The Tub King Blog

Have Your Clawfoot Tub Painted in the Colors of Your Favorite Team

By Alan Knight

A number of years ago we got an unusual call from a young lady in Atlanta, Georgia who wanted to purchase an antique clawfoot bathtub. After giving us the size she needed, she added that she wanted it refinished in the colors of her favorite college football team, the Georgia Bulldogs. She actually drove down to watch the color process. True to our word, we refinished the tub in red and black, and she loved it. Instead of having it shipped home, she wanted to take it herself in the back of her SUV.

It Started with a Customer who Loves the Georgia Bulldogs

Not long after that, we decided to refinish a clawfoot tub in the colors of the Auburn Tigers. The inside was done in navy blue and the outside was in orange. We took the tub to a game and set it up outside at a tailgate spot. We filled it with ice and loaded it with beer and other beverages. Everyone that passed by (and it must have been thousands) loved it. That's a great way to advertise.

Clawfoot Tub in the colors of the Jacksonville Jaguars
(Photo Credit: tubking.com)

Spring practice is going on for most college football teams across the country. Soon they will have a scrimmage game called the A-Day Game or the Spring Game, and tens of thousands will attend. Football is already in the air, and we're still officially almost five months from the first kickoff of the season. If you're a college grad, you probably have your own pride and affection for school colors.

Clawfoot Tubs Come to us From All Over for Refinishing

The antique tubs that we refinish are often brought to our warehouse in Jacksonville, Florida from customers in various states. We even had a father and son that brought a tub to us from Canada. They left it at one of our bay doors and proceeded on to south Florida. On the way back they picked it up, completely refinished in their colors of choice.

Additional Product Lines

In addition to custom coloring clawfoot tubs, there are many different things that we do in our bathtub business. We sell

The Artisan Series Clawfoot tubs

“new” reproduction cast iron and porcelain bathtubs that we import from other countries. That would include the Slipper series, the Double-ended, Traditional Roll Rims, and Pedestal tubs. Often, customers request that we refinish the exterior of the new tubs in a color other than white. The legs of the tub offer several options. They can come in chrome, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, or any one of five hundred colors. The inside of the tub (the porcelain) is normally left as the original porcelain (white). In recent months, we have also created an Artisan Series such as the hammered copper or the hammered silver finish on the exterior.

Safe Senior Walk-in Bathtubs are High on Baby Boomer List

One of our Boomer-approved Walk-in Tubs
(Photo Credit: tubking.com)

We also sell the senior Walk-in Bathtub. This has been one of our most popular introductions to date. The senior market, with the massive baby boomer population, has given us their own request, and that is for a tub that is safe (to remove the fear of falling in the bathroom) and therapeutic (to help with aches, pains, and the treatment of many medical conditions). We sell and ship them all over the world.

Introducing Our Newest Product Line

Our newest product line is Safety Suite Showers. They

One of our Safety Shower Suite

are designed to expand any bathroom with an open concept and a more modern design. The shower is fully tiled and reaches (with walls and floors) to over six feet. The additional safety fixtures including the stylish grab bars, some which double as paper roll stand, towel rack and shelving, as well as sinks, and toilets to complete a beautiful picture. A major feature is being able to step or roll into the shower, without stepping over a tall threshold. The low- and/or zero-threshold even makes it wheelchair accessible.

Refinishing to Create a Family Heirloom

This tub will outlive most of us.

Normally, the antique tubs that we refinish are brought to us by families who have had them in the family for a long time. They have a certain sentimental value. Many of these old tubs have been around for a hundred years. We take them and carefully restore them to their original beauty. That means we not only refinish the outside of the tub in the color choice of the customer, but also the interior. That part is a little more complicated. It means doing a lot of repair work on the porcelain since the old tubs often have chips, scratches, cracks and even missing porcelain. The process used to restore it involves not only spot repairs, but also creating a new surface. This is done by applying proprietary cleaners to both clean the tub and etch the tub. After making the surface more porous, an aerospace primer is used to attach itself to the surface and make it more receptive for the topcoat. If an interior color other than white is requested, the primer must be tinted to match a shade of the requested color. After two coats of the primer are applied, using a high volume, low-pressure spray system in our special spray booth, the unique color choice is applied using the same spray system. The topcoat color is a special mix of polyurethane acrylic enamel with industrial colorants to make a perfect color match. The surface is extremely durable, chemical, and stain resistant. The finished product is a remarkable reproduction of the original, with your favorite color choices. The exterior, which is cast iron, can be done in the same color or a different one. The same is true for the legs of the tub.

