Pick the freestanding tub first, and pick the spot where it’s going to sit. Then choose how the freestanding tub filler mounts: on the floor, out of the wall, or on a deck. A tub filler is the faucet that fills the tub, and it may come with a handshower. If yours stands on the floor, the plumbing for it is best set in the floor before the finished floor goes down.
That order matters. Pick the filler on looks alone, after the tub and the floor are set, and the order works against you. A floor-mount filler can mean cutting into a finished floor to get its rough and supply lines in. And a wall-mount spout may not reach a tub that’s out in the middle of the room. The rough is the hidden part: the valve body and the water connections that go in before the finished floor or wall. The trim you see later covers all of it.
A Freestanding Tub Filler Mounts One of Three Ways
One faucet maker offers its tub fillers for freestanding tubs in three mounts: wall mount, deck mount and floor mount. Each one puts the water in a different place. So the mount isn’t a detail to settle last.
As a general rule, a floor-mount filler stands on its own riser beside the tub, and its water comes up through the floor. A wall mount brings the spout out of the wall behind the tub. A deck mount sits on the tub’s rim, or on a deck built around it.
A home-improvement buying guide names the floor mount’s big advantage: it can go in the best spot for the tub and for the room’s layout. The same guide says a wall-mount or deck-mount faucet may work with a freestanding tub. But the tub’s build matters, and so does whether it can sit close enough to a wall. The guide says both have a major impact.
Why Should the Tub Come Before the Filler?
The buying guide says to settle on the tub before the faucet. The tub’s height, the angle of its sides and the thickness of its rim all matter. They shape how tall the faucet has to be, and how far the spout has to reach. Pick the filler first and you’re guessing at both.
Where the tub sits decides which mounts can reach it. A freestanding tub can sit well away from a wall, and that’s a big part of the appeal. A tub pulled out into the room may leave a floor mount as the practical choice. A tub set close to a wall may open up a wall mount. The tub’s spot and the filler’s mount belong to the same decision, so make them together.
What Has to Go Into the Floor for a Floor-Mount Filler?
The buying guide says a freestanding faucet set has to be bolted to the floor. On concrete that’s no problem. Wood floorboards may not be thick enough, so solid framing below has to be found. The hot and cold supply lines also have to come up at that exact spot.
The guide makes another point worth hearing early. Existing pipework is unlikely to line up with where you want the filler. So the supply route is part of the plan. It isn’t a loose end for later. Ask your plumber what’s under the tub’s spot before the mount gets locked in.
The faucet maker says its floor rough comes with test caps, which allow a pressure test for leaks once the rough is in. It also says that rough has a gasket, which seals the living space off from the crawl space or the ceiling below. Both come from that maker’s own description, so don’t read them as a promise about every filler.
That maker also says its trim rises with the finished floor, so the spout height stays the same whatever the floor’s thickness. Still, the finished floor’s thickness belongs in the plan. Once the tile or flooring is down, adding a rough can mean cutting into it. That’s work you’d rather avoid.
When Does a Wall-Mount or Deck-Mount Filler Make Sense?
Per the buying guide, a wall or deck mount may work when the tub’s build allows it and the tub can sit close enough to the wall. As a general rule, a wall mount moves the plumbing into the wall instead of the floor. A deck mount needs a rim or a deck that can hold it.
McDaniels’ own post on why faucet choices come early in a tub and shower remodel makes the point: picking the faucet early matters, because it sets the rough-in plumbing behind the wall.
Whichever mount you pick, the water has to arrive where the spout will be. A wall rough and a floor rough can be different jobs for your plumber, so the mount decides where the lines run. That’s why the choice belongs before the walls and the floor are closed up. After that, a change can mean opening finished work.
Who Should Settle the Mount, and When?
As a general rule, the mount is a layout decision, so settle it with your designer and your plumber. The right moment is when the tub’s position is set and before the floor is ordered or installed. Then the rough and the supply lines can be planned once.
Running supply lines to the filler’s spot is plumbing work. McDaniels has a separate post on whether the plumbing work needs a permit in Michigan. It’s worth reading while the layout is still on paper.
A design team can hold the whole picture together. McDaniels’ designers create designs that integrate cabinets, plumbing fixtures, tile and more, and they guide the layout work with you as part of bathroom remodeling. So the tub and its filler get planned together, in the right order.
Frequently Asked Questions About Freestanding Tub Fillers
Can a freestanding tub use a wall-mounted filler?
It may. The buying guide says a wall-mount faucet can work with a freestanding tub. What decides it is how the tub is built, and whether the tub can sit close enough to the wall. So check that the spout reaches past the rim before you order, and tell your plumber where the tub will sit.
Does a floor-mounted tub filler work on a concrete floor?
Yes. The buying guide says bolting the faucet set to concrete is no problem. On wood floors, solid framing below has to be found instead. Either way, the hot and cold lines have to come up at the filler’s spot, so plan that route before the floor is finished.
Can you add a floor-mounted filler after the floor is finished?
Yes, but it can mean cutting into the finished floor to set the rough, fix the base and run the supply lines. The buying guide says existing pipework is unlikely to line up with the spot you want, so the lines may have to move as well. Settling the mount first can spare you that.
Does the floor’s thickness change the filler’s height?
One faucet maker says its floor-mount trim rises with the finished floor, so the spout height stays the same whatever the floor’s thickness. Other fillers may work differently. Check the listing for the one you’re looking at, and tell your plumber how thick the finished floor will be.
What should I bring to a design consultation about a freestanding tub?
Bring the tub you like or its listing, where you picture it in the room, any fillers you’re considering, and photos of the bathroom. McDaniels’ experienced designers are available for complimentary consultations, and there are many styles and brands on display in McDaniels’ Lansing showroom. The more you can show about the tub and its spot, the faster the mount question gets settled.
Set the Tub, Then the Mount, Then the Floor
At McDaniels, your design team guides you through rearranging the layout to make the most of your available space and selecting the products that will enhance your room.
A freestanding tub filler is easy to love in a showroom. Its mount is the part worth settling before the floor is.
You can book a complimentary design consultation to plan the tub’s spot and its mount with a designer, and visit the Lansing showroom to see the styles and brands on display.
