Tub cut-outs are affordable and quick to convert your standard bathtub into a shower or a walk-in tub, making them convenient for seniors, pregnant women, or family members recovering from injuries and hospitalizations. Hence, it’s not unusual that googling “cut-out bath inserts shop” results in dozens of options, from big retailers to third-party sellers on marketplaces.
Although they’re usually more affordable and faster to install than replacing your current tub with a new one, you still need to weigh out all the implications of a cut-out tub access to ensure you’re getting the best fit for your needs.
Pros and cons of professional cut-out tub access solutions
Advantages
Choosing to cut out the existing tub instead of replacing it has many benefits for its users, especially when they see their mobility compromised due to multiple reasons (age, chronic illness, or pain).
- They’re long-term investments in home safety.
Cut-out tub access is beneficial not only for immediate needs, like your parents starting to use canes or walkers, but it continues to pay dividends even after that. Cutting out your tub can provide you with bathing accessibility and safety when you age, welcome another baby, or in many other cases, such as hosting a guest with mobility issues or facing a sprained ankle.
Likewise, professional cut-out tub access solutions can make your home more attractive when reselling, luring a broader range of buyers and increasing your chances of receiving a fair return instead of settling for lower market prices.
- Seamless aesthetics
A significant concern with home additions, mainly when replacing tubs or building showers, is how the final result fits the current aesthetics. Getting bathtubs or shower enclosures that are too big for the space will make your bathroom look clustered and may challenge accessibility for seniors even more. But when you cut out the existing bathtub, you avoid this problem.
Most cut-out inserts come in a standard, “factory” look that blends seamlessly with your current tub, regardless of material, maintaining your bathroom’s overall look and feel. Since you don’t need to replace the tub, they save you the hassle of matching colors and measuring sizes.
- Cost-effective and efficient installation
Professional cut-out tub access solutions are more economical and efficient than complete bathroom remodels and walk-in tub installations. Though you should be savvy with hand tools and have experience with repair projects, installing cut-out inserts doesn’t require plumbing, tiling, or extensive construction work, unlike walk-in tub installations.
Like that, they’re more efficient solutions that can be especially beneficial for seniors who cannot afford the expenses and stress associated with bathroom remodeling projects.
Drawbacks
Though there aren’t many cons to cut-out tub access, it must still be considered to ensure it meets your needs.
- Wheelchair accessibility may be compromised.
Although a wheelchair user can transfer from a wheelchair to a cut-out tub, it’s not an ideal solution. Professional cut-out tub access solutions may require users to lower themselves to the standard tub depth, which demands ample upper-body mobility and strength. Hence, wheelchair users may need additional safety features such as grab bars or transfer benches.
- You may not be able to fill up the tub.
Once you install the step-through kit, the tub is converted into a shower, and it can no longer be filled to use it as a tub. Unless you also purchase the QuickTub® Tub Conversion Cover, which allows you to seal the cut-out.
Who can benefit from a cut-out tub access?
Though cut-out tubs are most common for seniors, they can also benefit other family members. These accessibility solutions improve bathing convenience and safety for many individuals with different mobility needs.
- Seniors: As time passes, aging people can struggle with mobility and balance, so professional cut-out tub access solutions are great ways to help them bathe safely without reducing their independence. Since they lower the bathtub rail and eliminate the need to climb over the tub wall, they help you avoid slips and joint pains.
- Family members with chronic pain conditions: Chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, or back problems, are not exclusive to senior people; they can impact one’s life at any age for different reasons. Hence, unlike standard tubs, cut-out tub access reduces the need for strenuous movements, decreasing the impact on their conditions.
- Pregnant women: As expectant mothers approach their due date, getting in and out of the bathtub can become more difficult. The strain on the body caused by high bathtub walls and the risk of falls become an increasing concern each month. Professional cut-out tub access solutions are a cost-effective and safe way to address these challenges, allowing women to bathe comfortably throughout pregnancy.
You can look for a cut-out bath insert shop in many situations. Thus, it’s unsurprising that cut-out tubs have become a popular solution to increase bathroom accessibility in Canada.
Get your cut-out tub access without hassles at The Step Through Store
If you’re ready to cut out the existing bathtub to provide more safety to your parents, spouses, and the rest of your family, The Step Through Store is your best choice. Find affordable and convenient cut-out tub kits you can install yourself in just a few hours; ADA-compliant grab bars and curved shower rods to complement a shower conversion project.
Explore our professional cut-out tub access solutions and buy yours today!