effort to get back to you with an answer as quickly as possible.
- What are the advantages of a driftwood bath?
- Is there a risk of the bath leaking?
- Are the baths slippery underfoot?
- How do baths ship and how much does shipping cost?
- How hard are the baths to install?
- Will I need to re-inforce my floor?
- Will a driftwood bath lose heat rapidly?
- How hard are driftwood baths to maintain?
- What size bath should I get?
- Do your ofuro's come with a heater?
- Do you have a guarantee?
What are the advantages of a driftwood bath?
They look stunning. No other type of bath can match a wooden bath for pure good looks and style.
They have buckets of character and through the wide variety of woods available can express virtually any mood.
They provide environmental benefit through carbon lock-in and low energy production.
Individually hand-made, wooden baths provide employment for skilled crafts-people and designers.
They provide our customers with a sense of uniqueness:
a uniqueness which can be further enhanced by designing a bath to your own individual specifications.
Wooden baths offer a genuine refuge from the artificial pressures of modern living
and a way to become one with nature in the confines of your own bathroom.
Is there a risk of the bath leaking?
No.
All our crafts-people are experienced boat builders.
We use the same technology to build our baths that we would use on ocean going wooden hulls.
Unlike uncoated wooden tubs such as traditional Japanese ofuro,
our tubs will not weep when new or, indeed, ever.
We are so confident of this, we guarantee our baths for life against leakage.
Are the baths slippery underfoot?
Plastic, steel and cast iron baths are all produced on moulds.
To make it easier to get the baths off the mould, the bases are curved as flat spots can stick in the mould.
This curve makes them more slippery underfoot.
Our baths floors are flat with only enough slope to drain the water.
This means they are more secure underfoot than other bath types.
How do baths ship and how much does shipping cost?
Our baths ship direct from our factory to your door.
We pack our baths securely and can ship/truck to virtually any destination in the world.
Prices within Europe generally run from 200 euro to 400 euro.
Please enquire if you are further afield.
Prices for larger baths such as corner baths are generally 50% more than other types.
How hard are the baths to install?
The baths are very straightforward to install.
Unless you have opted for rim-mounted taps, the only plumbing required is to connect up the waste.
We ship our baths with waste and overflow installed.
Will I need to re-inforce my floor?
There should be no need to re-inforce your floor.
All modern bathroom floors are designed to carry the weight of a normal bath.
With our patented composite construction, our baths wiegh a lot less than the equivalent bath in cast iron or steel.
However, if you go for a very big bath (> 250 l), you may need to check your flooring as the water weight can be an issue.
Will a driftwood bath lose heat rapidly?
Heat loss in a bath is a result of a number of factors.
Surface loss is heat loss to the room from the water surface and this is the same for all baths.
Loss to the bath refers to the heat required to bring the bath to the same temperature as the water.
Cast iron, steel and stone baths have huge losses in this area, with between 30% and 50% of the applied heat lost.
Plastic baths and wooden baths lose very little heat in this way.
The third area of heat loss is through the bath.
This can be judged by the external temperature of the bath.
Plastic, cast iron and steel baths perform worst in this area.
Our wooden baths encompass up to 8cm of high performance insulation in the sides and skirt
and lose virtually no heat through the bath.
How hard are driftwood baths to maintain?
Unlike other types of wooden baths, driftwoods patented design makes them a breeze to maintain.
There is no oiling, varnishing, or any other treatment required.
Simply clean them the same as you would an acrylic bath with a non-abrasive cleaner and they'll stay as good as new.
What size bath should I get?
We generally recommend people to get a bath which best fits the available space.
By designing a bath to fit your bathroom, this can often be optimised.
You need to consider if you want to bath with a partner or would prefer to relax alone.
A single backrest will leave more space inside the bath.
You also need to consider your floor strength.
Installing a large or deep bath may be beyond your floor design and it may need some re-inforcement.
Lastly, you need to consider your available hot water. If you have a direct water heating system, this is not a problem. Otherwise, it is determined by your water cylinder size and temperature. The standard domestic water cylinder in the UK and Ireland supplies 36 gallons or 160 litres at 60 degrees C. Assuming your cold supply is at 10 degrees C, this gives you a supply of 265 liters at 40 degrees C. You will probably lose 15% to your pipes, the room and the bath, leaving you 225 liters. If you want more, a bigger cylinder or a direct heating system can be installed.
Do your ofuro's come with a heater?
No. Our ofuro's do not come with a heater.
Our ofuro's are not designed to be left full of water and so there is no need for one.
There is also no need for a pump or any sort of electrical connection to the ofuro.
While traditional Japanese ofuro's used wood fires to maintain heat in the bath,
we are not big fans of the modern equivalent with heater and pump.
We see no advantage in keeping the ofuro full of water and indeed the requirement to have some form of
disinfectant such as chlorine or hydrogen peroxide in the water constitutes a major disadvantage.
Much of the pleasure of taking an ofuro is the pleasure of the different salts used
and with a constantly full ofuro, even this cannot be changed.
That is why our ofuro's are designed to be re-filled for each use.
Do you have a guarantee?
Yes.
Our baths ship with a lifetime guarantee against any sort of leakage or structural problem.
Compare this to any other wooden bath or ofuro manufacturers who can only generally provide a 2 year guarantee.
Our confidence in our product to last is based on our patented design and years of experience from the boat-building industry.
We use the best of materials and cut no corners to bring you the ultimate bath, built to last.