Short testimonial on a refinishing job.

The great thing about the refinished antique approach is the cost. For just a few hundred dollars, you can have a true family heirloom restored in pristine condition. All the memories associated with the tub are now enhanced. Instead of a tub lying in a field gathering rust, you now have something to be proud of and a family heirloom for the next generation.

Watch this short testimonial video.

Colors can make a huge difference in your bath choices. Whether you want to introduce your school or favorite team colors to your bathtub or just decorate a bathroom with a matching colored tub, have some fun with this. If you want to change the color in a few years, that's another option you have.

In this article, I shared information about the ease and usefulness of being able to color antique and new Clawfoot tubs in your college, NFL team or designer colors. This process is long lasting and can ensure that your family heirloom Clawfoot tub can be passed on to the next generation.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Clawfoot Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Walk-in Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

Free Shipping on Cast Iron Tubs. Click Here.

Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. HIs companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan@tubking.com.

Get Your Free GiftCard. Click Here.

Related articles

Why is Home Remodeling so Ideal in the Spring?

By Alan Knight

Photo Credit: eaglesgymnastics.com

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Fresh buds bloom, animals awaken from winter hibernation ― indeed, the entire earth seems to come to life again. Farmers and gardeners plant their seeds as temperatures slowly rise. The degree of weather changes varies depending upon location, because most equatorial regions see fairly constant temperatures throughout the year.

What most people call spring, as well as the other three seasons, is due to astronomical occurrences between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Caused by the angle of the Earth's tilt toward the sun, astronomical spring is marked by the equinoxes and solstices.

The equinoxes are special days during the year when day and night are almost equal. There are two equinoxes, one the spring and one in the fall. The spring, or vernal equinox occurs around March 21st in the northern hemisphere and around September 21st in the southern hemisphere.

Photo Credit: wildheretic.com

During the summer solstice, in the northern hemisphere, the North Pole is tipped at its greatest angle toward the sun, which occurs around June 21st. In the southern hemisphere, it’s around December 21st, when it’s the South Pole's turn to be nearer. (Yes, I know. It seems peculiar to us northern hemisphere inhabitants that from November through February is actually summertime in lands below the equator. Similarly, June through mid-September is wintertime in places such as Australia and other countries well below the equator.)

Warmer temperatures mean the ground, which may have frozen over during the winter months, grows softer and more yielding to plants. Spring is often marked by increased rainfall, which helps to water the infant seeds taking root in the ground.

Photo Credit: askville.amazon.com

Animals that spent the winter in hibernation come out of their dens, while those that traveled to warmer regions return. Many animals give birth in the spring. Winter coats are shed by those animals that sported them, and some animals may change coloration to blend in with their new surroundings.

Many cultures celebrate the return of spring, or the rise of the vernal equinox. Passover is celebrated by those of Jewish faith. Linked to the Book of Exodus, Passover commemorates when the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt. The holiday falls on the first full moon after the northern spring and lasts for seven days.

Celebrated by Christians, Easter takes its roots from the Jewish Passover festival. The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, Easter usually falls around the same time as Passover. The actual day changes because Passover follows the Jewish calendar, which is different from the standard one we commonly use. Today, many ways of celebrating Easter ― Easter eggs, baskets, and bunnies ― have risen from celebrations of the vernal equinox and the start of spring to combine with the religious holiday.

Photo Credit: country-art.com

May Day is a spring festival born from a Celtic festival, though as Christianity spread through Europe, some of the older pagan elements were dropped. Celebrants might wind ribbons around a May pole as they dance around it.

Mark Twain wrote, “It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want ― oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so.”

Robin Williams ― oh, how we miss him ― once quipped, “Spring is nature's way of saying, ‘Let's party!’”

