A bathtub rarely fails dramatically. It stains, it chips, the finish goes dull, the caulk line keeps pulling away, and one day you notice you have been avoiding the room.
Acrylic versus steel and cast iron
Most tubs coming out of Avon homes are enamelled steel. They are heavy, they chip, and they lose bath water heat quickly because the metal conducts it straight out. Acrylic is warmer to the touch, holds temperature noticeably longer, and does not chip in the same way.
Replace the walls at the same time
This is the single most useful thing to know. Replacing a tub but keeping the old surround leaves you with a brand new tub sealed against a failing wall, which is exactly where the leak was coming from. Tub and surround should go in together as one sealed system.
Size is usually fixed, and that is fine
Standard alcoves are a standard size for good reason, and staying within the existing footprint is what keeps the job to a single day. Moving the tub means moving the drain, which means opening the floor.
Think about who uses it
If the bath is mostly used as a shower, it may be worth asking whether you want a tub at all. If it is genuinely used for bathing, and particularly if someone in the house struggles to climb into it, a walk-in tub with a sealed door solves both problems at once.
What to expect on the day
A straight replacement in an existing alcove is usually a one-day job. You will be without that bathroom for the working day and using it again by the evening.
