Working Around a Free-Standing Bathtub

Digital Image

Digital Image

Digital Image

This master bathroom sports a lovely claw-foot bathtub that stands away from the wall. I have to hang wallpaper on that wall over the window. My stepladder won’t fit in the 4″ space between the tub and the wall, and an extension ladder would lean at an unstable angle. I could put a ladder in the tub, but it would have to lean against the window – naaah, don’t think so!

My solution was to cover the edges and bottom of the tub with a padded moving blanket, then use this 2’x4′ piece of 3/8″ plywood to span across the tub, and then set my ladder on top, making sure to keep the legs of the ladder as close as possible to the edges of the tub.

The tub is 400 pounds and very sturdy, and I made sure to keep my weight centered on the ladder. The set up may look scary, but it is actually quite stable and safe.

Tags: bathtub, claw foot, extension ladder, master bathroom, plywood, stepladder, wallpaper