How to choose a steel bath?

For many of us, a steel bathtub is the best option out of those that the plumbing market offers today. In some respects it is superior to traditional cast iron and modern acrylic baths. About the advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to choose a steel bath, we will tell in this article.

Choosing a steel bathtub, you should pay special attention to the following characteristics:

• The thickness of the walls. It should not be less than 0.4 cm. If the walls are thinner, it indicates a low quality of the product. There is a simple way to determine the quality of the steel bath in the store: you just need to try to shake it. A tub of thin sheet metal is easy to lift or move. If the thickness of the sheet is sufficient, you will have to make some effort to do this, because it weighs about 20 kg.
• The appearance of the bath. The features of the material allow the production of products with a completely flat surface. So if you see on the walls or the bottom of the tub depressions or bulges, which are clearly not provided by the design, it is better to refuse to buy the product.
• Condition of the enamel. The coating should be even, without chips, leaks and other defects. The shade of enamel does not matter: it can be both slightly bluish and beige - choose the one that you prefer.
• Sound. A quality steel bathtub is chosen by the same principle as a ripe watermelon in the market: knock it in different places. The sound should be smooth, without extraneous vibrations, clanking and rattling.

• Cost. A steel bath will cost you significantly less than the same product of cast iron or acrylic. But this does not mean that steel is inferior to other materials in other respects. If you purchase a steel bath from a proven manufacturer, then the quality is quite competitive with cast iron and acrylic baths.
• Durability. This applies to both the material itself and the enamel coating. Damage to the steel bath is very difficult, so you can not be afraid to spoil it during cleaning. Steel bath is very rigid and stable, but, in spite of that, it is light enough, which facilitates its transportation and installation.
• Durability. Steel bath will serve you for many years, even with active use, because to cause damage to the steel product, you need to try very hard. It easily withstands washing by different cleaning agents, temperature changes and many other troubles that are waiting for the bathtub in use.
• A wide range of choices. Unlike cast iron bathtubs, steel bathtubs are made in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, so you can easily pick up a bathtub even in a very small or non-standard room.

• High coefficient of thermal conductivity. On this point, the steel bath loses out to cast iron and acrylic products. The water in the steel bath cools down quite quickly. For those who like to bask in warm water for a long time, this can be a big disadvantage.
• Lack of noise insulation. The jet of water that hits the bottom of the steel bathtub makes a loud sound, which can be a cause of constant anxiety to your housemates and neighbors.

However, if the few disadvantages of steel baths embarrass you, do not immediately refuse to buy, because they can be eliminated once and for all in two ways:

• Most manufacturers offer to buy special noise-absorbing covers on the tub. They are mounted on all sides of the tub, on the back of the product. The appearance of the tub suffers a little, but this problem is easily solved. You can cover the bath with a protective screen, organizing additional storage space.
• To muffle the sound of pouring water and create additional thermal insulation, it is enough to apply a thick layer of assembly foam on the outer surface of the tub. However, all this will not look very aesthetically pleasing, so if you decide to use this method, you should take care to hide the upgraded bath behind a decorative screen.

Choosing the shape and size of the steel bath, first of all, you should proceed from the parameters of the room, namely, its size, layout and style design.

• For very small bathrooms, so-called sitting baths are specially made. The length of these bathtubs is small - only 120 cm, but in a shortage of space, it can be a good solution to the problem.
• Standard bathrooms are usually equipped with rectangular or oval baths, ranging in size from 150 to 180 cm (such baths are called "recumbent");
• A corner model will fit perfectly into a square bathroom. Such a bathtub will not only help save space (which in the bathroom is never much), but will look really great, especially if you equip under it a special niche.
• In spacious rooms you can give free rein to your imagination. Today, freestanding baths that are located in the center of the room, as well as baths that are set on a podium or pedestal are popular.

Modern steel baths come in two types - made of structural steel and made of stainless steel. Let's look at each of the materials separately.

Structural steel has been used to make sanitary fixtures for a long time. It is used to make ordinary enameled bathtubs that we are used to seeing in our homes. The main advantage of such baths is the low price. In addition, they are easy to care for, and soap stains and stains on the enamel surface are almost invisible. The only disadvantage of structural steel baths - it loses its original appearance rather quickly, since enamel is prone to corrosion. However, this process can be slowed with special protective agents.

Stainless steel is much less popular. This is due, first of all, to the fact that such baths are much more expensive than enameled ones. Stainless steel is an environmentally friendly and safe material for humans, moreover, it is wear-resistant and durable. Hence the high cost of such products. However, the stainless steel bath is not without disadvantages. Thus, on its surface lime scale and water stains are clearly visible, so every time after the completion of hygienic procedures, it is necessary to wipe it with a dry cloth. But even with proper care, the stainless steel bath can quickly fade.

The German company "Kaldewei" has been manufacturing steel bathtubs for a very long time, so it has managed to accumulate a huge range of products. This manufacturer produces bathtubs in a large price range. An undeniable advantage of steel products of this company is the thickness of the walls and the quality of the enamel coating.

"Estap" is a company from Slovakia, known for a special method of applying enamel to the surface of the steel bath. The dry application technology in the electrostatic field makes the coating more resistant and durable.

Polish company "Emalia" offers steel products of European standard at a fairly low price. Enameled steel baths from this manufacturer are durable and highly resistant to corrosion.

Spanish manufacturer of elite sanitary ware "Roca" is known for the high quality and excellent design of its products. Despite the rather high price, the products of this company are unfailingly in demand.

The Portuguese company "BLB" manufactures steel sanitary ware of European quality at quite reasonable prices. Constructed on modern equipment, these bathtubs are characterized by high structural strength and durability of enamel coating.

"Jika" is a manufacturer from the Czech Republic, which produces good-quality and inexpensive steel baths covered with high-quality enamel. The lifetime of such baths is about 30 years. The choice of models is small, but all the standard shapes and sizes are represented.

LLC VIZ-Stal is one of the leading manufacturers of steel baths in our country. Products of this plant are characterized by high durability of coating, as the application is done in two stages, using vitrified clay. The result is a perfectly smooth and even surface. Some models have an anti-slip coating.

Lipetsk steel bathtubs have been known to Russian consumers for more than 70 years. They have traditionally been in demand due to their low price. The disadvantage of these baths is the thickness of the walls of less than 2 mm. But, despite everything, they serve long enough - up to 20 years.

For your convenience, we have collected information about the prices of steel bathtubs from different manufacturers. Products with the lowest price are sitting tubs, no longer than 1.2 m. The most expensive products are the bathtubs that are not standard in shape, size or equipped with additional equipment. As a standard product we took an ordinary rectangular bath with a length of 1.7 m.

As you can see from the table, price dispersion on steel baths is not very large. The cost of products from leading European manufacturers and domestic baths is almost identical, so when buying it is better to be guided by more important parameters, which we described in detail in this article.