Once filled with warm water, a cast iron bathtub itself acts as a heat accumulator. The indescribable feeling of safety in a heavy metal bath is incomparable to anything else. Therefore, owners of old products that are over forty to fifty years old do not want to part with them. You can, of course, buy something similar, but dismantling an old cast-iron container and then installing a new one will require significant expense and time.
Various craftsmen post advertisements that they can paint your font and return it to its former appearance. These same craftsmen talk about guaranteeing their work for 3-5 years. What's next? Should I invite a specialist again and repaint it?
It's not all that sad. Technologies do not stand still. A method for restoring bathtubs using an acrylic liner has been developed and is quite widely used. This is a very thin (no more than 3 mm at the thickest point) analogue of the existing font. When installed, it will fit completely and tightly into the available space. After installation, the user will not even notice where the old product was, and where and how the new one appeared.
The advantages of such a repair are as follows:
- installation of the acrylic liner can be done independently, without the help of outsiders;
- when carrying out such repairs, there is no need to make large rearrangements in the bathroom, dismantling of equipment is not required;
- the cast iron base will not receive any damage, and additional benefits will appear. The velvety surface of acrylic will be pleasant to the touch, creating a new range of tactile sensations;
- the costs are comparable to the purchase of an inexpensive stamped bathtub, which will not affect the family budget;
- even the most “dead” products will look new. This is often true when purchasing a secondary home, when there is a very worn-out hot tub in a good building.
Inlay manufacturing technology
An acrylic insert used to restore the appearance of an old bathtub visually resembles a cover placed on top. It allows you to return lost performance qualities to a sanitary container in a matter of hours.
This restoration option has been used for several decades by Americans, Europeans, and for 2 decades by our fellow citizens. This is an affordable and convenient way to get the desired result without unnecessary dirt.
This technology involves putting a thin liner on a powerful frame from an old bathtub that has lost its visual appeal.
The most important thing about an acrylic liner is its quality. Therefore, when choosing this product for home, you need to pay attention to manufacturers with a good reputation. Otherwise, even a conscientious installation will not save the situation - the insert may burst after a month of use.
The plumbing market offers liners made from the following materials:
- medical acrylic;
- two-layer plastic – ABS/acrylic;
- ordinary plastic;
- technical acrylic.
Regular plastic and technical acrylic are used by unscrupulous manufacturers. They present their products as high-quality products at an affordable price. But such savings will backfire in just the second month.
Plumbing medical acrylic (PMMA) has been replaced by two-layer acrylic for the last couple of years. The fact is that ABS/acrylic material has the best performance qualities. Thus, it is more impact resistant compared to fragile acrylic.
The technological process of manufacturing inserts is complex and requires the skill of a craftsman and the availability of expensive equipment. In artisanal conditions, the production of high-quality products is impossible.
The plant has all the necessary equipment from foreign manufacturers. The material is also foreign and meets hygienic requirements.
To make liners, they take a single-color sheet of cast acrylic with a thickness of 0.6 cm and, under the influence of vacuum and high temperature, give it the desired shape on a machine. For molding, special molds made of aluminum or synthetic composite are used.
Two-layer plastic is essentially a monolithic material that can be molded in the same way as pure acrylic. It is important that the thickness of the acrylic layer is 0.5 cm or higher. Indeed, in products with a 2 mm layer, the operating surface is quickly damaged.
The overwhelming number of foreign manufacturers and all domestic ones use ABS/PMMA material. The upper hygienic layer has dirt-repellent and antimicrobial properties, and the lower one ensures the reliability of the product.
The shape of the old bathtub is important. Not all models can be purchased with an acrylic liner. Large factories have up to 20 different dies for the production of inserts for the most common cast iron and steel products. If during the measurement process it was discovered that the bathtub is non-standard, then you will have to choose an alternative upgrade option.
Factories produce only a certain number of earbud models. After all, the cost of the form itself is quite high, so making it to order for each client is unprofitable
You should not trust private manufacturers who promise to make an insert for a specific model. It will be very expensive and no one can vouch for the quality of the product.
Also, in the case of a non-standard model, you cannot buy a slightly smaller liner. According to the “bath within a bath” restoration technology, it should be like a second skin, worn over the old product.
Features of choosing acrylic inserts
Before installing a new liner in a peeling bathtub, you need to choose a quality option. After all, the market is replete with tempting offers, and no one is immune from the desire to save money. But the savings must be justified - it is better to do the installation work yourself than to buy a cheap fake.
To buy a good insert, you should follow the basic rules. Firstly, a quality product must have accompanying quality documents, a manufacturer’s warranty of at least 3 years, a factory logo and recommendations for use and care.
If the seller does not show documents confirming the quality or the warranty period is a year or less, then it is better to bypass such an insert. Even when the low price tempts you to buy
Secondly, the factory earbuds are covered with a protective film on top. It should be removed only before use, when all gluing work is completed and everything is dry.
Thirdly, the plumbing product should not be translucent. You need to check whether the selected option meets this requirement by looking through the insert into the sun, a lit lamp, or shining a flashlight from the back.
Fourthly, the acrylic surface of a high-quality insert is flat and smooth. Scratches and chips on the purchased copy are unacceptable. If the product was delivered by a courier, then you should sign the documents and release it only after a thorough inspection of the delivered goods.
If the product is flimsy, translucent, or, even worse, bends under your hand, then you should refuse the purchase. It has nothing to do with the acrylic liner
Fifthly, the thickness of a high-quality acrylic coating is from 5 mm. This must be confirmed by accompanying documents.
