After passing the first circle around the board, pour the acrylic in the center. Excess paint should drain down the drain into the installed container.

It is unacceptable to manually level streaks and deformations, otherwise you will only make things worse. As a rule, after the acrylic solution dries, the surface itself becomes even, and the defects disappear. But in any case, filling the bathtub with acrylic requires accuracy - take your time, and you will succeed.

After filling is completed, you need to wait 24 hours for the solution to harden. You can use the bath after three days.

This technology has many advantages:

• resistance of the coating to the chemical attack of detergents;
• no need to dismantle the bath;
• possibility of restoration of cast-iron and steel surfaces;
• such coatings do not change color and are resistant to the appearance of yellowness.

The many advantages of this technique have made it popular as it is a great opportunity to restore both cast iron and metal steel tubs.

But, speaking about the advantages of this method of restoration, one cannot but mention its disadvantages:

If there are irregularities on the surface, it will not work to level them with an acrylic solution - this material will not be able to mask the defects.

The second negative point is the need to dismantle the drain pipes. Similar work- pretty labor intensive.

Another disadvantage is the high price of the material.

Restoration with acrylic inlay

How to update a cast-iron bath at home using a ready-made liner? Indeed, for the restoration of fonts, you can use not only an acrylic solution, but also an insert based on this material. Under the liner in the bath means a special insert made of acrylic. It is applied over the old coating, filling the base of metal or cast iron with a new form.

Installation of the acrylic liner can be done by hand, using the following instructions:

1. Dismantle the drain drains at the top and bottom.
2. Make notches for the plums in the liner, carefully trimming the edges to size. In this case, the main thing is not to rush, so that later you do not have to waste time on alterations.
3. Treat the inside of the bathtub with polyurethane-based foam, spraying it in an even layer.
4. A sealant is applied near the drain holes and at the connection points of the acrylic liner.
5. After that, the liner itself is installed by the method of "replanting" on the foam.
6. If you do everything right, the liner will hold securely.
7. The next step is to install the water drains and fill the tub to fully adhere the liner.

The technique of restoring and updating a bathroom with an acrylic liner is quite popular, because it has many advantages:

• fast installation;
• resistance of the surface to the action of chemical compositions;
• strength and resistance to mechanical damage;
• wear resistance;
• the cost of acquiring such an insert will be several times less than buying a new bathtub.

The snow-white coating has a presentable appearance and, importantly, does not slip. Bathing in tubs with an acrylic liner is safer and there is less risk of injury caused by falling on slippery surfaces.

The new coating will be resistant to yellowing and corrosion. These liners retain heat well and are easily cleaned of dirt. The surface of bathtubs with acrylic liners is smooth and has a long service life.

Acrylic liners are much stronger than enamel surfaces, such coatings last much longer, due to them the service life of the fonts is extended.

There are quite a few advantages of acrylic liners, but they also have several disadvantages:

• dirt must be removed from them very carefully;
• the liner is not always possible to clearly integrate into the font, since their sizes are different;
• if the mounting foam turns out to be of poor quality, it will not be possible to achieve reliable fixation of the liner;
• the need to remove pipes to drain water;
• the liner is mounted on an adhesive foam base, gradually it will begin to peel off anyway.

Detailed instructions about how - all the secrets and subtleties of laying technology are described in detail, with the recommendations of specialists.

What is the best way to stick ceiling tiles? The best adhesives are listed.

How to make the floor on the balcony? The choice of material and installation features are described in the article at:

Does it make sense to do the restoration yourself

Many bathroom owners are wondering if it makes sense to restore the bath or is it easier to buy a new one? Will their efforts to update her appearance be in vain, how long will the new coating last?

Restoring a bath is worth it in the following cases:

• if there are minor defects on its surface, but in general its condition is normal. If you update the coating of such a bath, it will be possible to use it for several more years;
• if the bath has lost its luster, its original color has changed (yellowness has appeared), but there are no large cracks and leaks;
• if the font has never been restored.

