Tub Tech

Moen - Kingsley Roman Tub Faucet     with built-in diverter

Americans’ seemingly insatiable appetite for pampering has been good news for home builders who know what to offer. The cutting edge of this trend is shifting from the kitchen to the bath. "First, people wanted professional kitchens. Now, they now want a bath that’s a personal retreat," says Paul Salyards, Jacuzzi’s VP of Engineering and Marketing.

But while massaging showers have gotten the most press lately, the center of most baths remains the tub, and manufacturers continue to fill it with innovation. "It’s all about choices," says Ellen Cheever of Ellen Cheever & Associates, a nationally known design firm based in Wilmington, Delaware. "Manufacturers are trying to create different types of water experiences. They have developed different types of jets, and have added extra jets along the lumbar back area. They have also added new technologies such as in-line water heaters and bacteria protection. And they’re doing a much better job physically sculpting the tub to be more comfortable for the bather."

Water and air
The two main classes of spa bath are whirlpools and air baths. The whirlpool provides deep tissue massage by forcing a mixture of air and water out through a series of massage jets. The air bath, in contrast, is a light, full-body massage provided by small air jets, preferably lined up along the bottom of the tub. It provides relaxation rather than invigoration.

While air baths have been around for a few years, and many builders are familiar with them, consumers are only just now catching on, says Salyards. "A builder who wants to be at the cutting edge should consider offering these."

That doesn’t mean asking buyers to give up their massaging jets. Combination air and whirlpool baths are proliferating, and demand is so brisk that Jacuzzi has drastically increased its offerings. A year ago, the company had just one combination air and whirlpool bath, the Affinity. At the Builder’s Show in January, Jacuzzi announced that it was expanding its line to 25 models.

Beyond massage
Combining air and water is just one thing manufacturers are doing to satisfy buyers. In recent years, they have added built-in televisions, in-mirror LCDs, aromatherapy systems and different types of light therapy. There’s also a growing interest in heated surfaces. MTI Whirlpools is launching a radiant heated tub at the Kitchen and Bath Show in April. Called Radiance, it consists of electric heating coils integrated in the acrylic bath shell. The company says that the coils are arranged so that they disperse heat evenly across the bath-shell structure.

What’s next?
Where will the action be in the next five years? Cheever sees more attention being paid to the total bath environment. "There will be less focus on the tub," she predicts.

However, manufacturers say that they will continue to offer innovations that take the whirlpool and air bath to a new level. "We’ve seen aromatherapy, chromatherapy and illumatherapy," says Salyards. "I think there will be more things that take experience to a new, higher level and give you greater control over it."