Contents
- 1 Solid cast iron
- 2 Modern acrylic
- 3 Steel bath as a budget option
The choice of the material from which the bath is made will directly affect the comfort and durability of its use. The most popular materials on the market today for the manufacture of these products are cast iron, steel and acrylic. Each material has positive and negative qualities. What kind of steel, acrylic or cast iron bath is better?
The bathroom is a place that all dwellers visit for daily hygienic procedures. This premise is often not only a "temple of ablution", but also a place of relaxation, which is impossible without the main attribute of this room - a bath. About thirty years ago when buying this household item the issue of choice was not so acute. Existing samples differed only with a couple of criteria. At the present time, the number of indicators for its selection has significantly expanded. There was a mass of manufacturers, flooding the market with a huge number of their products. How in this variety to choose a worthy sample, suitable for the parameters and quality? What kind of steel, acrylic or cast iron bath to buy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the available options?
Solid cast iron 
Cast iron is the most traditional material for the production of these products. At the time of Peter the Great, similar patterns began to appear in the homes of only well-off people. Over time, they densely entered the life. In Soviet times, such a bath was a standard bathroom accessory. And now the use of cast iron to create this household item is one of the priority. They have the following characteristics:
- The minimum weight of the product is about 80 kilograms.
- Samples from this material have high strength and durability.
- Enamel coating provides easy care for this household item.
- If you compare acrylic and cast iron baths, then the surface of cast iron models has a much greater resistance to scratching.
- Such samples are able to withstand the highest temperatures.
- Models made of cast iron have good thermal insulation characteristics.
- The disadvantage of these products is a limited range of products, related to the features of their manufacture.
Important: when choosing to pay attention to the quality of the surface of the cast iron bath itself, it should not be tuberous, this indicates a low quality cast iron.
Modern acrylic
Samples from this material appeared on the market relatively recently, but were able to gain considerable popularity among buyers. They have many qualities that make them choose in their favor.
- The weight of such models is usually from 15 to 30 kilograms.
- The positive difference between an acrylic bath and a cast iron bath is that it can be made into almost any shape when it is produced. The assortment of these products can satisfy various requests for size and design.
- Relatively low strength is compensated by the steel frame used for installation. Its use gives the necessary rigidity of the structure.
- Another advantage of the acrylic bath in front of the cast iron, in higher insulation values. They are usually several times better than those of cast iron samples and significantly higher than steel models.
- The positive quality of this product is the ability to grind the surface, with its wear.
- The difference between a cast iron and acrylic bath is that acrylic models are afraid of very high temperatures, and therefore do not pour boiling water in them, otherwise they can deform.
Important: Acrylic surfaces are afraid of abrasive washing agents, falling objects. With the years of losing gloss.
Important fact is that acrylic repair is suitable, it can be polished and remove defects on the surface, for this there are special repair kits.
Steel bath as a budget option
Steel samples of this product have a long history of use. Their main characteristics are:
- Weight of models made of steel is about 30 kilograms.
- They have higher strength characteristics, compared with acrylic samples, but slightly smaller from cast iron models.
- To the disadvantages of steel products can be attributed quite a loud sound when pouring water into it and low thermal insulation performance, if we compare the cast-iron and acrylic bath with steel models. These problems are eliminated by using sound-insulating and heat-insulating materials for external treatment of the bath.
- The undoubted advantage of steel models is their price. Usually their cost is much lower than other samples present on the market.
When choosing a bath, you need to be guided by the conditions in which it will be used. Especially acute, there is usually a question of the area, which can be allocated for its placement. Given these and other technical and design parameters, it is possible to make a worthy choice of this important household item.
