Tell me about your copper bath tub

April 28, 2024 7:29 AM

We are adding a bathroom in our house, and are interested in getting a copper bath tub, mainly for aesthetic reasons. They are beautiful, but expensive, and it has proven impossible to see an actual specimen in a showroom anywhere, so we are hoping to hear about others' experiences with this material for a tub, and pros and cons of living with it (maintenance, durability, pitfalls, etc).
posted by tentacle to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Don't know about a tub but we used copper-pipe work when we installed indoor plumbing in our then 50 y.o. home. Nobody warned us that the water in our borehole was quite acidic. The water in our white enamel bathtub turned a beautiful copper-sulphate blue esp. when we started to soap up: as copper chloride was converting to copper stearate. Chloride from the well, stearate from the soap, copper from the pipes. The copper hot-water cylinder lasted about 15 months (always hot and acidic) and the pipes failed over the next 10 years. Just check the pH of your in-water before investing; should be fine.
posted by BobTheScientist at 7:58 AM on April 28 [3 favorites]

I assume that just like with copper pots and pans, keeping the tub shiny and coppery instead of greenish blue like the Statue of Liberty will require a nontrivial investment of time and elbow grease.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:49 AM on April 28 [9 favorites]

The insides are usually tin lined, so you wont have to worry about the interior/the water. Like any living finish (unlacquered brass ect) you are going to have to do some type of maintenance or just let it patina. They are super pretty and absolutely a great focal point in a bath
posted by zara at 5:34 PM on April 28 [1 favorite]

Also - it looks like you are close to Boston, it might be worth asking WaterWorks if they have one on the floor.
If you are in NYC ever Drummonds probably has one on the floor (though the A&D building might be trade only)
Bonus- whatever you choose I do vote finding it in person and SITTING IN IT. Some are so pretty and SO uncomfortable. Its totally commonplace in showrooms to do so. I take my shoes off first.
posted by zara at 5:38 PM on April 28 [1 favorite]

Copper is an excellent conductor, so it might not hold heat well, but radiate it away. I have a porcelain tun; we insulated it with padding from an old carpet, stays warm better than most tubs.
posted by theora55 at 7:29 PM on April 28

Copper is super soft and while I have never had a copper bath I have seen and used very dinged up copper troughs and sinks.
posted by deadwax at 5:42 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]