Acrylic bath: pros and cons, sizes, manufacturers

Acrylic baths are increasingly replacing baths made of steel and cast iron in the plumbing market.

They are light, perfectly keep warm, easy to maintain. In short, acrylic bathtubs have many advantages, which makes this material more and more popular in the production of fonts of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However, not everyone likes modern polymer. Therefore, in the issues of merits and demerits of acrylic bathtubs it is worthwhile to understand in more detail.

The traditional material for the production of bathtubs is steel and cast iron. They have a huge safety margin and, for example, a cast-iron bath will serve literally centuries. But today more and more places in sanitary ware shops are occupied by baths made of acrylic - a material of modern, popular and, according to sellers, not inferior in quality to bathrooms made of cast iron. But is it really so?

According to the production method, acrylic bathtubs are divided into 2 types: cast and extruded.

Often, the baths are made from acrylic sheet, which is heated and given the desired shape by pressing it according to the template. Then the walls of the bath are reinforced with epoxy resins and fiberglass and ground.

So, let's consider the advantages of a bath of acrylic:

1. A variety of shapes and sizes. For those who want to embody an unusual design in the bathroom and first of all escape from the standard sizes and shapes, but can not afford an exclusive bath of cast iron, buying an asymmetric acrylic bathtub is perhaps the only solution. Another plus for the designer is the variety of colors.
2. Light weight. Perhaps, this is the main advantage of acrylic bathtubs. If the standard bath of cast iron weighs around 120 kg, then the weight of the acrylic is within 25( !) Kg of .
3. Low thermal conductivity and low noise. The acrylic bath holds heat no worse than cast-iron fonts and does not ring when water is being collected.

But you need to know that acrylic is plastic. As if the sellers of the bath from this material did not praise, they have a number of shortcomings, which you need to know about.

Of the shortcomings worth noting:

• Friability and flexibility. Let's start with the fact that a budget acrylic bath is not suitable for heavyweights. Bath of cheap acrylic and in violation of the installation rules can bend under a large weight, which will lead not only to deformation of the product, but also to the appearance of cracks. Also, a bath can form a crack or a hole in the fall of a heavy object. Of course, has reinforced types of acrylics - kuaril and methacryl, which can compete in strength with cast iron, but in any case you should not rush to buy.
• Acrylic is not resistant to high temperatures. The melting point of acrylic is within 150 degrees. Of course, no one will pour such water into the bath, whether it's from acrylic, even from cast iron. But there are precedents when the acrylic bath is deformed when recruiting hot water. Especially relevant this problem can be for budget fonts from low-grade acrylic with thin walls.
• Difficulty in care. The main difficulty lies in the fact that acrylic is quite sensitive to the effects of household chemicals and abrasive substances. With improper care on the surface there are scratches and dark spots. Clean the acrylic bath only with the help of special non-aggressive agents.
• Difficulties in installation. Installation of an acrylic bath requires a special frame, which will not allow the product to "play" and sag during water procedures. About the installation of a bath of acrylic, we told in another article.

Having studied the positive and negative properties of acrylic bathtubs, it is also worth learning a few nuances of choosing the right acrylic bath:

• Do not buy an acrylic bath in a small store. If possible, be sure to visit a large construction market or market. There, and prices will be lower, and the choice of baths is much larger than that of a small seller.
• If you want to purchase an asymmetric bath of complex shape, do not admire the abundance of small elements in the casting of the bath - in most cases this is a sign of poor quality of the material. Acrylic, although plastic, but the production of baths with a complex relief of quality acrylic - a fairly complex process.
• Inspect the inner surface of the bath - there should be no unevenness, roughness, or bumps. Any such defect does not speak in favor of the quality of the product. Another point - the color, quality acrylic has a uniform coloration without stains and stains.
• When choosing an acrylic bath, carefully study the 2 thickness parameters. The first is the thickness of acrylic( acrylic, not the whole bathtub).The best are baths made of acrylic sheet with a thickness of at least 5-6 mm. The second parameter is the thickness of the reinforcing layer. It can be seen by peering at the butt of the side. The thicker the reinforcing layer, the better. To assess the reliability of the walls through the bathroom, you can knock, the sound should be deaf, without vibrations.
• Smell the bath. Low-grade acrylic or a fake under it can give off an unpleasant chemical smell. The use of such a bath is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous for health. In addition, the smell can be enhanced when the bath is operated under the influence of temperature.
• In terms of the size of the bath should be guided only by their own preferences.