So here we are. Spring has sprung! We have so many thoughts, plans, wishes and desires that go through our head. We, too, want new beginnings.

Let's take “remodeling” for example. The term identifies a need in many homeowners take their “model” home to make it even better ... to redo the home they initially loved and add new concepts to make it even more fantastic.

Photo Credit: tubking.com

Recently, Tub King, Inc. participated in the Spring Home and Patio Show here in Jacksonville, Florida. Held in early March, tens of thousands of people were there to see the newest ideas that might inspire and motivate homeowners to desire something more for their homes. Tub King was there with its award-winning array of bathtubs and showers. As many as 80,000 people came through the H&P show, all eager to see something new that could address their remodeling desires.

At Tub King’s frequently visited booth, there were several different models of its elegant porcelain/cast iron bathtubs, offering Slipper Tubs, Double Slippers, Dual-ended, Pedestal tubs, deep soaking tubs and traditional designs.

The safety-featured Walk-in tub brought attention to the needs of our current senior population who have special needs in their bath tub arrangements. Along with available hydrotherapeutic features such as water jets and air jets, and ergonomically controls, the Walk-in tub can serve as anyone’s personal Jacuzzi.

Photo Credit:tubking.com

Tub King’s newest product was its trendy Safety Suite Showers. Available in different configurations that can be custom-ordered, such the type/color tile, placement of grab bars, the type of in-shower seat, height of the entryway, these showers offer a total safety bathroom package, especially focusing on the open concept of a walk-in shower, and convenient grab bars throughout the bathroom.

Take time this spring to visualize how you can make your home more special. Adding a new bathtub or shower in your home will make a positive impact in your life, that’s for certain. Spring can be an exciting time. Harriet Ann Jacobs, the celebrated abolitionist speaker and reformer once wrote, “The beautiful spring came, and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

Party on!

The Tub King Difference

In this article, I discussed why spring time is a season of renewal, for animals and humans alike. I shared information about the astronomical causes of spring, and highlighted two of its major holidays. I also talked about Tub King’s recent appearance at the Jacksonville Spring Home & Patio Show this past March, discussing its three main products: porcelain/cast iron bathtubs, Walk-in bathtubs and its new Safety Suite Showers.

If you found this article useful, please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog. To find more articles like this type in “walk-in tubs,” “cast iron tubs” and/or “Safety Suite Shower” in the search box.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Walk-in Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Clawfoot Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

Free Shipping on Cast Iron Tubs. Click Here.

Get Your Free GiftCard. Click Here.

Related articles

No More Pain in the Drain

By Alan Knight

Photo Credit: youbeauty.com

We’ve all been there, first thing in the morning … trying to shave or brush our teeth, only to hear that annoying sound coming at us from the bathroom sink drain: glug, glug, glug. You know what I’m talking about, the precursor to a drain clog that I refer to as “pain in the drain.”

You may have some more colorful ways of coining the phrase, but like it or not, drain clogs come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes all it takes is a plunger and a little elbow grease to sort it out and get the drain to flow full force. Other times it causes you to reach for a bottle … of drain cleaner, I mean. Or, as with more stubborn clogs, to call a plumber. If that’s what’s bothering you, fear not, because I’m going to show you how to keep pain in the drain from ruining your morning and perhaps the rest of your day.

Photo Credit: treehugger.com

To begin with, the worst time to take on a drain clog is to wait until it stops cold. For the most part, pipes and drains will give you subtle hints that a stoppage is near by either slowing the flow of water to a crawl or by making those strange, animalistic sounds much like the ones your stomach makes after eating too many jalapeno peppers. When this happens, don’t make the mistake of reflexively reaching for the bottle of drain cleaner. While caustic solutions can sometimes clear a clog, they can also slowly eat away at the pipes themselves. This can result in a much larger plumbing bill somewhere in the not- too-distant future when the pipe ruptures.

