AT,
I have a second full bath that rarely gets used and the tub in it never gets used. Currently the room is used as a utility closet due to lack of a real one.
I want to know if there is anything I can get, or easily make, to cover the tub to provide a solid surface to then store things on. This would be better than my current solution of storing things in the tub.
The tub is your typical small apartment sized tub, surrounded by tile walls on three sides.
I could just get a piece of plywood cut to size but I thought there might be a better and/or nicer solution.
I'm also concerned that the tub will become a breeding ground for mold and mildew underneath whatever it is I put on it. Any ideas on avoiding this would be appreciated too.
TIA,
Paul
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How about a cusion or mattress used like a daybed. The cover or the upholstery could be terryclot so that you could loll around after a shower. If there's light in there it would be a great place to grow orchids. Add a reading light and a comfy chair and you have a indoor garden retreat.
Tap plastic has all sizes and colors of plastic panels. I think they could be thick enough to support whatever you put on it.
Mold and mildew shouldn't be a problem if you keep moisture out of the covered tub. I'd recommend putting in the drain plug and perhaps plugging the overflow with a rag before covering up.
Of course, taking a peek underneath from time to time would be the only way to know for sure....
If you aren't planning on ever using this bathroom as a guest bathroom...you could turn the whole area into a makeshift closet and still keep it usable as a powder room.
Just put thick sturdy plywood over the opening of the tub, the shelves of your choice resting on top of them, and then use a shower curtain to hide it all.
You could even put shelves on either side and attach a rod for hanging items in the middle. And it could all be freestanding, and not interfer with turning the space back into a tub/shower in the future.
As long as you're not running water in the tub, I can't imagine that moisture would be a problem. I suppose you could drill air holes in the plywood but snooping guests might wonder what you're hiding in there! Just make sure it's very dry before you start.
Personally...I would find a guest bathroom much more useful than an extra closet...but I only have one bathroom, great closets, and a basement. So storage isnt my problem..it's keeping my one and only bathroom Potty-worthy for friends.
I remember once visiting a small rent-controlled studio in NYC. The apartment hadn't been reonvated since 1973; I saw it in 1994. There was a claw-footed bathtub in the main living space, and the inhabitant covered it with an oak-stained plywood board to turn it into a table when she wasn't bathing.
I was in a home recently with some plywood over the tub and it didn't look half bad. I think they had a rug over it, which could get grotty, but if you paint the plywood it might not be so bad.
Maybe some panels in front of the tub so that the rest of the bathroom doesn't feel like a storage unit?
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