Repair an acrylic bath with your own hands from A to Z

Bathrooms are a very important part of our apartments and houses. With the advent of bathrooms, the process of maintaining the purity of the body has become not only more accessible and easier, but also much more pleasant. All people love comfort and aesthetics, so it's no wonder that the industry is constantly improving bathing equipment. In place of cast iron came enameled, they were replaced by plastic and acrylic.

Why people choose acrylic

This modern material is constantly gaining popularity. It does not make noise when recruiting water, like its predecessor - enamel; It is not heavy like cast iron, so that even one person can install a bathtub. In this case, the acrylic containers hold the temperature well, and their coating does not age over time, so it does not require regular restoration. And due to the initial flexibility of the material, it is possible to make from it a "pool" of any configuration - at least an angular, though round, and even an intricate shape. At the same time, such bathroom equipment allows the integration of additional units, which greatly expands the purchasing functions.

Different baths - different methods of repair

However, no matter how good the material, careless handling or long and active exploitation, sooner or later lead to the need for repair of the acrylic bath. And before you proceed, it is necessary to find out in what way your bowl was made. This is especially important if you are going to repair acrylic bathtubs with your own hands, rather than calling a special brigade.

There are only two methods of creating this useful equipment: spraying on the gelcoat surface or forming a vacuum. It should be noted that most of the products sold are of vacuum origin. Determine whether this is so, can already at the time of purchase: these baths are supplied packed in a protective film. Repair of an acrylic bath made in this way requires the use of polymethylmethacrylate, which is also called liquid acrylic. If the bath chosen by you is made in a different way, it will require gelcoat for its restoration; Most often it is included in the acrylic bath repair kit supplied by the manufacturer complete with plumbing.

Necessary equipment

First of all, you will need nazhdachka different granularity. If chips or cracks are small, then only fine sandpaper will suffice. But if the defects are serious, acquire necessarily and rude. Perhaps you need a drill. And, of course, a repair kit for repairing acrylic bathtubs. If it is not included in the delivery list, you will have to buy it - it is sold separately, in any construction shop. Note that such sets can be used both for minor repairs and for the elimination of deep damages. It includes a special resin in a volume of 200 ml, a hardener - a tube of 2 ml - and a special material. And that the repair of the acrylic bath was subsequently as less noticeable, be concerned about the selection of the paint, which will subsequently be smoothed out by the former damage. Do not be mistaken: even white color has a mass of shades, so it's better to be vigilant. In the passport for European baths, the color marking is usually indicated - look for just such a tone.

Putty: for small defects

Repair of the acrylic bath begins with stripping. Corresponding nazhdachkoy carefully eliminated roughness, after which the repaired area is degreased with alcohol. Some people make the mistake of using acetone - this is categorically wrong. The resin that enters the repair kit is diluted with hardener according to the instructions, and the composition is diligently mixed. A small part of it is embedded in the crack, the applied material is applied from above, which is impregnated with the same composition. The resulting layer dries for three hours, after which the operation is repeated twice more, with a break to dry. When the last layer is completely dry, fine sandpaper the repair site is cleaned up to smoothness. Will only paint over it.

Repair tape - fast and convenient

Large chips or cracks, in principle, can be repaired in the same way. However, if your acrylic bath is seriously damaged, it is recommended to repair the cracks with a special tape. Here you will need a thin drill. The damage is traditionally cleaned, small holes are drilled at its ends, the whole area is washed, dried and treated with alcohol. According to the size of the crack, a piece of repair tape is cut off (it should be about one centimeter to go beyond the edges of the defect). The protective film is removed, the adhesive side is superimposed on the desired place and pressed to raise all the air bubbles. Dry the bath will be the same 3 hours, most importantly, make sure that there is no water (the tap did not leak, the child did not indulge). If the repair of acrylic bathtubs with their own hands is done with the help of a repair tape, painting will still be necessary. Depending on the manufacturer, the painted product can dry at different times; But on average your plumbing unit will be unavailable for two days.

To repair it took a while

The ancient wisdom about the fact that prevention is always cheaper and better than treatment concerns your plumbing. Some defects are often caused by the fact that people do not know or forget the rules for using acrylic. So, in these baths it is strictly not recommended to pour boiling water. Those who are accustomed to cast iron or steel options, neglect this instruction and receive a lot of cracks in the place of hot water. Negligence is the second reason for the spoiled appearance of the acrylic bath. Do not place on the shelves above it sharp, heavy or beating objects (for example, glass bottles with deodorant). Risk of falling exists always, and the result will be chipped. Washing dogs - especially large ones and those who do not like this procedure - can also cause damage. For hand-washing, acrylic is also not very suitable: here you and the effect of hard edges of the basin, and subsequent pouring in the bath of unsuitable solutions (the same bleach, for example). It is also unacceptable to wash the surface with abrasive agents or hard (especially wiry) sponges and brushes. And in general, after using a bath or washing it is better to wipe the bottom and walls dry. So if you take care of your bathroom plumbing, you will not need to repair an acrylic bath yet.