How to choose an acrylic bath: expert advice

The main subject of the bathroom is the bath itself. Until recently, there were no questions when choosing this hygiene item. The market was dominated by cast-iron heavyweights. Now plumbing shops and supermarkets offer a choice of products from traditional cast iron, steel, copper and acrylic. Moreover, the latter are gaining more and more popularity. How to choose the right acrylic bath and what should you look for when buying?

Advantages and disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs

Which bath is stronger, more reliable and more durable is a moot point. Each product, whether it is cast iron, steel or any other, will have its pros and cons. The advantages of acrylic baths can be identified as follows:

1. Unlike cast iron counterparts, acrylic bathtubs are quite light, on average about 40 kilograms, they can be transported and mounted without problems on their own.
2. With good workmanship, such products are durable and durable.
3. Compared to steel tanks, acrylic bathtubs have a high degree of sound absorption, the water flowing in them will not emit a piercing ringing murmur.
4. Acrylic products perfectly retain heat.
5. Such bathtubs are easy to clean, just soap and a soft sponge are enough to clean.
6. Despite the perfect smoothness of the surface, acrylic containers are completely non-slip.
7. Many options for shapes, sizes and colors.
8. Acrylic bathtubs have excellent hygiene indicators, their surface is unsuitable for the reproduction of bacteria and fungi.
9. In the case of scratches on the surface, they are easily removed with liquid acrylic.

The disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs are much less. These include:

1. Fairly high price.
2. Sensitivity of acrylic surface to strong mechanical stress and very high temperatures.
3. Selectivity for cleaning products, intolerance to alcohol-containing solutions and compositions with abrasive particles.
4. The need to use an additional frame during installation.

Material and manufacturing method

Acrylic is a type of plastic that has characteristics such as surface smoothness, resilience and strength. Under the influence of the desired temperature, this material is able to take the desired shape, which remains after cooling. Typically, two types of acrylic are used to make bathtubs:

• extruded - based on the material, elastic plastic, supplemented with plexiglass;
• cast - consists entirely of plexiglass.

Products made of extruded material are characterized by a short service life, after some time of active use they can crack. Acrylic baths of this type are best used in a country house or in the country, where the intensity of use is not so high.

Cast acrylic bathtubs are durable and wear resistant. They are more expensive, but their service life is much longer. Such plumbing is ideal for an apartment and will not lose its dignity for a long time even with repeated daily use.

With any manufacturing method, manufacturers apply reinforcing layers to acrylic products, thereby adding strength to them. The number of such layers can vary from 1 to 5. The quality of plumbing also depends on this indicator. Reinforcement layers are very visible on the wall of the bath. But counting them on the side is not enough, it is better to check the strength of the acrylic product by pressing on the walls and bottom. If they do not bend and remain elastic, then the manufacturer has faithfully strengthened the entire product.

When choosing, you should pay attention to the frame of the acrylic bath. Usually it is a welded or prefabricated metal frame. This device protects the product from deformation, helps withstand water pressure and human mass. The more complex the design, the more stable and stronger the acrylic bathing tank will be.

Choosing the shape and size of the bath

Compared to cast iron and steel bathtubs, acrylic products are characterized by a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Therefore, choosing an acrylic container is not easy, because the larger the range, the more difficult it is to make the final choice.

On the market are acrylic products of rectangular, oval, angular and asymmetric shapes. Features of the room in which the capacity will be installed is the main criterion for which configuration should be selected.

• Rectangular acrylic products are a classic. They will fit into any interior. However, in a small room, such plumbing will look bulky.
• Oval acrylic bathtubs have a pleasant smooth shape. They are suitable for decorating a bathroom in any style. Such plumbing on the podium looks very nice.

• Corner acrylic bathtubs are compact, but because of this they are no less functional and comfortable. Unlike steel tanks of a similar shape, they are more diverse in size and color. Corner products are ideal for small bathrooms.
• Asymmetric acrylic containers are most often used to create a certain style in the interior of a bathroom.

When the ideal version of the shape of the main subject of the bathroom is found, it is worth choosing its size.