As for acrylic bath manufacturers, the following companies have proved themselves in the Russian market:

• IDO( Finland)
• Hoesch( Germany)
• Aquatek( Russia)
• Arrollo( China)
• Akrllan( Russia)
• Senoplast( Austria)

We will discuss right away that installing an acrylic bath only seems an easy task. And if there is even the slightest doubt in own strength, then it is more correct to entrust the installation of an acrylic font to professionals.

Installation of acrylic bath is performed either on a metal support frame, or on a curb of bricks. It is also possible to combine carcass and brickwork under the center of the bath to reinforce the structure.

For work you will need:

• Set of spanners
• Drill( manual or mechanical) required with depth stop
• Construction level and rule
• Ruler with a length of about 50 cm and a simple pencil
• Hermetic for contacting the wall. It can be a liquid silicone or silicone tape.

If a brick base is to be used to install the acrylic bath, you will also need:

• Bricks and sand-cement mix
• Trowel and solution tank
• Foam mounting( it may be required to eliminate gaps and strengthen the "landing" of the bath on the brick base)

The simplest method of mounting - on the legs is suitable for small fonts, which are installed near the wall. The installation on the frame-frame is somewhat more complicated, but differs little from the installation on the legs, so we will consider in detail the installation of the bath on the frame.

The support frame is assembled according to the manufacturer's instructions, applied to the bottom of the inverted bath and marks the fixing points( holes for the screws will be drilled there). In order not to damage the coating accidentally, a cardboard, cellophane or linoleum should be placed under the tub.

The holes are drilled with a diameter of 3 mm and a depth of 6-10 mm. The required depth must be specified in the technical passport of the product( !).Also, in order not to drill the bath thoroughly, is sure to use drilling depth stop. For this purpose, the drill can simply be wrapped with tape at the required distance. According to the instruction, the frame is attached to the bottom of the font.

The next step is the installation of the adjusting feet on the frame. The legs are assembled as follows: the fixing nut is screwed onto the support studs, then the adjusting nut and plastic protection. The assembled legs are fixed in the frame by means of locknuts at the same height.

We offer you to watch the video on the installation of the frame on an acrylic bath.

The bathtub, mounted in a frame, is pushed to the wall, and with the help of legs and a building level is exposed strictly horizontally. On the wall mark the lower edge of the rims and push the bath.

On the marks on the wall with the necessary indentation fixing straps, which help to avoid overturning of the font. After that, the font is finally put in place.

If the acrylic bath is installed on the legs of a brick or for installation, combine the fixed legs and the brick base, you must adhere to the main rule: between the bathroom and the brick leave a gap of 1 cm, which is filled with mounting foam. To prevent the bath from "expanding" the foam, the buckets with water are put in it( if the drainage systems are already connected, you can pour the water directly into the tub).

After installation of the bath it is connected to the sewerage and water supply, the connections are checked for leaks, the leaks are eliminated.

The final stage of work - sealing the places of fitting the font to the wall and installing a decorative screen.

The installation of angled and asymmetric acrylic bathtubs is performed only using a support frame.

Maintaining the surface of an acrylic bath in an ideal condition requires knowledge and observance of a number of simple rules.

The first .Forget about the traditional means to care for the bathroom. Only special means for cleaning the acrylic bath. No strong aggressive household chemicals and abrasives! Otherwise, from such "care" the surface quickly darkens and will be covered with small scratches.

The second .It is advisable to rinse the bath with hot water after each bath. So the plastic will not lose its luster, and the bath will not need a thorough "cleaning" from the accumulated pollution. Sufficient will be periodic care with a soft sponge and ordinary soap.

Third .To combat microbes, you should immediately stop using grandma's bleach. Only special means for plumbing made of acrylic. For example, Ravak offers an extensive line of products to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of acrylic fonts, including for dealing with complex contaminants.

The versatility of acrylic baths lies in the fact that can be restored at home without the help of specialists.for example, small scratches are perfectly polished with ordinary felt without adding any special tools. To combat deeper scratches and even cracks, use a set of liquid acrylic, which can be found in building stores.

Of course, the acrylic bath for durability and strength is inferior to products made of cast iron. But observing the simple rules for choosing a font from acrylic and care for it, you can get reliable plumbing for many years. In addition, using an acrylic bath you can get a Jacuzzi in your own apartment.