Over time, the bath loses its former aesthetic appearance. It may turn yellow, become rough. Sometimes cracks or chips may appear on the surface. Do not rush to throw away the bath. It is possible to restore its appearance. To do this, you need to consider and choose the appropriate technique. The advice of experts will tell you how to restore bathtubs with your own hands at home. They will be discussed further.
Need for restoration
Before considering the recommendations for DIY bath restoration for beginners, you need to understand why you should perform such an action at all. After all, you can simply replace the old bowl by choosing the right product in the plumbing store. In some cases, according to experts, it is still better to work hard by restoring the bathtub cover.
This, for example, is true for an old cast-iron bowl. Many modern bathtubs cannot compete in terms of durability with this type of plumbing. Steel and acrylic bowls are far behind in this indicator. In any case, it is worth thinking about restoration if at the moment there is no required amount to purchase a solid, but expensive bath. Don't buy cheap bowls. They will need to be replaced sooner than you think. Therefore, you should not save on the purchase of high-quality plumbing. It will pay off in the process of operation.
While the owners are saving money to buy a quality bath, the old bowl can be restored. It is also worth considering that it is rather problematic to dismantle and take out a cast-iron product. Such a bath weighs a lot, so you will need to hire workers. This entails additional costs. In some cases, you will generally have to break the old plumbing into pieces right in the apartment. Because of this, a lot of construction debris is generated.
You can also do the restoration of acrylic or steel bathtubs with your own hands. The manufacturer's instructions for the surface repair agent must be followed. Only by correctly performing the restoration procedure, you can create a beautiful and durable top layer that will cover all the bumps and hide the yellowness. The service life of the bath in this case is noticeably extended. Repair work in the bathroom can be postponed until better times. Restoration will require minimal investment.
Enamel finish
If there was a desire to restore a spectacular appearancesurfaces, you need to restore the bathtub with enamel with your own hands. On sale are special formulations that need to be properly selected. There are enamels designed for cast iron, acrylic and steel bowls.
It is worth considering that the application of such a composition to the surface of the bath will differ from the coating created in production conditions. So, in the manufacture of sanitary ware, enamel is applied to the surface, and then processed at high temperatures. Therefore, the protective layer is strong and durable. Do not expect that after restoring baths with your own hands at home, you will be able to get the same result.
Let the self-made enamel coating be less durable, but for a certain period of time (set by the manufacturer) it will still last. During this time, you can raise funds to buy a quality new bath.
Enamel coating not only gives a spectacular appearance to plumbing. It prevents the destruction of the bowl under the influence of mechanical, thermal, chemical factors. As a result, the surface becomes resistant to detergents, temperature changes. It is less likely that it will become covered with cracks, chips will not appear on it if the owners accidentally drop a shower head or a heavy soap dish into it.
If the appearance of the bathtub has noticeably deteriorated over time, the damage to the factory-created layer should be repaired as soon as possible. Otherwise, rust may appear, whichindicates the destruction of the metal of the bowl. Under the influence of moisture, unprotected areas of the metal corrode. To avoid such sad consequences, it is necessary to restore the surface in time.
Methods for restoring the enamel layer
How to make a bathroom restoration with your own hands? To do this, you need to choose the right method. For an acrylic, cast iron or steel bowl, you need to select the right materials. There are three main methods for restoring a bowl.
- One of the most popular approaches is to use sanitary acrylic. It is also called a bulk bath. The surface of the bowl in this case is treated with liquid acrylic. Do-it-yourself bath restoration in this case is quite simple and fast. Liquid acrylic is a special paint. You can choose any shade in accordance with the color scheme in the interior. This will harmoniously fit the plumbing into the existing design.
- The second technique involves the use of a special liner made on the basis of acrylic. Such a product can be purchased at a specialized store. But more often, these liners are ordered directly from the manufacturer. In this case, the additional part will exactly match the configuration of the bowl. This is especially important if the hosts had a custom-shaped bathtub.
- The third method involves the use of enamel paint in the process of restoration. This is a special plumbing composition. It has special characteristics that allows you to performprocessing an old bowl quickly and efficiently.
Preparation of tools, materials
To restore an old bath with your own hands, you need to prepare special tools, purchase the necessary materials. It is necessary to purchase a special kit designed to restore the bath. This kit may include different components. Most often it has a special enamel, as well as a hardener. Experts recommend choosing kits that also include special products for bath preparation.
You need to change into work clothes that you don’t mind getting stained with dye. If you work carefully, you can get by with just an apron. Be sure to use a respirator and protective gloves during the processing of the bowl.
From the tools you need to prepare a brush, a roller to apply the coloring composition to the surface in an even layer. In the process of preliminary preparation of plumbing, sandpaper is used. In order to prepare the bowl for applying the enamel layer faster, you need to use a grinder or a drill with a special nozzle. In this case, the processing of the inner surface of the bath will be faster.
Among other things, you need to prepare acetone, primer and rags. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of means for restoration. It is better to choose formulations that need to be applied with a roller or brush. If a spray can of paint is purchased, it is used to treat only a small defect. If you use an aerosol to restore the entire bowl, the result will beunsatisfactory. The layer is uneven, non-uniform. Because of this, the appearance of the coating will be an order of magnitude worse.