It is believed that the most comfortable bathtub is 65–70 cm high. It is called the family option. This product is suitable for use by all family members from small to adults.

The optimal depth for the bath is a range from 50 to 60 cm.

The depth of the bath is considered to be the distance from the bottom to the overflow hole of the bowl.

If you stay on an acrylic container smaller than 50 cm, then bathing water may not be enough. If the depth of the product is more than 60 cm, then it will be quite difficult to climb into it.

What capacity will be in width and length depends on the specific conditions. In this case, the choice should be made, based on the configuration and growth of family members who will use it, as well as on the dimensions of the room.

A correctly selected version of an acrylic bath will harmoniously fit into the interior of the bathroom and will be convenient to use.

Secrets of choosing an acrylic bath: how not to let yourself be fooled

In a plumbing store or supermarket, each consultant will readily give many tips and advice on which acrylic bathtub is best to buy. But one should not forget popular wisdom: trust, but verify. Having selected the options you like and after listening to the sellers' stories about them, you should carefully examine them yourself.

• A new plumbing product should not be the owner of scratches, cracks or chips. Its color should be uniform.
• A quality acrylic bath should be sustainable. This parameter is affected by the number and quality of the supports on which it is attached. Classical rectangular-shaped containers and corner products in the form of an isosceles triangle are distinguished by excellent stability.
• The slippery surface of the acrylic bathtub causes discomfort when using it and poses a health hazard in the form of bruises and even fractures. Especially at this point, you should pay attention to families in which there are small children and the elderly. The surface of a quality and safe acrylic bath should be smooth, but non-slip to the touch. The feeling of roughness when touching the inner coating means that the product is of poor quality.

Real experts recommend a simple test. To do this, touch the inside of the acrylic container with your hand. The sensations should resemble a touch on the glass, but the hand should not slip at the same time.

• It is necessary to pay attention to which country is indicated as the manufacturer of the sanitary ware. Acrylic bathtubs from Poland, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic or Spain belong to a higher price category, but low-quality containers from these countries are extremely rare. Plumbing from China or Turkey is much cheaper. Bathtubs from manufacturers from these countries should be selected especially carefully.
• Experts share a little trick. The quality of the acrylic product can be checked using a regular flashlight. With this device it is convenient to view the thickness of the bath. As you know, it should be the same in any part of it. Everything is quite simple. The included flashlight is brought to various areas of the acrylic product and the result is observed from the opposite side. If the light spot is not visible through the walls, then the product is of high quality. If in some places it was possible to notice the light of a flashlight, it is better to refrain from buying.
• You can find out about the strength of an acrylic bath by tapping on it. A dull sound indicates a sufficient number of layers, and hence the quality and reliability of the product.

Following these tips, deciding on the choice of an acrylic bath will be easier. They will help to prevent mistakes that will lead to disappointment from the new acquisition.

Nice additions

Modern acrylic containers can be equipped with various additional features.

• The most common and sought after is a hydromassage or jacuzzi. This function is possible thanks to nozzles mounted in the sides of the bathroom, through which air enters the water, forming many bubbles. The result is a very pleasant and useful procedure.

• No less useful is the function of chromotherapy. The basis of this procedure is the exposure of the skin to UV rays, which come from the chrome-plated nozzles mounted on the walls of the tank. Before buying an acrylic product with such an option, it will be useful to inquire about how much power the lamps have and if reflectors are available.
• For people who can not part with a laptop and TV, even in the bathroom, manufacturers offer designs equipped with a shelf for the gadget or built-in plasma panel.

The price depends on which options will be mounted in the acrylic container. Such add-ons just certainly cannot be cheap, and only serious manufacturers “with a name” can guarantee their high-quality and uninterrupted operation.

Choosing a high-quality acrylic bath is not an easy task. Therefore, before you go to the store for a purchase, it’s nice to arm yourself with at least a minimum set of information about this product. Read articles about plumbing, reviews of its owners, the advice of masters and experts in this matter. They will help you make an unmistakable choice. Properly selected plumbing will delight its owners for many years and will become the darling of the whole family.