There’s also the very real possibility that you could accidentally splash drain cleaner on your skin or in your eyes, either of which could necessitate a trip to the ER. If you absolutely want to try using a chemical solution to loosen up a clog, try the following recipe that’s guaranteed not to burn either you or your pipes:

Photo Credit: plumbing-geek.com

Pipe-Friendly Clog Buster

Mix ½ cup of baking soda with ½ cup of salt
Pour the mixture into the drain
Pour ½ cup vinegar down the drain
Let the mixture get absorbed by the pipe for 30-minutes
Run hot water for one minute followed by cold water for one minute

While this mixture wasn’t invented to break up a solid stoppage, it has been known to alleviate slow drainage. (It’s also great for preventative maintenance.) Best of all, if you splash any of it on yourself, you won’t wind up doing the Texas Two Step all the way to the hospital.

Snakes in the Drain

Photo Credit: lelong.com.my

If you’ve ignored the subtle warning signs of an imminent clog and now your drain has stopped cold, you need to take remediation to the next level. This means snaking the drain. If you’re unfamiliar with these sinuous devices, you should know there are two types of snakes, both of which can be found at any hardware store: Manual and Power.

Manual snakes are threaded by hand down the drain. Most have a T-shaped handle at the end which allows you to turn the snake. Power models can be hooked up to a drill. Either way, these devices are used to latch onto and pull out the clog. They’re not designed to push the clog down the drain. If you do this, all you will accomplish is stopping the drain even further. You’ll also put a smile on the plumber’s face when he comes to your home only to discover a deep-seated clog that will take all his skill and professional gear to remove. (Also beware of powered snakes, since these can also cause injury.)

Snakes commonly come in 10-foot lengths for a reason. If the clog is located close to the drain, these devices are just what the drain doc ordered. These can remove hairballs, grease wads and other nasty stuff stuck in the first few feet of pipe. (Sometimes simply removing the P-trap and snaking this out is all it takes to unstop the drain.) However, if the clog is deeper-seated, take my word for it: it’s time to call a plumber.

An Ounce of Prevention

Photo Credit: liquidsculpture.com

If you want to be proactive, there are some preventative measures you can use on a monthly basis to help keep your drains clear. One such remedy involves filling the sink to the top with hot water, adding a couple drops of dish detergent, then pulling the plug to let the water run out. You’ll know the process is working if the water starts to swirl down the drain while making a slurping noise as it races through the pipes.

Slow drains can also be helped along by the enthusiastic application of a plunger and a little elbow grease. (This is especially useful after the application of the homemade drain cleaner detailed in the recipe above.) Bear in mind that if you are forced to reach for the plumber’s helper, then your drain is rapidly approaching the point of no return. Better to use a little preventive maintenance to try to keep your drains happy. Because if it comes to a choice between keeping your drain or your local plumber happy, I’m sure that you will make the right choice.

In this article, I shared information about effective, preventive and safe steps one can take to prevent clogs and plugs of sink drains.

If you found this article useful, please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog. To find more articles like this type in “walk-in tubs” in the search box.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Walk-in Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of our Clawfoot Tub Buyers’ guide, fill out the form below.

Free Shipping on Cast Iron Tubs. Click Here.

Get Your Free GiftCard. Click Here.

Related articles

Making Walk-in Tubs Available for Seniors

By Alan Knight

Courtesy of allmandlaw.com

Did you know that over 9 million older Americans can't pay their bills? The basic expenses like food, housing, health care, and transportation is too much for many who are 65 years or older. With the weak economy of recent years, seniors have been suffering alongside everyone else, and in many cases the suffering has been much worse by comparison. The housing crash erased millions of dollars in home equity for older Americans. Baby Boomers saw a wealth of savings go up in smoke, and many had to return to the work force to make ends meet. Meanwhile, health care costs are rising and more than one in five people over age 50 say they have skipped doctor visits due to costs. Add to that the fact that most have turned to cheaper medications, or simply avoided certain medications altogether, because costs are so high, and you can see the problems seniors face. Then, on top of that, there’s the news about Social Security cut-backs, and you can see how this would also affect the mental health of senior citizens.

Courtesy of theoldspeakjournal.wordpress.com

For many older Americans, the situation is desperate. Some 3.5 million seniors live in poverty, according to Census figures, but the number rises to about 6.2 million when health care costs are factored in. In 2010, the National Alliance to End Homelessness predicted that homeless rates among the elderly would continue to increase dramatically. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder for seniors to survive in a country in economic turmoil.