The price of the product for restoring the surface of the bath depends on the composition and manufacturer. If you need to restore a cast-iron or steel bath using enamel, you can purchase an effective, but at the same time inexpensive Svetlana composition. This set costs 900-1000 rubles. Some craftsmen use Finnish Realflex 50 enamel manufactured by Tikkurila. The price of 1 kg of the product is 650-700 rubles.
If you plan to restore the bath with your own hands with liquid acrylic, a set for such a procedure will cost more. A popular tool in this series is Plastall products. A set from this manufacturer can be purchased at a price of about 2.5 thousand rubles. The kit includes everything you need to carry out the restoration. There's even a CD that walks you step by step on how to treat your bathtub.
Acrylic liner can be bought at a price of about 3.5 thousand rubles.
Surface preparation
Wishing to restore the bathroom with your own hands, you need to consider the phased implementation of such actions. Before applying the appropriate composition to the surface, you need to properly prepare the base. It should be achieved that the surface becomes uniform, rough and light. Only in this case, the restoration will be successful.
First of all, the surface will need to be cleaned of rust. For this, acid-based products, such as hydrochloric acid, are used. Such a compositionapplied to a dry surface where rust has appeared. After 10 minutes, there will be no trace of ugly orange smudges. Such a solution will destroy the old enamel on the bowl. It is important to thoroughly rinse the composition from the surface of the bath.
Oxalic acid is also an effective tool in the fight against rust. Such a composition acts longer, but it is softer, more accurate. To remove rust stains, oxalic acid must remain on the surface for 40 minutes. Then it also needs to be washed off thoroughly.
When the rust can be removed, you need to proceed with the subsequent surface preparation. In the process of restoring a bath with your own hands at home, you need to prepare the base before applying the composition. It is processed with a grinder or sandpaper. Particularly it is necessary to work out surfaces where there are chips or cracks. They are completely removed before applying the composition.
Dust and debris that will appear during grinding are removed. The base is treated with acetone and coated with a primer. This composition must dry qualitatively (in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions). The bath is warmed up qualitatively, using a building hair dryer for this purpose. After that, you can proceed to post-processing.
Applying enamel
Do-it-yourself bath restoration at home is often carried out using special sanitary enamel. The procedure takes place in several stages. You need to purchase a restoration kit. Before using it, be sure to study the manufacturer's instructions.
BeforeApplying enamel to the surface, you need to read the manufacturer's instructions. The composition is thoroughly mixed to obtain a homogeneous consistency. The enamel is applied with a brush to the prepared surface. Strokes can be made both short and long. First, you need to slide the brush over the surface from the bottom up and from the top down. When the first layer is created, you will need to paint the tub in a horizontal direction. Particular attention should be paid to areas near drain holes, as well as corners.
The first coat of enamel must be completely dry. Next, you need to paint the bath again. The surface is painted several times until a uniform even color is obtained. If dark spots or rust remain on the base, they will appear on the surface of the enamel. Therefore, you need to carefully prepare the surface before applying the composition.
Liquid acrylic
Often the owners install an acrylic bowl in the bathroom. Do-it-yourself acrylic restoration is quite simple. This material has a lot of positive qualities. Most often, stakryl is used for restoration work in the bathroom, which consists of two main components. The first of them is coloring, and the second is a hardener. This type of acrylic was invented specifically for bathroom renovations.
Without a hardener, acrylic would not be able to harden quickly and efficiently. During their connection, a chemical reaction occurs. The layer gradually hardens, gaining strength. As a result, the film on the surface will be very durable. Whereinthe thickness of liquid acrylic layer is 4 to 6mm.
Among the advantages of glass, which is used during the restoration of bathtubs with their own hands at home, experts call optimal viscosity. This composition is easy to apply to the surface. The substance is moderately fluid. It is able to envelop the surface, creating an even, thin layer. This is the key to the durability of the coating.
Stakryl does not dry out too quickly, so the master has time to make the appropriate adjustments. The hardened layer is characterized by impact resistance. It is stronger than enamel and inlay.
Applying acrylic
When doing the restoration of acrylic bathtubs with your own hands, you need to disconnect the siphon. A container is placed under it, where the material will drain. Next, liquid acrylic is mixed with a hardener in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
A container with paint is placed on the upper edge of the tub. It is slowly poured into the bowl. The container with paint is gradually moved along the edge until the entire surface is filled with liquid acrylic. The layer is then left to dry, which occurs within 4 days. The longer the polymerization time of the composition, the stronger the layer will be.
Using the insert
This is the hardest way to renovate a bathtub. The cost of materials in this case is higher. Only a specialist can correctly install the insert. Only if this material has been made according to the particular configuration of the bowl can you do the installation yourself.
Aftersurface preparation, the liner and bath are treated with a special compound. Then it is placed in a bowl. Cold water is drawn into the bath. You need to drain it in a day.
Reviews
Considering the reviews on the restoration of the bath with their own hands, it is worth noting that the owners of private houses and apartments note the need to use only high-quality compositions. They can't be cheap.
In their reviews, buyers note that it is best to perform restoration with liquid acrylic. In this case, the surface is smooth, durable, and the service life of such a bath with care is about 20 years.
