What are you trying to do with the tub? Bathe a small child?

The shower doesn't have a shower pan, which I've seen in some European bathrooms. That's kinda odd.

It seems like a tub is really important to you...what are you trying to do, and why did you rent a place without one if it seems to be so high on your priority list, to the point where you're willing to flood a bathroom just to bathe yourself or a child.

If you're trying to bathe a small child, a large plastic bin will do the trick just fine, or a large galvanized metal tub. If you're bathing yourself...well, wouldn't you feel really silly lounging in a kiddie pool?

You want to come up with something under $125 that won't also risk flooding the whole place?

Good luck!

@PI - I agree.

There was a project on here some time ago on Japanese hot tubs. They look kind of like half of an enormous barrel. If you can't find a used one for cheap, it would be a pretty hefty DIY project, but I don't think it wouldn't be impossible to build from scratch and make watertight, as long as you used the right sealants, etc.

Re: the other commenters: if you don't have something useful to say, don't hit the "submit" button. There were obviously reasons to rent the house outweighing reasons not to, and it's not an impossible project to do on a budget - just needs a bit of creative acquisition of materials :)

Also: I would probably plan to get some river rocks (preferably attached to a perforated mat so they don't slip around) in coordinating colors with the walls to line the bottom of the shower area, then get a low-light moisture-loving plant or two and make it like a secret cave waterfall bath retreat. But I'm a little nuts.

I don't even see how there's room for a tub? Even for a child it seems too much hassle to fill a small tub and then tip it all over the floor, teach them to have showers instead.

Save the $125 and keep an eye out on the various deal-of-the-day websites for a night at a nice hotel - I'd rather one luxurious bath than a few in a feeding trough.

I'm thinking galvanized. Go for a rustic theme in your bathroom, get a cool burlap shower curtain to go over the plastic one, and stick a galvanized bathtub in there!

<http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/galvanized-tubs-120313>

@nebtlly - You're free to disagree, but I think advising Maila not to do it *is* 'something useful to say', frankly. I don't think it's a good idea. This section is for comments, and that's my comment.

The only problem is that whatever you get will need to drain slowly. You cant just stick a kiddy pool in there because when you go to empty it the water will go EVERYWHERE! way more than a shower would (you usually get a squeegee for this type of shower to clean up when you are done).

not sure what option you would have without the proper plumbing

Not sure this is a good idea. Are you sure the flooring in the bathroom is rated to hold a tub full of water? A gallon of water is 8.33 pounds and a typical bathtub will hold 42 gallons, which is almost 350 pounds, plus your weight when you're sitting in it.

Why not try to find a small (and used) clawfoot bathtub ? I'm sure you can find one that's perhaps not in tip top shape but can do as a temporary solution for 125$. Just have the tub drain connected to the existing shower's drain. Just make sure the tub is leveled by using shims under its feet because you're gonna have to stand up in the tub to take a shower, the drain being blocked by the tub's drain connection.

Good luck !

They do make inflatable adult bathtubs but it seems like it could get messy.

http://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Bathe-Portable-Bathtub-Accessories/dp/B000JQLPKE

I really like the galvanized tub idea, and here's why:
1. you can bathe a small child in it
2. you can dress it up as per the previous link with "galvanized tubs, inside and out"
3. you can put it away when throwing parties or having house guests
4. metal sides make for endless hours of make-believe with magnetic bath toys

Maybe instead of dumping it out, you could insert some sort of rubber stopper? Seems like an easy hardware store fix.

I just saw some nice tubs on the Ace Hardware Outlet site

Ditto to CASEYINTO. Draining is going to be a problem. If you put in something like a kiddie pool or a galvanized tub, it would be sitting on top of the floor drain and water will back up when you try to drain it. I think you'd have to bail into the sink -- tedious.

Also, if you do find something that fits into your space constraints, how comfortable is it going to be? 55" is only about 4 and a half feet, and that's if you find something that fits the full available space. I've found some kiddie pools online that are under 4 feet wide and less than a foot deep -- doesn't sound very comfortable.

@Maila, I thought my comment was extremely useful. To me, it's common sense to not risk flooding a bathroom. My advice was "don't do it" because in my opinion, it would never work very well.

Again, a galvanized metal tub would work for a small child because there's less water being used, and less hazard when one goes to empty it. But an adult? First, could you even fit a tub in there? Then how would you empty it without direct access to the drain?

I agree w some of the other posters, I would like to know why this project is being undertaken. It's a big gap in the story, esp since this project is so unique.

I guess I would try the cheapest thing first and see if it's really worth the effort to you. Kiddie pools are pretty cheap; I would buy one and see if that would work. You'd probably have to stand there and drain the water out of it pretty slowly.

