Bath enamel or the most budget-friendly way to restore the surface of the bath

No matter how hard a person tries, all household items age with time and lose their operational qualities. The bathtub is no exception. Proper care, of course, will extend the life of the bathtub, but still in the process of use the coating can change color, it appears cracks and chips. What to do if your financial situation does not allow you to buy a new bathtub or if you live in a rented apartment and buying new plumbing is not in your plans. There is a solution - to carry out restoration work!

For bath restoration work, you can use epoxy or acrylic enamel.

Epoxy paint is characterized by a long life of the bathtub, if all the recommendations were taken into account when painting. This type of paint is quite popular among consumers, as it exists on the market for over 20 years.

Acrylic enamel is a more modern product, because it has been on the market for 10 years. It is superior to epoxy paint in terms of quality characteristics.

Acrylic is very easy to apply, but the same cannot be said for the process of preparing the restoration solution. You will have to make an effort to mix all the components of this product.

Acrylic costs about twice as much as buying epoxy enamel.

There are only three basic ways to restore a damaged bathtub surface.

Enameling is the oldest and most proven method of bathtub refinishing. It has many advantages:

• the cheapest method of bathtub restoration;
• it does not involve the removal of the bathtub and drain trap;
• it is possible to paint cast iron and iron baths.

You should also know the disadvantages of this method before choosing to stain a bathtub, learn about the disadvantages of this method:

• enamel yellowing over time;
• The surface becomes sensitive to shock and mechanical stress;
• Bath staining takes no more than three hours, but it will take a whole week to dry;
• enamel will not help to hide the factory defect on the surface of the bathtub.

This method uses a plastic inlay, which, with the help of a special foam, is glued to the inner side of the bathtub. This method is noteworthy because the restored bathtub can last up to 15 years.

Advantages of using acrylic bathtub insert:

• the high strength of the material;
• plastic coating is not capable of yellowing;
• perfectly smooth coating without all sorts of defects.

Unfortunately, the use of acrylic inlay in an old bathtub has some disadvantages:

• flat inlay can also be a disadvantage, since in the past, bathtubs were produced with some defects;
• is not used for iron and for a thin cast-iron bathtub;
• Before installing the inlay should be made to remove the siphon;
• adhesive foam, which is used for installation, may eventually come off;
• If the bath, tiled with ceramic tiles, you may need to remove some parts of the ceramic coating and lay new tiles.

Acrylic in liquid form resembles condensed milk, to make the restoration of the bath by this method, acrylic is "poured" on the inner coating of the tub.

The advantages of using this method are:

• After application, you should wait only 36 hours and you can take your bath;
• the durability of the coating is achieved by the absence of glue between the coating and acrylic;
• liquid acrylic has all the advantages of acrylic liner - it remains snow-white, well keeps the temperature of the water, not afraid of interaction with aggressive chemicals;
• this method can be used to restore the bath from any material.

Disadvantages of using the method of poured acrylic:

• it is necessary to dismantle the drain trap;
• Liquid acrylic will copy all the deformities and irregularities of the surface of the bathtub.

Enameling bathtubs is one of the methods of its renovation. A thin layer of special enamel will help improve its appearance quickly enough and inexpensively.

But there is also a disadvantage to using this method, as the life span is no more than 5 years. Then you have to do it all over again.

Another method of bathtub restoration is called the "pouring" method, which is perfect for apartment owners. It is characterized by high quality and the price will be more expensive. "Poured" method of bathtub restoration helps to extend its useful life up to 15 years, which is much longer than the life of the bathtub after the application of enamel.

Also, using the "infused bathtub" method, you can easily remove any irregularities or imperfections in the bathtub, and its surface will be smooth and snow-white.

To carry out the "poured bathtub" procedure, liquid acrylic is used. It is slowly poured onto the sides of the bathtub, after which the acrylic begins to flow down. With this application, the bathtub coating becomes even and smooth.

Enameled bathtubs are damaged by the formation of various cracks, scratches and chips, since the material is quite fragile. Over time, dirt gets into the cracks, and the bathtub loses its original appearance.

In the factory the enamel is applied on the hot metal, so the factory coating is stronger and more durable than the one you get at home. Of course, you can make a reconstruction of an enameled bathtub yourself, but it is worth bearing in mind that not everyone succeeds at the first time.

To achieve the desired result, you should treat all actions very carefully and leisurely.

Preparatory work:

1. Clean the tub from the previous coating. First clean with a detergent and then use a tool to remove the entire coating. For this type of work, you can use a grinder with a grinding wheel, a drill with a special abrasive nozzle or a regular emery stone. Particular attention should be paid to cleaning the bottom so that it becomes white. To do this, you can use a cordwood brush.
2. Make a thorough degreasing of the bathtub with a detergent. To make the new coating quality, you need to get rid of all organic substances, including grease. Do not forget to use a respirator and rubber gloves.
3. Rinse the tub thoroughly with hot water.
4. The drain and overflow are covered with molar tape It is also covered the edges of the bath, which are adjacent to the walls.
5. The coating is dried. Remains of the enamel is removed with a vacuum cleaner. The floor of the bathroom should be covered with improvised materials, such as newspapers or polyethylene.

Watch a video on the subject.

If you decide to use epoxy enamel to restore your bathtub coating, you need to know that:

1. When you add the hardener, you need to follow the propositions exactly. Epoxy paint is highly toxic, so you must use a respirator when working with it. First, you need to add the hardener to only half of the paint.
2. To paint the tub, use a flat brush, the width of which should be 7 cm or more. Painting begins from the top edge of the bath.
3. Brush should make a plumb line from top to bottom, and then begin to paint the horizontal lines of the bath. This action is performed all around the perimeter of the product.
4. Then again, to paint the edge of the tub, paying special attention to the inside.
5. Then the second part of the paint is taken and diluted, and then continue with the application of the enamel coating. Care must be taken to ensure that the paint is applied evenly.
6. After a week, the bathtub can already be operated.

The pouring method for bath restoration is fairly new, but already enjoys great popularity among consumers. This method uses a special agent - liquid acrylic. You can choose the color of the future bath yourself to make it the center of the bathroom or emphasize the color scheme in the design of the bathroom.

Poured method of bath restoration combined the advantages of other methods, such as the use of acrylic liner and application of enamel. Therefore, the main advantages of this method can be called:

• The bathtub after using the pouring method will last longer than the bathtub after enameling.
• The application of liquid acrylic can be made on bathtubs of various shapes, and for example, acrylic liner is mostly available in standard sizes and rectangular shapes.

• No need to dismantle the ceramic tiles around the bathtubThe same way as for the acrylic liner, when using the pouring method.
• It is not necessary to remove the trap When using liquid acrylic.
• Buying liquid acrylic is less expensivethan purchasing an acrylic liner. Compared with bath enameling, liquid acrylic will cost a little more expensive.

If we talk about disadvantages, then we can attribute to them only one. It is a long drying period of liquid acrylic, which reaches two days.

After the restoration work, your bathtub will become snow-white, smooth and sparkling. But if you don't pay proper attention to care for it, in a short time your bath will be about the same as it was before the painting.

To prolong the life of the enamel, you need to follow a few simple rules:

• To wash the bath, use detergents that are gentle - for example, dishwashing detergents;
• Never use sharp objects or acids for cleaning;
• If you soak your laundry in the bathtub, you cannot use bleach.