Sixth, you need to buy only from trusted companies. Conscientious manufacturers with a good reputation have no point in deceiving their clients. Thus, LLC ISKomp, Plastall, SevenLux, Multiplast and Grand Plast have proven themselves well on the Russian market. They use Austrian raw materials and German equipment.
Seventh, the size of the purchased liner must clearly correspond to the size of the bath being updated. To do this, before purchasing, you should measure the height, width and depth of your container. It is unacceptable to take a smaller or mismatched insert, even if the seller states otherwise. His arguments that all the voids will be well filled with polyurethane foam speak of unprofessionalism.
To correctly take the measurements of your bathtub, you need to measure its internal and external length at the top, the width at the head and legs, and also the depth
Secrets of acrylic inlay longevity
It is the quality of the insert itself that ensures 70% of the service life, and 20% for correct installation. The remaining 10% are the conditions for care and use of the product. Thus, the last step towards the longevity of the installed liner is proper operation and care.
When a good liner was purchased, but it was installed by a crooked master, water begins to accumulate under the coating. Over time, it stagnates - mold appears and a disgusting aroma appears in the bathroom. But this situation can be overcome as a result of competent repair work, and the insert itself will last for a long time.
You can use the updated bathtub in an acrylic case in the same way as the old one. You can’t just pour boiling water into it, throw knives and bricks.
Do not leave burning candles unattended on the sides of the bathtub - they can fall and burn a hole in the acrylic layer
If you are going to renovate the bathroom, it is better to cover the surface of the container with film and a soft cloth. After all, tiles knocked off the walls can severely damage the acrylic layer. Do not drop a dismantled sink or toilet - the liner may crack. Further restoration will be impossible - only removing and gluing in a new one.
As for caring for the acrylic liner, it is afraid of abrasive liquid and powder products. Also, it does not tolerate long-term stagnation of dirt.
After using the updated bathtub, it should be treated with a soft soapy sponge and rinsed with water. To wash the liner, you can use products produced for acrylic bathtubs.
In case of deep scratches and small cracks and other types of damage, the acrylic liner can be restored. To do this, purchase a special repair kit, restorer and polishing paste. To ensure that the tone of the applied product does not differ from the original coating, it should be purchased from the same manufacturer.
Advantages
The combination of a cast iron (steel) bathtub base with an acrylic surface gives the plumbing fixtures many additional advantages that a cast iron and acrylic bowl could not have separately:
- many of the disadvantages of cast iron and acrylic as the material from which the fonts are made are eliminated;
- it becomes possible to install a colored acrylic liner in the bathroom to match the existing interior;
- thermal conductivity is reduced, which allows:
- immediately after filling, take water procedures - no need to wait for the bowl to warm up;
- stays in the bath for a long time in comfortable conditions - there is no need to add hot water;
- The consumption of hot water is reduced, which leads to savings in the family budget.
- savings of 50-75% are achieved on replacing used plumbing fixtures;
- The durability of the acrylic layer is increased by the durable cast iron base.
In addition, we should not forget about the strengths of acrylic plumbing, which a cast-iron bathtub did not have:
- the noise of the collected water is absorbed;
- the original color and shine of the surface is retained, with proper care, until the end of its service life;
- there is the possibility of simple restoration - damaged areas can be restored with your own hands for budget money;
- anti-slip coating - smooth acrylic, even when wet, is not a slippery surface;
- a smooth surface with a minimum number of pores does not allow grease and dirt to be absorbed into the walls, which, however, does not eliminate the need for regular maintenance.
Why choose acrylic?
When deciding for yourself whether an old bathtub needs an acrylic liner, you need to pay attention to its significant advantages. Perhaps friends or relatives have already used it and have had a positive experience. It’s good to cooperate with a company that officially represents the manufacturer and has good reviews from real people.
The acrylic insert has an aesthetic appearance. It is endowed with dirt-repellent properties. The polymer itself has no pores in which bacteria can multiply, so the product is safe for bathing children and people with delicate or sensitive skin.
Also, allergy sufferers can safely take a bath - the acrylic insert has a natural snow-white color. No dyes are used in the production process.
The updated bathtub is strong and stable, because the old container, tested over the years, acts as a frame, and the new liner has a safe and beautiful surface
The PMMA material applied on top of the ABS layer is resistant to minor scratches. If damage does occur, it can be repaired using a special acrylic repair kit.
Another advantage is ease of maintenance. A soft sponge and soap solution are enough to clean the surface of the acrylic insert.
But all this applies only to high-quality products that have the appropriate documents from the manufacturer.
Sometimes you may encounter the unfortunate experience of installing an acrylic insert. Here, most often, the owner’s excessive savings are to blame. By choosing a cheap Chinese shell instead of a high-quality liner and hiring a crooked craftsman to install it, you get a beautiful cheap bathtub for 1 week/month. After a short time, the pseudo acrylic liner will burst beyond repair.
Preparing the bath
Before installing an acrylic liner with your own hands, it is necessary to perform preparatory work, which plays a significant role in the entire process:
- If tiles or plastic panels are tightly adjacent to the bathroom, it is necessary to dismantle them, because there must be free access to the sides of the sanitary ware.
- The product is cleaned from the enamel coating. To do this, use a grinder with a special attachment or sandpaper with coarse grains. For convenience and ease of process, you can attach the sandpaper to a special holder. This step is very important because getting rid of the smooth enamel will greatly improve adhesion to the surface of the tub.
- Wet cleaning of the internal surface is done. The bathtub must be washed very thoroughly so that no particles of enamel or other debris remain.
- The siphon is dismantled.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Installing ventilation in the bathroom and toilet with your own hands
If you really don’t want to bother with removing the enamel, you can simply thoroughly wash the bathtub with detergent, degrease it with soda, rub the surface with it, wash it again and dry it.
