Over time, the once-white new bathtub loses its appearance. In addition to discoloration, scratches can form on the surface, and deeply ingrained dirt cannot be removed by any means. In this case, it is necessary to restore the bath. Reviews of many owners of residential premises speak in favor of the independent implementation of this work. This is quite understandable. First of all, it must be said that there are very few real specialists capable of performing the restoration of a cast-iron bathtub with high quality. In addition, many are stopped by the relatively high cost of this service. Moreover, as the apartment owners themselves say, it is not so difficult to restore the bathtub on their own.
Restoration material
Restoration of bath enamel can be done using special compounds. There is a wide range of different coatings on the market. One of the most popular is currently considered liquid acrylic. This coating has unique properties. Using it, you can restore the enamel of the bathwithout dismantling the tiles and the bowl itself. The material is highly resistant to chemical and mechanical stress. The undoubted advantage of liquid acrylic is its excellent decorative properties. The surface covered with it will not be slippery. As a rule, liquid acrylic "Stakryl" is used for restoration. The composition of the mixture contains a base and a hardener. Acrylic compositions such as Ecovanna and Alphavanna are also popular among consumers.
Coating benefits
Why is liquid acrylic bath restoration so popular? The fact is that the material has a large number of positive qualities. According to the consumers themselves, the restoration of the bath with this composition provides a surface smoothness that exceeds that obtained by factory casting. A product with such a coating serves for a fairly long period without losing its appearance. Liquid acrylic has low thermal conductivity. This keeps the water warm longer. In the bathroom, covered with acrylic, much more comfortable. After restoration, the product becomes easier to care for. The surface is easy to wipe with a sponge and soapy water. There is no need to use abrasives. As consumers say, the coating practically does not wear out over time. How to restore a cast-iron bath yourself? More on that later.
Decontamination
Often restoration of bath enamel is necessarywhen ordinary cleaning products do not help to cope with pollution, the coating ceased to be snow-white, rust appeared. Getting rid of the latter can be very problematic. To remove rust, use products that contain acid. It promotes the conversion of metal oxides into colorless s alts.
The most effective means include the liquid "Sanitary-2". Rust is removed after 10 minutes. However, the use of this product containing hydrochloric acid leads to the destruction of the enamel coating. In this regard, after its application, it is necessary to rinse the treated areas very carefully and for a long time. Rust can also be removed with less aggressive agents. These, in particular, include such pastes and powders as "Auto Cleaner", "Kama", "Tartarin", "Surzha" and others. Without any special consequences, rust can be removed using 15-20% solutions of acids of organic origin (oxalic, for example).
Surface preparation
Before you restore the bath with acrylic, you must clean and dry the base. If there are small scratches on the surface, then it is enough to clean them with sandpaper. If the defects are more serious, then you will have to remove the entire coating. For this, a drill with an abrasive wheel is used. It should be noted that in the process of work there will be a lot of dust. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the coating in the respirator. After cleaning withsurfaces are thoroughly washed off dirt. Then the bath is treated with a solvent. If not, you can use baking soda. It is diluted in water to the consistency of gruel. After treatment, the soda is thoroughly washed off the surface with hot water.
Cracks and chips need to be repaired. For this, a quick-drying auto-putty is used. Acrylic bath restoration is carried out at a certain surface temperature. Hot water is preliminarily drawn into the bowl. The filled product is kept for five minutes. After that, the water is drained. The surface then dries quickly. For this, a fabric that does not leave lint is suitable. Immediately before you begin to restore the bath with your own hands, it is necessary to dismantle the drains (upper and lower). In this case, a container should be installed under the bowl at the level of the hole. If it is impossible to dismantle, if, for example, the bathtub is tiled, the drain is sealed with adhesive tape, and the bottom of the plastic cup is placed on top. The remains of liquid acrylic will fall into it.
Technology
After careful preparation, you can begin to restore the enamel of the cast-iron bath. The mixture that will cover the surface must be prepared immediately before application. A certain volume of the composition is then poured into a small container. The restoration of the bath will be carried out by the bulk method. What does he represent? A thin strip of acrylic is poured onto the side. The material is moved under the tile with a spatula. Further on the edge of the side poursmixture until a layer of 4-5 cm is formed. In this case, the acrylic should drain approximately to the middle of the bath. The jet is systematically and continuously moved along the side. It is necessary to move around the entire perimeter until the ring closes. You can't stop for a long time. In the event of sags or drips, they do not need to be corrected. In the process of drying, they will disappear by themselves.
After the circle is completed, the mixture is poured into the middle of the tub. Further, moving in a spiral, it is necessary to cover the entire surface. The rest of the mixture will drain into the drain hole or the bottom of the plastic cup themselves. After application, the bath must be left to dry completely. Depending on the type of liquid acrylic, this period varies from 1 to 4 days.
Advantages of Technology
This method of bathtub refurbishment is considered by many consumers to be very economical (especially when compared to the cost of purchasing a new product). The coating consumption for the restoration of a standard bowl, the area of which is about 1.5 m22, will be 3.4 kg. In general, the work is carried out quickly. However, experts do not recommend rushing, especially if the restoration is done for the first time. However, the restoration will take 2-4 hours.
Varieties of material and service life
Consumers can choose any of the options below:
- Long-drying acrylic. After its application, the surface will dry for four days. Such a composition forms a more durable surface. If the drying time is notmatters, it is more expedient to opt for this type of coverage.
- Quick dry acrylic. It is used when it is necessary to urgently restore the surface of the product. A bath covered with this type of enamel will dry in a day.
Masters involved in the restoration of products give a guarantee on their work for about 2-3 years. But, as the owners themselves say, the service life of the updated bath is much longer. Instructions for the care of the product are quite simple. If you stick to them, then the acrylic coating will last at least 15 years.
Traditional material
Liquid acrylic began to be used to restore bathtubs relatively recently. Up to this point, there was a different material and a different technology. However, even today, many carry out the restoration of the bath with nitro enamel. Before its application, surface preparation is performed, as in the previous case. After that, the inside of the bowl is degreased or primed. Experts recommend using NC-11 nitro enamel (canned) to restore the bath. It is not advisable to use aerosols. This is due to the fact that they contain quite a lot of solvent. This component significantly reduces the operating time of the composition.
Applying technology
Restoration of the bath is carried out using a tissue swab. The coating is applied in three layers. At the same time, each previous one should dry out for 20-30 minutes. You should not use a foam swab, as the nitro enamel will dissolve it. If the humidity is more than 60%, the coating film may crack or gospots. To avoid this, it is recommended to either dry the room or install a reflector. The top dried layer of a covering should be slightly moistened with solvent. The reflector is removed. Under the action of the solvent, an even semi-gloss film is formed. After about a day, the enamel will dry. The coating can be polished with a special paste applied to the flannel.
Alternative
Bathroom restoration can also be carried out using melamine alkyd synthetic enamel. However, you need to know that this coating will not dry during the day at room temperature. For acceleration it is recommended to use a reflector. When a temperature of 100-130 degrees is set in it, the surface will become dry in half an hour. Such a coating fits perfectly on the surface of the metal. The substrate does not need to be primed before application. Melamine alkyd enamel is very resistant to mechanical damage. After its application, a glossy film is formed on the surface.
