What makes an ofuro different
A European bath is long and fairly shallow, designed for lying back and washing in the tub. A Japanese tub is shorter and deeper, so you sit upright with the water at shoulder height. Washing happens outside the tub, in a waterproof washing area with a hand shower, a low stool and a floor drain; the tub is entered only once you are clean. That sequence changes the whole bathroom design. Because the tub is compact, it often fits rooms where a full-length bath would not, such as the narrow bathrooms of canal houses or Eixample flats. The washing area, on the other hand, needs a properly sloped and sealed floor, and the depth of the tub has consequences for weight and hot water that we always calculate first.
Choosing a tub: hinoki, enamel or acrylic
Hinoki (Japanese cypress) tubs are handmade, fragrant and warm to the touch, and can be made to measure, which helps in awkward rooms or old buildings. They need regular care: draining, drying and airing after use. Enamelled steel deep tubs are durable and easy to clean, and acrylic tubs are lighter, which can matter on timber floors. Both are low-maintenance and combine well with TOTO fittings and a thermostatic mixer. Freestanding tubs make a strong statement; built-in tubs with a tiled surround give more room to sit and place things. Many clients add a lid, which keeps the water warm between bathers. For hinoki tubs we work with specialist makers and follow their care instructions; for toilets, WASHLET seats and fittings TOTO is our first choice.
Size, depth and how much water it holds
The depth that makes an ofuro so pleasant is also what makes it heavy. Take a tub with an inside of 110 by 65 cm, filled to 50 cm: that is about 360 litres of water, so roughly 360 kg before the tub and the bather are added. For comparison, the Dutch statistics office found that a bath in the Netherlands uses about 142 litres on average, so a deep soak can take more than twice as much. During the survey we look at the available length and width, the height of the step into the tub, whether a built-in seat or step makes sense, and the position of the drain. We then choose a tub size that gives a full shoulder-deep soak without asking more of the floor or the water heater than they can deliver.
Floor load: the first calculation
A filled ofuro concentrates several hundred kilos on about one square metre. Spain's building code (CTE DB SE-AE) uses an imposed load of 2 kN/m², roughly 200 kg per square metre, for residential floors, and a full deep tub plus a person is well above that figure. That does not automatically rule it out: design values include safety margins, and a concrete slab spreads load differently from timber joists. But it does mean we never assume. In older Dutch houses with timber joist floors, and in Spanish fincas with beams and ceramic vaults, we inspect the structure where possible and calculate the load of the filled tub. If needed, a structural engineer designs reinforcement, such as extra joists, or we choose a smaller or lighter tub.
Hot water: can your boiler fill it?
Many Dutch homes heat water with a gas combi boiler, rated in CW classes. A consumer guide puts CW4 at about 13 litres per minute at 40 °C and CW6 at about 20 litres, so 360 litres takes roughly half an hour on a CW4 boiler and around 18 minutes on a CW6. Homes with a heat pump or district heating are limited by the size of their hot-water tank or the delivery set. In Spain many flats use an electric water heater (termo); an 80-litre termo at 60 °C, mixed with cold water, gives roughly 145 litres at 40 °C, well short of a deep tub. So we check your system before the tub size is fixed and, where needed, propose a larger tank, a buffer or an extra water heater.
The washing area: waterproofing and drainage
A Japanese washing area is designed for water to go everywhere, so the floor is the critical part. We build a continuous slope to a floor drain, lay a waterproof membrane across the floor and up the walls, and seal every pipe penetration and corner. Before any tile goes on, every wet room and tub area is filled and flood-tested for 24 hours, and pipes, membranes and fixings are photographed so you receive a record of the hidden layers at handover. In flats with a fixed drain stack, the height available for the slope decides how the floor is built up. Good ventilation matters too: a deep, hot bath releases a lot of moisture, so we size the extraction to protect the room and, in old buildings, the brickwork.
Getting the tub inside, caring for hinoki, and cost
Steep Dutch stairs and Spanish fincas without a lift mean we measure stairs, doors and windows before choosing a tub. It can come in by the stairs, in sections, or through a window with the hoisting beam or a furniture lift, and a hinoki tub can be made to fit. Hinoki needs simple but regular care. One Japanese maker advises draining after each use, wiping the tub dry, ventilating well and avoiding over-drying: if the tub stands unused for more than two weeks, or the room is heated, a bucket of water inside under the lid prevents the wood from shrinking. Follow your maker's instructions. Indicative prices for a Japanese bathroom start at €24,000 including VAT, with deep tub, washing area, waterproofing and TOTO fittings. Costs vary with the building, so you receive a fixed quote after the survey.