Let me give you an example from one couple: “I am seventy-something, and so far my husband and I are paying the bills (just barely). But there are no extras, none of the trips we thought we would take and none of the house improvements we thought we would make. We are not sure how long we will continue to be able to meet our basic living expenses. Our medical costs will inevitably increase, even though right now we are both healthy. We have pensions, social security, savings, and received an inheritance of a small piece of property, and we still are only just making ends meet.

Courtesy of economistsview.typepad.com

What are seniors who are not so fortunate supposed to do? I would add that our house is very small and fully paid for, and our living expenses are low, apart from living in a part of the country where property taxes and the price of utilities are very high. To the "personal responsibility" folks: we did work all our lives and we did save for our retirement, but the rule of thumb for living off one's investments during our prime years was 7-10 percent. Now we can count on about one percent. See the difference? I would add that there hasn't been a cost of living increase for social security for years, because the cost of the Medicare premium has completely canceled out the cost of living adjustment.”

In the early days of America, a household consisted of parents, children, and grandparents. It was usually a rural agricultural family where families were large due to the need for help in the field or on the farm. It was not uncommon for a married couple to have twelve children. Urban families worked in factories. Households were smaller, but still included the grandparents. Families were self-reliant and tight-knit. Everyone in the family had a part and a place, and everyone contributed.

Courtesy of willisqlingos.blogspot.com

Today, things are different. Families are scattered all over the country. Grandparents live alone, and many seldom see their children or grandchildren. Responsibilities go far beyond farm or factory work and include the high-stress modern pace of computers and cyberspace. Simple life has given way to a complex network where family time is relegated to hello or goodbye while grabbing a granola bar and rushing out the door. Late meetings at work create desperate high speed drives home to catch dinner or just to shower and collapse into bed. In this new world we have created, families suffer, and none so much as our seniors.

So what can be done? We can't turn back the clock. Adjustments need to be made. A little more thought on what is truly important in life seems to be eluding us. Doesn't it seem a little unfair that parents or grandparents spend their life working and when they are physically unable to work there are no other answers? If children either cannot or will not help, seniors are left to worry about their brief future on planet earth. I believe there are little things that we can all do. It may just be simple things like showing kindness, helping to lift something, offering an arm to guide them, or spending a few moments recalling fond memories.

Courtesy of www.freemanhealth.com

There is also something that businesses can do. Make life a little more affordable for seniors. Some are already doing that, like offering discounts at movie theaters, restaurants, department stores, etc. In the health care field some companies are helping there too.

One of the best things to come along for the elderly is the walk in bathtub. Companies that make this affordable are really doing a service. Older adults often have difficulty getting into and out of bathtubs. Falling is an ever present danger for seniors. A fall, especially in the bathroom, with all its hard surfaces and edges, could cause serious bodily harm or even death. The walk in tub was designed specifically to meet the need for safety in the bathroom. It comes with a water tight door and a seat. The step-up is only six inches and all the controls (faucet, drain, and hand held shower) are within easy reach. They even come with jetted systems which provide hydrotherapy to treat all types of aches, pains and medical conditions. They can be installed in a day or so in a normal bathtub opening.

Watch this short origin story and the testimonials from a few clients.

Many elderly people would benefit from this, both for independence and for the relief it offers to their many ailments. What has hampered this is the high prices that many companies charge for these units. Remember, many seniors have no margin for error in their budgets. To overprice these tubs is reprehensible. Tub King, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida believes in making the walk in tub affordable and installation costs are the lowest anywhere. We’re only too happy help the senior population with an affordable gift of better health. This is one thing we all can agree on.

In this article, I shared information about the high cost of living that senior have to deal with and how some walk-in tub companies try to cheat seniors by inflating the prices of their tubs. Tub King on the other hand exclusively makes their high quality walk-in tubs more affordable so that seniors can afford to have and use them.

Watch this short video about our buyers guide.

If you found this article useful, please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog. To find more articles like this type in “walk-in tubs” in the search box.

If you would like to receive a free copy of our Walk-in Tub buyers guide, fill out the form below.

Get Your Free GiftCard from Tub King. Click Here.

Check out TubKings current specials at Tubking.com