Acrylic bathtub insert - the best option to renovate the old bath

Loss of former shine and whiteness, cracked old bathtub is a really depressing sight. Even if your bathroom is redecorated "with a new needle" this detail can spoil the impression. In addition, bathing in a new bathtub, which smells like freshness and cleanliness is much more pleasant. We understand that we can't always afford to buy a new bath, especially if before that a significant amount was spent on bathroom renovation. However, this problem can be solved with the help of acrylic bathtub insert.

Acrylic insert is an insert that exactly follows the contours of the tub. It is as if "put on" the bath and fixed in it. It is the easiest and fastest way to renovate an old bath. For the first time technology "bathtub-in-bath" was used in Europe in the 70's of XX century, but in our country it became popular only relatively recently.

The bath-instrument consists of two layers.

The upper layer is made from a polymeric material based on acrylic acid, better known as "acrylic". Today many types of sanitary equipment are made of acrylic, because it has proven itself as an inexpensive, lightweight and hard-wearing material.

Products made of acrylic look great and do not require special care. The only drawback of this material is brittleness, but if you provide a good support for the acrylic product, it will last you for many years. When properly installed, acrylic insert fits tightly to the tub, so you can not fear that it will split under the weight of a person.

For the production of the second, lower layer uses plastic, which gives the product the necessary flexibility and elasticity. Plastic, in addition, has waterproofing properties, so its use in the manufacture significantly prolongs the life of the tub insert. In the production, where such inserts are made, there are several forms of standard sizes, in which the acrylic inserts are cast. Modern production technologies allow the production of acrylic liners of any color. The service life of such a product is about 20 years.

There are many advantages of using acrylic liner.

Among them are distinguished:

• Acrylic liner - this is one of the most inexpensive ways to breathe life into an old bathtub. Only painting the bathtub with water-resistant enamel will be cheaper.
• It looks great, completely hiding all the defects of the old bath.
• It is very pleasant to be in a bath that was refreshed with acrylic insert - its surface is flat and smooth, but at the same time it is completely non-slip.
• Acrylic perfectly retains heat. Water in such a bath will cool down as slowly as in a regular acrylic bath.
• Care for the bath with acrylic insert does not give any inconvenience. To clean it, you need to use the most common cleaning agents or ordinary soap and warm water. The main thing is to avoid contact with the surface of the bathtub by aggressive cleaning agents, which contain abrasive substances.
• With proper care and moderately careful handling, acrylic bathtub insert will serve you long enough - for two decades, during which it will not lose its original appearance.
• Acrylic has soundproofing properties, Therefore, the noise of pouring water will no longer bother your housemates and neighbors.

Among the disadvantages are:

• Installing an acrylic inlay may require preparatory disassembly workFor example, it may be necessary to remove tiles from the bathroom walls.
• In the mass production of acrylic inlays, standard shapes are usedTherefore, it is not possible to find such an inlay for a bathtub of non-standard dimensions or outline.
• If you allow even the slightest contact of the acrylic layer with chemicals based on acid compounds, it will be damaged instantly.
• Despite the fact that the cost of acrylic liner is not high at all, for its price you can buy an inexpensive steel bathtub.
• After installation, there may be a gap between the tub and the acrylic liner, which will have to be filled with assembly foam.
• It is rather difficult to install such an insert by oneself., it is better to seek help from professionals.

The first step that you need to take before buying an acrylic bathtub insert is to determine its size. The size of the insert, of course, will depend on the size of the bath itself. So, you have two options.

Contact a firmWhich specializes in the manufacture and installation of acrylic inserts. There are many such organizations in any major city. You will send a master to your home, who will measure your bath and report all the necessary parameters. Some firms do not go straight to the house, and offer to measure the bath yourself, according to the instructions of a specialist who will guide you over the phone.

You can also make all the necessary measurements yourself. Arm yourself with a construction tape measure, or better yet - a tailor's meter and measure:

• The width of the bathtub from the inside. Measure only the upper part (just under the rim). For greater accuracy, measure this figure on both sides - "at the head" and "at the feet" of the bathtub;
• the length from the inside (also only the top and also on both sides);
• length from the outside outside (in the same way
• the length from the outside (in the same way)
• depth on the side with the drain hole.

Parameters that you need to know in order not to make a mistake when choosing an acrylic bathtub insert are the shape of the bathtub, its size and the desired color of the insert. Having decided on the first two points, think about the color design. Here you can show your imagination, because the technology of production of such inserts allows satisfying any desire. You can choose a color that coincides with the main color theme of the bathroom design, or you can play on the contrast.

Acrylic is not the only material that is used to make bathtub inserts.

Some time ago on the market of sanitary ware you could find three types of such inserts:

• acrylic,
• plastic,
• silicone.

Silicone inserts rather quickly went out of use, because they didn't meet the requirements for them. So, only acrylic and plastic liners remained on the market.

In appearance they do not differ much from each other, but the service life of the plastic product is much shorter.

Usually, the acrylic bathtub insert is installed by representatives of the same company that made it.

If you decided to install it yourself, our tips will definitely help you to cope with this difficult task:

• To begin with, once again take careful measurements of the bath and the insert itself. At a certain stage of installation, if you find a discrepancy, there is no turning back.
• Temporarily remove the overflow and drain device, remembering to turn off the hot and cold water.
• Put the insert in the bathtub and draw a mark on its sides: it may be necessary to cut off the excess. In some cases, you may also have to shear off the wall tiles and remove the decorative skirting.
• Mark where the necks of the device will be overflow drain.
• Take out the insert and proceed to the treatment of the inner surface of the old bath. You can do this by putting a layer of plaster, or grind with an angle grinder. This treatment will provide a more secure bond between the two elements of the structure.
• For sealing purposes, seal the drain and overflow holes with ring-shaped silicone gaskets.
• Apply a thick layer of mounting adhesive or two-part foam to the entire inner surface of the tub.
• Return the overflow drain to its place and carefully place the acrylic insert in the bathtub.
• To make the insert fit as snugly as possible, fill the tub with water and leave it like that for a day. While it is settling, treat the joint between the tub and the wall with a special sealant for the tub. But just make sure that the surfaces you are treating are absolutely dry.
• Perform the installation of plastic curbs. In addition to aesthetic function, they provide a tight connection. We try on the curbs to the edges of the bath and mount them on a special adhesive.

After 24 hours you can enjoy your new bath!

So, refreshing the interior of the bathroom without harming the family budget is very easy and simple. Acrylic inlay is a great way to extend the life of your old bath, without spending a lot of money and effort. With proper care, a bath renewed in this way will please your family for decades, without needing to be replaced.