Soaking under open sky sounds appealing , but there are batch of logistics to consider before you put up the outside tub of your dreaming .
outside bathtubs are all the fury this summertime , and for good intellect — a individual , peaceful oasis justly in your backyard might be just what you need to unwind . If you ’re into the estimation of bathe al fresco , you ’re in fate : We spoke with Kevin Lenhart , intent director and landscape architect atYardzen , to get the scoop on all things out-of-door bathing tub . Read on to see whether your backyard could benefit from an outdoor bathtub , and what to keep in mind before you plunk in .
Could an Outdoor Bathtub Work for You?
You ’re the idealistic candidate for an outdoor bathing tub if you have the space for one in your grand , if you want a place to unbend by yourself outdoors , and if you prioritize health . Lenhart says that outdoor bathtub are on the rise , and they’repart of a large drift — more and more multitude are designing their yards to optimize physical and mental health . take a tub can be great for your overall physical and genial health , but bringing it out of doors does even more .
“ There are loads of studies documenting the wellness benefits of getting out and being in nature , ” says Lenhart . “ When you take the wellness benefits of a bath and the health welfare of being outside and you overlap them , it ’s a pretty obvious win . ”
attend for other way to incorporate wellness into your backyard ? Lenhart evoke plantingnative plantsto advance the instinctive ecosystem ’s wellness — and thereby enhance your backyard experience — or building pliable entertainment spaces , so you have the peace and still of the outdoor bathtub along with the space to be societal with your family , friends , and neighbor .
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Bringing a bath to the pace is also a playful way to contain traditionally indoor elements out of doors . Lenhart loves this landscape design trend , and we ’re come out to see why .
“ There is no infinite more secret than our bathroom , and here we are aim that bathing tub and bringing it out of doors , ” says Lenhart . “ That ’s pushing this concept of taking indoor spaces and moving them outdoors to its fullest extent . ”
How to Style Your Outdoor Tub
There ’s a lot to regard when incorporating an outside tub into your chiliad , but the first and first should be comfort . washup open can be quite vulnerable if you do n’t set the tub in the right place , or if you do n’t admit everything you ’ll postulate pre- and post - bathing tub .
“ You want to ensure that there is a sufficient level of privacy for you to feel comfortable , because the bathtub is go to be a bankruptcy from a design perspective if you do n’t feel at peace when you ’re using it , ” say Lenhart . “ Planting is often the best way to provide privacy , by blocking sentiment from neighboring properties . ”
Planting dense and marvelous greenery around the bathing area and nestling the bathtub amongst the plants can help total an extra layer of privacy — and can create an outdoorsy magic trick if the rest of your backyard is on the sparser side .
Credit: Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images
Other things to believe : Where will you put your towel ? Is there space for your liquid ecstasy and shampoo ? Is there an gentle and comfortable nerve tract back to the house when you ’re done ? Incorporating an easy - to - usage walkway ( hint : not gravel ) from the bath to the back doorway can make or break the bath experience . Including a chair or small table that can accommodate all your bathing necessity will ensure that you ’re not struggling to turn over your bathtub production when trying to slack and unwind .
Something else to keep in intellect : Many people are drawn to the vintage spirit and may seek out an antique , resale tub . That ’s a gravid route to go if you ’re bet for a bargain — and we love theclawfoot look — but Lenhart wants to remind buyers that older bathing tub are n’t always able to survive the out-of-doors . Before purchasing , verify the bathing tub is in good enough term that you ’re comfortable bathe in it , and that it wo n’t fall apart when leave out in the elements .
Otherwise , all of your normal design rules apply . Stick to a color pallet for easy coherence , and set the tub in an accessible and esthetically pleasing location to go with the flow of your backyard .
“ Just as with any designing decision , you want to make certain that your decision to add a bathtub into your landscape painting has an overall positive issue on the landscape as a whole , ” aver Lenhart . “ You need to make certain it looks just so that when you ’re not bath , it add aesthetic note value to your railway yard and it comes across as a charming characteristic in your overall landscape excogitation — something that is fun to look at . ”
What to Know Before Diving In
The most unexpected part of an outdoor tub is often its price tag , according to Lenhart . He suppose that the tub itself can often be pricey , ranging from fairly inexpensive to quite an investment on the sumptuousness end .
“ It ’s quite common for hoi polloi to underestimate the costs of a landscape painting projection , regardless of whether or not it admit the bathtub , ” says Lenhart . “ out-of-door baths go down into that pit . ”
Beyond that , if you need red-hot water to run through the tap , you ’ll need to run plumbing to your outdoor vat . Depending on where you place your tubful , plumbing costs vary — closer to the sign is in the main cheap . Just be sure to confer an experient plumber before embarking on this task .
If bathymetry is involved , your bathtub will also take a sturdy base , which only adds to the price . Though all these costs combine are relatively affordable compare to the cost of installing an in - ground consortium ( even a small-scale one ! ) , they can really start to add up , so make certain you ’re aware of the total toll before you take action .
If you require to keep off plumbing all together , that ’s altogether alright too — just know that you wo n’t have red-hot water in your outdoor bathing tub . you’re able to simply fill the vat up with a hose when in use , or make your own ice baths . When going the no - plumbing route , though , verify there ’s somewhere to drain the urine when you ’re done — consider a planted expanse withhigh drain capabilitiesto guarantee you do n’t damage the rest of your yard .
Better Than a Plunge Pool?
There are so many options for taking a dip outdoors : pool , plunge pools , hot tubs , and outside showers all offer their own benefits . So why prefer an outside bathing tub ?
For one , though tubful can be quite expensive , they ’re generally much punk than their pool alternatives . Because they do n’t need filtration system , their price tags are much more manageable if you ’re strategic about placement . Beyond the tub itself , and plumbing system if you so choose , there are n’t really any hidden cost — upkeep is minimum and cleaning is much simpler .
Also , if you ’re await to save distance , an out-of-door bathing tub might be correct for you . alternatively of installing a pool and everything that go along with one — imagine dive boards , pocket billiards chairs , and ravel — all you need is the tub ! It can be nestled away or mask with greenery so it will blend in seamlessly with any other design elements you ’ve already incorporate .
And , even though an out-of-door tub may seem like a fixture only fit for case-by-case — or mayhap two - someone — experience , there are ways to maximise its use that just would n’t operate with a syndicate .
“ What you want to debar is having it be a exclusive - use feature that is only providing economic value when you ’re really seat in the bathtub , ” says Lenhart . “ We ’ve seen people get originative around out-of-door bath , to sample to get value out of them beyond just bathing . ”
Whether you ’re give your hotdog a bath in the tub , letting your kids roleplay inside ( with superintendence ) , or fill it with ice and using it as a drinks cool , there are endless ways to make an outside bathtub just right for your backyard .
