Alcove bathtubs in acrylic and porcelain-enameled steel, white and linen, in left-hand, right-hand and integral apron configurations.
An alcove tub is built for a three-wall recess: it is finished on one long side and one end, with the other surfaces unfinished because they disappear into framing. That is what makes it the least expensive way to fit a tub, and also what makes it impossible to relocate later.
Drain hand is the specification that cannot be corrected on site. Standing at the open face of the alcove, a right-hand drain tub drains at your right. Order the wrong one and the waste rough-in is on the wrong wall.
Material sets the feel and the install. Acrylic is light, warm to the touch and holds bath temperature; enameled steel is harder and more scratch-resistant but conducts heat away and needs insulation to compensate. Both need a properly bedded, level base — an alcove tub set on an uneven floor flexes and eventually cracks at the apron.
Brands include Maax, Duravit, American Standard and Bootz.
























































































