Redwood Ofuro questions answered
A wooden bathtub? Does it hold water?
Yes! The wood expands while it’s wet, swelling the joints, like a traditional wood boat, barrel or water tower. Those use hoops and staves to hold together the pressure, mine use only wood
Are they heavy?
Not at all compared to a cast iron tub. I can flip mine on it’s side quite easily to wash out.
Can you ship them?
Standard freight, worldwide
What does it take to install them?
The easiest way is to make a tile floor with a lip that it can sit in, like any tile shower, so that water can flow over the top and out the side. It can basically sit there, with a faucet installed over the top.
Outside used more as more of a hot tub, while I can’t provide a professional solution at the moment, the hot tub industry has a wide variety of solutions to get good hot water anywhere you could want and I’m happy to tell you what has worked for me in multiple homes and with clients
Why Redwood?
Redwood is the most rot resistant, fire resistant, and one of the strongest woods across long spans, to hold the immense weight of the water. Redwood also has amazing essential oils that are released while bathing, much like Hinoki, the traditional Japanese wood for Ofuro’s.
Aren’t redwoods rare?
Yes and no! Tens of billions of redwood trees once covered the West Coast, and deforestation here was at it’s worst in the 1920’s. Ever since then they have been re-planted heavily, sometimes even replacing what was the native tree in a forest because of their value as an exterior building material. Basically, if it was planted in the last 50 years with an intention to be harvested like any cultivated plant, it’s very easy to obtain. A more luxurious, and superior quality old growth redwood is an option - but it has to come from a tree that fell on it’s own on private property, and that is as rare as it sounds, but when they do, they are quite large. They can easily block a driveway or a road and need to be removed.
Aren’t they expensive?
I made my first one because I looked around for cast iron bathtub in decent shape and saw they were around $500, plus moving them would be a burden. So I set out to make the first one as an affordable, and reasonably transportable bathtub for us - and now that’s it’s in our third home, I can say it’s been successful. The smallest options start around $1.5k for new growth redwood for chest height tub for one person and go up from there.
Out west, there is a decent size industry of mass manufactured, barrel style redwood hot tubs, and feel free to look them up and the pricing. Japanese bathtubs in this style are wonderful, made by generational makers, and cost a year of college tuition before shipping. Without sacrificing quality, I think I’ve found an elegant solution using the best local materials available to me, and it’s a wonderful pleasure to bathe in that I want to share with the world.
What options are there for sizing and other things?
Neck height tubs are available, as well as slant boards and stools to go inside the tub for comfort and outside the tub for towels, and soon foot baths! I will be offering a California King size tub for two or three very cozy people, and beyond that the only limit is our imagination if you have something extra large in mind.
Are they finished?
They are finished with all natural oils and waxes that not only let the wood breath and move, essential to it’s job staying water tight, but also organic and great for the skin since it is a bathtub.
I will send a care package of a homemade blend of oils, beeswax and essential oils to wipe on periodically.
Are they left full of water?
Yes! They are. In between baths they are left full, and they are drained, cleaned, and re-filled before each bath. It should be used more like a hot tub than washing off, and soap should be used very sparingly if at all.
What is the lead time?
I like to make these is batches, and it depends on the wood selected and the time it will take for it to dry enough to be ready to work, but typically from two months to six months from initial conversation to delivery
Do you deliver?
I can deliver these free of charge in Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake, Sonoma or Napa county, with a small charge for the Bay Area in an enclosed trailer. Basically where I can get home again before dark.
Otherwise, they will be delivered in a custom built crate via lift gate freight. If it is a home address, the crate can be left in a driveway, unscrewed, and carried by two people or one person and a dolly quite easily. I’m very flexible with shipping options and have many for whatever your need anywhere.
Small items ship standard UPS, USPS, FedEx
Payment?
For large items, I ask for 70% up front at the time of ordering and will settle the rest as well as shipping at completion
