Acrylic baths are very popular today. They are made from practical material, and have a fairly light weight. For a long service life of this product, you should pay attention to the correct installation of the bowl and care for it. You can complete the installation procedure yourself. Consider in the article how to install an acrylic bath with your own hands.
Features of acrylic
Installation of an acrylic bath can be done by hand. This is recognized by the privileges of this material. Due to its features, it is very practical and light in weight. And these properties make it easier to install than, for example, a cast iron or steel bath.
The advantage of acrylic bowls is also their large assortment. You can choose different shapes and optimal sizes you like. Based on this, the owners of houses, apartments and other residential premises opt for plumbingmade of acrylic.
It should also be noted that the question of how to install an acrylic bath with your own hands is much easier to solve when you can choose the desired size of the product. Such a product includes bowls made of the presented material. Products are available in various sizes, making it easy to find the right length and width.
Acrylic products have the ability to retain heat. The water in this bath will keep the hot temperature longer. Also, the interior surface is easy to clean. Washing it is not difficult, with long-term operation it does not turn yellow. Therefore, if you want to install an acrylic bathtub, this is a worthwhile investment. It is capable of serving for decades.
When installing, you need to properly fix the bath in the place allocated for it. Otherwise, if you fix it incorrectly, the bowl will begin to deform over time, and this will greatly reduce its service life. This is a shortcoming of the presented material. However, these bowls are easy to install. But you should carefully control the correct installation and fixation of the bath.
Sustainability
You can install an acrylic bath yourself without professionals. To do this, you just need to take into account that the stability of a product made of this material is not the same in different planes. So, in the vertical direction, the bathtub with legs will be stable. The enterprises produce special supports that are able to withstand the weight of a bath of water. They undergo special testing by technologists.
Bthe product is not stable in the horizontal plane. This contributes to the rapid imbalance of the acrylic bowl. If you let the bathtub move in a horizontal direction, then very soon the connection point of the sewer system will be damaged.
It should also be noted that you can install an asymmetric acrylic bath with both short and long sides against the wall. But with an uneven (curved) edge, it will be more difficult to install it. It is best when using an asymmetrical bowl to make a frame for the bath. Then the tightness of the joint between it and the supports will be perfect, which will contribute to a long service life.
It is very important to choose one of the correct methods and install the acrylic bath according to this instruction. This is an important stage for the subsequent operation of the product and the guarantee of its service.
Wall mounting
The bowl can be fixed on one of the four sides. So, consider the options for how to install an acrylic bath to the wall:
- Near the wall you like, where it will be convenient.
- In the corner. The tub will then be in contact with both walls at the same time.
- In a niche. The bowl will be adjacent to three walls at once.
There is another location for the bath. In this case, the bowl is placed in the center of the room using racks and a frame.
Experts recommend mounting the bath in a niche or making a frame. This is considered the most reliable option. This is often done inordinary Khrushchev. Since the bathroom is small, this helps to securely fix the bowl between the camps. If the room is large, then installation will require additional mounting hardware or a frame to better fix the acrylic bathtub.
But even without this, there are many ways to fix the bowl well. If desired, it can be installed in the center of the bathroom. This option is well suited for owners of large rooms.
To fix the bath well, you need to use special fasteners for bowls. They are able to securely hold the product in the wall or on a specially designed frame. The main part of the fixation element should be bent upwards. This contributes to the adjoining of the bowl close to the wall.
You should also be careful when drawing markups. They must be accurate in order to avoid any gaps during installation. And also you need to be attentive to the fastening components during the installation of the acrylic bath.
Assembly and fixing
How to assemble and install an acrylic bath? There are a couple of ways that professionals use in the process of such work. The kit should have instructions that will facilitate the assembly process. Also in the package often comes a reinforced steel frame. This design is made of a metal profile. It has a square section. This design is attached to the bottom of the bath. It can easily withstand the weight of a bathtub with water and a person in it. Technologists designed it so that it distributes the load evenly across the support legs.
How to install acrylicdo-it-yourself bath? This process does not require special efforts and special skills of the master. The design fixes the bowl well, which allows it to be placed in the center of the bathroom. Thanks to this, it will not loosen. Although it happens that a similar frame is not included in the kit. Sometimes manufacturers pack two cross bars. This is done in order to reduce the cost of the product.
Consider how to install an acrylic bathtub with legs. This process is very simple. Most often, the legs are two profile pipes with special holes for studs, nuts, self-tapping screws, etc. It is with the help of these elements that the bowl is installed.
The profile pipe is fixed under the bottom of the acrylic bath with six or even eight self-tapping screws. You need to use exactly those fasteners that come with the legs. The fact is that their sizes are carefully selected, which will not allow you to scroll through the bowl.
The profile pipe is installed on both sides of the bottom and the supports are screwed with a screwdriver. A screwdriver is not recommended, as it can damage the cut groove of the fastener. Self-tapping screws must be screwed into the thickened parts of the bath. Then, studs are inserted into wide holes and clamped on both sides with nuts and washers. Then an adjustable heel is wound on them. As you can see, there is nothing complicated. Legs installed.
But, it should be noted that for reliable fixation, it is necessary to install brackets that should be attached to the wall. Otherwise, over time, the bath will bemove away from the wall, and get a gap. When the bowl is fixed with brackets, it is advised to glue the rim with sanitary sealant. Then we attach the bath to the wall.
Insert into a niche
Let's consider how to properly install an acrylic bath in a wall niche. This option is considered one of the mounting methods with the best fixation. For this installation, strobes are cut into the wall at the desired height.
To do this, the assembled structure on legs is leaned against the wall. Then the installation height of the bath is measured. According to the height of the sides, a strobe is made so that their edge enters there. The depth, as a rule, is from 5 cm. It is also worth considering the height of the floor. It will rise after the tile is laid, if it has not yet been laid.
