Add Luxury and Value to Your Home with a Spa Bath

Once upon a time the only place you found luxurious spa baths in homes was in the great outdoors.  Anyone who’s ever had the opportunity to relax in one at a resort or hotel can testify to their soothing effects.  For home use, large spas were created for use on outdoor decks and patios.

For some time whirlpool/spa baths have been available for interior use as well, but many homeowners were unaware of this.  Anyone embarking on a bathroom renovation that will involve replacing the existing bathtub can – and should -- add a spa bath.

If you’re expanding the size of the bathroom or you have an existing room which is large enough, you can add spas for two in a variety of shapes, include space saving corner styles.  At the opposite end, there are spa baths that are the same length as most existing traditional tubs, and only slightly wider.

Installing the plumbing for a spa bath is the same as for a traditional bath – an incoming water supply and an outgoing drain.  Larger spas and corner spas may require moving the drain outlet away from the wall towards the interior of the room.  The biggest installation difference is the electrical.  You’ll need to add a dedicated circuit with sufficient draw to handle the load of the spa motor.

While few things in life are more relaxing than a soak in a spa bath, some may feel this is a luxury they can do without.  If you’re in that group, consider adding a spa bath anyway, for a different reason.  Even if you rarely use the bath yourself, it will add value to your home.   Good Real Estate Agents will tell you kitchens and baths sell homes, and nothing improves a bathroom more than the addition of a spa bath.  If you doubt this, visit any new housing development and you’ll find all new homes are being built with spa baths in at least one of the bathrooms.

There are lower end spa baths that cost a mere few hundred dollars more than a traditional bath so they are worth the investment in every case.  The kind of spa bath you select is a matter of personal preference and budget.

The biggest preference issue is the placement of the spa jets.  It is the adjustable jets that provide the soothing massage, so you’ll want jets placed to impact the areas of the body you want to massage.  All have jets on the side and at the feet and most have jets at the back.  More jets at the back provide a better massage there.  If you prefer not to have your back massaged, you options will be more limited.

Early versions of these tubs were essentially whirlpools which pumped water under pressure but today’s spas add air to the mix for a true hydro massage.  Look for a spa that does the best job of combining air, pumped water, and heat to produce a true bubbling effect.  All spas have heaters but some work better than others.  Generally speaking, the more jets an air spa has the better it will perform.  Spa baths are available in a full range of colors to match other bathroom fixtures.

Some home improvements, like installing skylights, might be considered not, but not essential.  Considering the value-added aspect of spa baths, this is an improvement everyone should make when renovating a bathroom.