Over time, the coating of any bath can become unusable. Restoring it is not so easy. Recently, liquid acrylic for baths has been very popular. This tool allows not only to return the gloss to any product, but also to remove small cracks and chips. Restoration with liquid acrylic is considered the most effective method. It first appeared on the market in 2009. Liquid acrylic has become a real sensation. After all, he has many virtues.
Preparing a bathtub for restoration with liquid acrylic is very simple
First of all, heavy preparatory work, such as removing the tub, is not required before application. At the same time, it is not necessary to carefully remove the yellowness that has eaten into the coating.
To eliminate all sorts of cracks on the old enamel, you can use ordinary putty for cars. In addition, before applying acrylic, you can not remove rust with various special solvents, as well as converters. It is enough to go over the old layer of enamel with sandpaper.
A little tip
Liquid acrylic allows you to completely restore the surface of the bath. However, to make the coating smooth, it is worth seriouslyapproach the preparation of the product. After sanding, the bath should be washed with warm water and detergent.
When buying all the materials needed for the restoration of bathtubs, special attention should be paid to liquid acrylic. You should choose only long-drying. Due to the composition of such a mixture, the final coating will be much stronger. At the same time, such acrylic will last longer.
After all work is completed, the bathroom should be closed to eliminate any air fluctuations, insects and dust on the fresh coating. After restoration, the product should dry for at least four days. In some cases, it takes a little longer.
After the restoration of the bath in the room, it is worth maintaining the temperature within 17 - 25 ⁰С above zero. Install the overflow and drain siphon only after the new coating has completely dried.
Liquid acrylic: advantages
The most important advantage of this material is the high strength of the coating it forms. This is achieved thanks to a layer of 6 millimeters. It is worth noting that the product, covered with liquid acrylic, is able to withstand even a hammer blow.
Another advantage of acrylic is its low thermal conductivity. Usually baths are made of steel or cast iron. However, such products have a fairly high thermal conductivity. For example, in a cast iron bath, water will cool down by one degree in just 4 minutes. As for acrylic, this material, on the contrary, does not allow the contents of the bath to cool down. Water in a product with such a coatingwill cool more slowly: one degree - 30 minutes.
In addition, the surface covered with acrylic remains snow-white much longer. Bathtubs begin to turn yellow over the years. However, acrylic-coated products delight their owners with pristine whiteness longer than others. But that's not all. A layer of liquid acrylic is resistant to chemical detergents, which can also be considered one of the advantages of this coating.
Another advantage of the substance is durability. Typically, acrylic coating comes with a warranty of approximately 10 years. In this case, the product can be used daily. The material does not lose its practical and aesthetic qualities.
How best to prepare a bath
So, liquid acrylic, the price of which depends on some indicators, does not require special preparation of the product before application. However, you still have to prepare the bath. To do this, you should purchase a regular cleaning agent, as well as rubber gloves, drill bits, sandpaper and a spatula. When all the tools are at hand, you can get to work.
Use a brush and detergent to thoroughly wash the tub. This will remove ingrained dirt and limescale. You can also use regular baking soda for this purpose. In this case, the bath will also be degreased.
After that, it is worth removing all decorative trims on the overflow and drain hole. Places of their installation should be cleaned of rust. For these purposes, it is better to use sandpaper. With a specialIf necessary, you can use special nozzles for a drill. This will remove heavily ingrained rust.
In addition, it is worth walking with sandpaper along all the slopes of the product. In this way, you can easily remove pieces of enamel that have lagged behind the walls. If necessary, you can use a spatula.
If, during operation or during cleaning, potholes appeared on the surface of the bath, then they should be puttied. After drying, all places must be cleaned again. In this case, you should use automotive polyester putty or epoxy.
After preparation, the product must be washed with running water. But that is not all. Experts recommend taking warm water into the bath, and then draining it after 10 minutes. This will warm the material. This is best done before applying liquid acrylic.
Then the product should be wiped dry and dried. You can use a building hair dryer for this.
Begin bath restoration
Repairing bathtubs with liquid acrylic takes a lot of time and requires patience and accuracy. You can start work only after the coating is ready. It is necessary to add a hardener to the dishes with a polymer base, and then mix everything thoroughly. It is worth considering that you need to mix the composition for 12 minutes. Otherwise, uncured liquid acrylic will remain on the surface of the bath.
Pour a portion of the finished mixture, approximately 1, 5 or 1 liter, into a separate container equipped with a spout. If it doesn't exist, then it can be done.on one's own. To do this, cut off the neck in a regular plastic bottle.
Pour the diluted liquid bulk acrylic into the prepared dishes. After that, you can proceed to the restoration of the bath.
How to cover the product with acrylic
Start at the corner of the tub that is against the wall. You need to create a layer of liquid acrylic about 5 centimeters. In this case, the substance should flow freely along the slopes of the product to the middle. You need to move along the perimeter of the bath gradually, evenly distributing the mixture. It must flow freely. You need to move only around the perimeter of the bath. In this case, you should be careful not to allow excessive pouring.
When the perimeter of the product is completely covered with liquid acrylic, you can not add the mixture to the already restored parts. Otherwise, an ugly smudge will form. Covering the bathtub with liquid acrylic does not end there.
The next circle should start from the middle of the slopes of the product. At the end of the restoration, too thick a layer may form at the bottom of the bath. It should be leveled with a spatula. You need to move in the direction of the drain. This will allow you to remove excess mixture by draining them into the sewer.
It is strictly forbidden to touch the sides of the tub with a spatula. This can lead to a violation of the integrity of the new coating. It is worth remembering that all the influxes will disperse on their own.
Some warnings
Liquid bath acrylic should be used carefully and veryfast. All restoration work should not last more than 4 hours. During the application of liquid acrylic, you should not make long stops and large smoke breaks. Of course, without the experience of such work, the restoration of the bath will take a lot of time. However, it is worth remembering that for craftsmen, coating products with liquid acrylic takes only a few hours.
User reviews
Today, for the restoration of bathtubs, many people choose liquid acrylic. Reviews about this tool are mostly positive. Most people note that their bath has acquired just a snow-white hue. The main thing is to apply liquid acrylic gradually, following all the rules. In addition, many consumers indicate in their reviews that the coating is resistant not only to household chemicals, but also to mechanical damage. But the decrease in thermal conductivity allows you to bask in warm water longer than usual. Negative reviews about liquid acrylic are rare. They are mainly associated with improper application of the mixture.
In a short time, without dismantling and exhausting preparation of all surfaces, you can get an updated bath, which practically does not differ from the new one.
The cost of liquid acrylic
Liquid acrylic, the price of which depends on the volume of the container and the quality of the hardener, can be purchased at many hardware stores. It is usually sold in plastic buckets. In this case, the volume of the container is at least 3.5 kilograms. As for the hardener, it is sold exclusively in half-liter bottles.
It is worth noting thatthis amount of materials will be enough to cover baths made of any metal with a length of 1.7 meters. As for the cost of liquid acrylic, on average it is 1100 - 1800 rubles per bucket. If you are not confident in your own abilities, you can hire specialists from a company that provides services for the restoration of bathtubs. Of course, it will cost much more: about 3,500 rubles.