After the bath is installed in the place chosen for it, the tiles are laid on the walls. The formed joints are smeared with sanitary sealant. It is specifically designed for damp environments and thanks to its fungicidal additives, it is highly resistant to fungus, mold and insects.
Corner bath installation
Let's consider how to install a corner acrylic bathtub with your own hands. After the legs that were presented in the kit were screwed to it, you need to measure the slope of the bath to create a drain. Although often this is already provided in the bowl itself.
But the extra bias won't hurt either. This will be an even greater guarantee that the bath will remain dry. The desired angle is attached to create by adjusting the clamps on the legs. After this bathcan be connected to the sewer system.
Installing a corner acrylic bathtub is usually required against the wall. It is only important to know some installation rules. Corner bowls differ in a kind of fastening to the wall. After the connection to the drain has been made, the first check is carried out. The finished container is filled with water and checked for leaks. If there is no such problem, then the installation of the legs and siphon was successful. If the bowl will not crash into the wall, then it is recommended to stick a flexible plinth between the bathtub and the wall.
To fix the bowl well, holes are made in the wall. Three mounting points are created on the long side and one or two on the short side. The container is fixed close to the wall and leveled. If necessary, steel or concrete pads are placed under the legs.
Sometimes a corner bath is attached with hooks. Then one side will remain on the legs, and the second one hangs on the mounting brackets fixed in the wall. The presented method is characterized by a very strong fixing of the bowl and an excellent guarantee of stability.
Metal corners
In the event that the decoration of the room is already ready, metal corners are used. To understand how to properly install an acrylic bathtub, you need to determine the installation height. With the help of a perforator, holes are created in advance, according to the marks, according to the level. Dowels are inserted into the recesses made. Then the corners are applied to the wall. The locking needle is twisted into the desiredseat. Then the side of the bath is put on the corner. This fastener serves as a support for it. Joints are coated with sealant.
Step-by-step instructions for fixing to brackets
Installation of the bowl to the wall is done using brackets, corners or brackets. For all this, the same methodology is used. Consider it in more detail.
To begin with, markings are made that will correspond to the height of the edge of the bathtub rim. First, a structure is assembled, the frame of which was in the package. You can also make it yourself. Cross steel bars with legs are also used. Adjustments on the legs are placed in the middle position.
To install the acrylic bath yourself, you need to properly fix it near a vertical surface. On the wall, markings are made comparable to the side of the bath. The adjustment of the legs and their horizontal level are compared. In the future, it will be necessary to select the height according to the marking of the fasteners. This should be checked using the building level. It is extremely important that the marking is even, otherwise the tub may be skewed.
Finishing installation
When considering how to install an acrylic bathtub with a frame, attention should be paid to the completion of this procedure. The required type of fastener is mounted. The latch is drilled into the wall using a puncher or a good electric drill. Then the assembled frame with a bath is fixed with brackets. The side must be hooked with the prepared latch.
Following this, you need to adjust the legs with a screw,to set the desired bathtub height. To achieve a good result, a level is used. When the bowl is set in the correct position, you can install the siphon and connect the plumbing communications. Over time, the finishing of the premises is carried out (if it was not there before). It should also be remembered that it is imperative to process the joint between the bathroom and the wall with sanitary sealant.
These recommendations and tips should only be applied to conventional acrylic bathtubs. If the bowl has a hydromassage, then it is better to hire a professional to install it, as this is a very painstaking installation process. And it requires the correct connection of not only plumbing communications, but also the appropriate installation of electronics. Therefore, without special training, it is very difficult to make such an installation.
Brick frame
The brick frame is one of the most durable, which is used when fixing the structure. It eliminates any chance of loosening and guarantees durability for years to come.
The construction process is simple. With the help of brick blocks and mortar for masonry, a wall of the desired height is erected. But it is worth taking into account that it is required to leave a small gap between the bottom of the bath and the floor. Also, a hole is made in the brick wall for easy access to the siphon.
You need to start building a niche only after acquiring a bath. It is necessary to know exactly its dimensions. The bowl is created for certain dimensions of plumbing. From the oppositeside will be a tie-in of the bolts on which the bath will rest.
The gap that is left between the floor and the bottom of the bath is strongly recommended to be blown out with a layer of mounting foam. This is done so that it is impossible to damage the back of the bowl. When mounting an acrylic bathtub, you need to draw water into the prepared container, then it will sit better in a niche.
Over time, when the mortar and mounting foam are completely dry, you can install the bath in the prepared recess. After that, the seams are coated with silicone sealant.
Some newbie mistakes
As you can see, such work in most cases can be done by inexperienced craftsmen. But in order to understand well the question of how to install an acrylic bathtub yourself, you just need to take into account some recommendations. Sometimes beginners make mistakes when installing and fixing the bowl to the wall. And then the bath begins to stagger, the silicone joint deforms and begins to let water through. And this will lead to the failure of the drain system. It can also damage the body of the tub.
To avoid such problems, you need to fix the bowl well to the wall with brackets, brackets or other fasteners. It is not enough just to push the product against the wall and cover the joint with silicone. By making a tie-in into the wall, you can also achieve good fixation. This is one way to correctly install the bowl.
Some craftsmen cover the joints with plaster mortar. It is white, dries quickly, but it is not suitable for wet areas. When moisture gets on this material, the solution quickly collapses,and soon the water will flow under the bath. Therefore, the use of silicone sanitary sealant is highly recommended. It contains fungicidal additives, it will not grow fungus and mold.
After reading the recommendations for installing an acrylic bath, you can easily install it yourself. And if you follow all the tips, then the work done will allow your bath to serve for many years.
