Bathtub Bench
Supplies:
Plank of wood
Saw (optional)
There really aren’t very many accessories that are sold for a tub. Yes, there are many bath products but not so much for the tub itself. You can buy a rubber mat so that you don’t slip. You can purchase one of those machines that fits over the top of the tub and creates a whirlpool. You can even buy a tub shelf; it goes from side to side and can hold a drink, a magazine, and a few other things. I know one more thing that you might really find useful; it’s a tub bench.
I discovered a tub bench when I recently had surgery. I found it hard to balance on the side of my claw leg tub, with it’s narrow, curved edge. But I was too weak to stand up and take a shower. It was a real problem. Whether you’re weak, just had surgery, can’t stand up long enough for a shower, or otherwise have an issue with bathing, you might also find a tub bench very helpful.
If you have a saw you can quickly make a tub bench. A cedar board is a fabulous choice but you can use most any thick piece of wood. Some types of wood might need to be treated with a treatment made for deck wood. The treatment will help preserve the board, particularly if you won’t be moving it out of the way when taking a shower. Measure from one long side of the tub, to the opposite side, and cut the board to be that long.
If you have no way to cut wood, purchase it at a large home improvement store, and they will cut it for you. Just take the measurement to the store and choose the wood that you want cut. The piece should be between twelve and eighteen inches wide. If the wood is rough, sand it.
To use the seat, just lay the board across the tub. If the tub has a wall against one of its long sides, that’s ideal. The board is especially safe if the long side of it is against a wall, and one short end of the board is against another wall, to create a corner for the board.
To help make the bench safer, mark a place underneath it, right up next to the tub. glue a wooden piece there, and then nail it in from the top. Make one on the other side, set the wood on the tub, and have a seat.