When I was a kid, and we didn't have any plumbing, we bathed in a plastic kiddie pool in the living room, with a dipper (water was heated in a big pot on the wood stove). It worked fine, though I can't recall how it was emptied (bailed out the front door, most likely).

However, if we'd had a shower, we would have just showered in it. Even little babies can be washed in a shower...

Sorry, my previous comment was supposed to be to Nebtlly, not Maila, the person who asked the question.

If it were me, I would just adjust to the situation and I would just add a teak bench.

What about a stock watering tub? http://www.rubbermaidforless.com/agriculture-stock-tanks-category-15_18.html They have a drain plug, you'd have to rig up a hose going down your shower drain, shouldn't be too complicated. The weight issue might cause problems with your shower floor, best to check with an expert about that before setting something seriously heavy in place. Otherwise there's a DIY option like this http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/1995-12-01/hot-tub-nirvana-for-100.aspx

do some research on japanese style bathtubs. they are usually small but deep and just sit in the shower area. they are generally not plumbed in. they have a small drain in the bottom that you plug. the tub usually has small feet to allow room for water to drain into the shower drain. when we lived in japan we had a tiny tub that we had to sit cross-legged in but the water came up to our chin. it was divine!

i think you could do something similar with the galvanized tub. just be sure to set it on would blocks and make a small whole in the bottom that can be plugged with a rubber plug. easy!

you can do it!

sorry! *wood not would

ha! and *hole not whole

duh.

So, you chose to rent this great place. Knowing it didn't have a tub, deal with it. Any landlord would be horrified with some of these suggestions. If a tub really make that much of a difference, rent another home.

Yeah...I think you should probably just deal with it. There are much worse things in life to go without!!

I am really fond of the teak bench idea and the japanese bathtub thing. In fact, I kind of want one now!

As others have pointed out, the problem is drainage. Anything you would get would need to properly drain down the existing hole or you would need a plumber to come in and make the connections correctly. I found this bathtub that would work in size and almost price, but the plumbing work would at least double the price I would bet. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100389016/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053

Do you really want a tub or do you just want to keep the water contained on the floor? If it's containment you could look into buying a pan (which would also need to attach properly to the existing drain and have the edges caulked or grouted.) If you're handy, you could do a DIY version (note: video neglects to remind that the concrete needs to slope toward the drain...!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQiU4-TJ6Qk&feature=player_embedded

When I lived in a warehouse I had the same problem. I got a baby pool, not cute, and a pool tarp pump. The pumps are about $70. It worked really well for filling and emptying. I totally understand the need for a bath :)

http://www.bing.com/shopping/cover-pump-pool-cover-pumps/p/F93768B7D7F28D419F4B?q=pool+tarp+pump&lpq=pool%20tarp%20pump&FORM=HURE

This post comes at an ironic time, because I have a TEENY-TINY bathroom and a bathtub of ENORMOUS proportions. I hate it with a passion and dream daily of replacing it with a shower. I'll mail it to you. ;)

I recently nearly rented an apartment that was perfect except that it didn't have a tub. After much research I came to find that setting a (heavy) clawfoot tub + water + your weight in a shower area is a recipe for disaster- likely ending in serious damage to the floor beneath it.

Squaring off the area is also not advisable as it is a lot of water and pressure to handle, not only for the new wall, but for the floor.

Get a nice piece of teak furniture in there and lounge away....

I would advise against this idea. Particularly for the amount of money you'd like to spend. There are too many unknowns: Is the subflooring going to hold up to a tub size of water? Do you have the proper drainage to handle a tub? What would you do if the water leaked out? Do you have a backyard area? Maybe you could purchase a used soft tub or something.

Vintage galvanized child's tub on ebay. Seems like you might be able to find an adult size, too. Something like in all those old movies where they boiled water and poured into the tub. Seems very inconvenient.

Be careful with these vintage galvanized suggestions. From what I can tell from the picture, this is a bathroom designed for ADA compliance - so a person in a wheelchair can roll in to take a shower (hence the no shower plate). The floor looks some form or polimer that is very expensive to pour, so if you place something galvanized that will leave rust marks on it, the landlord will have a FIT. I agree you need to get used to taking showers, and if this is an issue for you then time to start looking for rental with a bath. If this is to bathe a baby, get one of those plastic baby tubs. Why do you make your life hard trying to achieve the impossible?

Wet room bathrooms are fairly common in China where I'm based right now. I've seen a lot of people remedy their desire for a tub with a Japanese wooden bathtub. To drain it they use rubber hosing that connects with the shower drain. I'm not sure how easy it is to get these tubs in the states though. Good luck!