I first spotted my garden bathtub beneath layers of debris, cobwebs and dust; and I was smitten.
This wonderful old clawfoot bathtub was hiding in my neighbor’s barn after a bathroom renovation decades ago. It caught my eye when I helped them clean out the barn as they were preparing to sell their home. They were elated to get rid of it and I was thrilled to buy it for $100 – a win for everyone!
My husband and teenage son didn’t see it as a win since they were the “lucky” ones who got to muscle the cast iron beast from the barn.
My new garden bathtub was a diamond in the rough.
Stubborn stains and rust spots took lots of time, elbow grease and cleaning products to remove and make my garden tub pretty again. I found this HOW TO CLEAN A BATHTUB article incredibly useful @ Bobvila.com. Once my old bathtub sparkled and shined, I was finally ready to have a soak in it.
I anticipated glorious summer days of soaking in the shade of the mighty oak tree above until I was riddled with guilt. I’m not one to waste water, and thinking about the amount of water I’d be using took the wind out of my sails. That’s when my dear hubby’s wheels started to turn.
He rigged up a water spigot to the bathtub drain so we could attach a hose to it and reuse the water in our vegetable garden nearby – I know what you’re thinking: that man’s a genius!
My garden bathtub got a face lift.
My husband, mom and I recently made a screen behind the tub using tree branches that came down in a storm. While the hubby buried the new posts into the ground, mom and I foraged through the woods for lengths of grapevine. Once the posts were in place, the three of us wove the grapevine through it; no nails or wire – just weaving.
A few days later I painted the tub red to match the accents on the exterior of our home. A few days after that, mom and I mulched to prevent grass from growing; it’s not as pretty as grass but a heck of a lot easier to mow around. The grand finale was planting moon flowers at the base of the posts to vine up the screen (we’re still waiting on that to happen).
When not in use, I keep a large sheet of Plexiglass over the top of the tub to keep bugs and debris out in the summer and snow out in the winter.
Interesting facts about these old cast iron clawfoot bathtubs:
- J.L. Mott Iron Works was among the first manufacturers to design and produce the porcelain-on-iron bathtub in the late 1880s. [source: Old House Journal 5/1/19]
- The most popular size of cast iron tub is 5 feet long and 30 inches wide. Larger sizes and different shapes may be unique and therefore more valuable. [source: First Quarter Finance 12/3/18]
- Depending on it’s size, an empty iron bathtub can weigh between 350-500 pounds. [source: QualityBath.com]
- When filled to capacity (just below the overflow), a standard modern bathtub holds 42 gallons of water. [source: The Sacramento Bee 2/13/13]
- Used cast iron bathtubs in good condition sell for anywhere from $300 to over $2,000. [source: First Quarter Finance 12/3/18]
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