You need to buy a new bath to replace the old one in the following situations:

• if the container is leaking and obvious traces of rust are visible on it;
• if the bath has already been updated many times, but still lost its shade and shine;
• if the font is too large and does not harmonize with the new interior.

Making the interior of the bathroom in a different style direction is the most common reason for buying a new bathtub, in other cases it is more rational to restore the old one, of course, if there are no leaks in it.

You will learn how to properly restore and update the bath by watching this video tutorial:

1. In most cases, enamel bath coatings have toxic properties: when working with such compounds, you should wear a mask and protective gloves so as not to harm your health.
2. For the restoration of hot tubs, you need to purchase high-quality materials so that they lie evenly and do not form smudges, because your ultimate goal is not only to extend the life of the bath, but also to give it an attractive appearance.
3. To speed up the drying of the new coating, you can dry it with a hair dryer.
4. You can remove the smallest dust particles that can spoil the appearance of the coating with a vacuum cleaner without the use of nozzles.
5. Take your time with applying subsequent layers of enamel, wait at least a quarter of an hour to make sure there are no smudges. If there are no defects, you can continue to work, if there are any, smear them with a small brush.

These helpful tips We will help you to complete the restoration of the bathroom on your own without any problems.

Bathroom refurbishment is a great way to update the look of your tub and save yourself the expense of buying a new tub.

The photo below is an example of updating a bathtub without replacing the liner, photos before and after restoration:

There are several restoration techniques, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Before you apply a certain method of resurfacing and restore the bath yourself, study the pros and cons of each method in order to choose the best one.

Over time, even the most expensive, high-quality bathtubs lose their original appearance. Therefore, the restoration of bathtubs becomes an integral part of the repair. It is not at all necessary to buy new plumbing, because even the oldest products can be restored to an attractive and fresh appearance. Can this be done at home? Of course. How much does a bathroom job like this cost? Let's try to understand this and other issues in our today's material.

• 1 Methods
• 2 Do-it-yourself restoration
  • 2.1 Surface preparation
  • 2.2 Enamel
  • 2.3 Liquid acrylic
  • 2.4 Insert

Methods

There are not so many methods for restoring bathrooms, but each of the methods has its own characteristics, advantages and nuances of application.

1. Bulk bath. For this method of bathroom restoration, liquid acrylic is used. The bottom line is to pour a special composition onto the old surface. It is applied to old acrylic products, cast iron, steel models. The method provides for the mandatory preparation of surfaces, degreasing, cleaning. This method is reliable, durable, quite simple to implement even at home without the help of specialists. Liquid acrylic makes the bath new, hides irregularities, factory defects.
2. Insert on the surface of the bath. This method provides for the installation of a special acrylic insert. For gluing use mastic, special foam. The liner covers not only the internal volume, but also captures the sides. Alas, in order to wrap the liner over the sides, you will have to dismantle the tile.
3. Coating the surface of the bathroom with enamel. To do this, you will need a brush and the enamel itself. The method is old, but has not lost its relevance due to financial availability. It is better to entrust the work to professionals, since it is quite difficult to manage bathroom enamel without skills and experience.

Do-it-yourself restoration

If you are not afraid of difficulties, then you can do the restoration of the bathroom at home on your own. It costs significantly less than professional help. But how much you will benefit from this, does not have experience, is unknown. Consult with experts in advance, practice so that the restoration of the bathtub with your own hands gives a positive result.

We will tell you about three methods for restoring the surface of bathrooms:

• enamel;
• Liquid acrylic;
• Insert.

But none of these works can begin without first preparing you and the bath itself.

Surface preparation

Preparation is needed in order to achieve high-quality adhesion, that is, adhesion between the bath and the new coating. The steps look like this:

1. Rinse the bath, treat its inner surface with degreasers;
2. Clean the surface with a grinder with a grinding wheel or a drill. This will make the surface rough. Do not get too carried away with power tools so as not to make a hole;
3. Since the old enamel is almost certainly worn away, clean all pores. For this, a cord brush and detergent are useful;
4. Be sure to treat rusty areas;
5. After cleaning the bathroom, arm yourself with alkaline or acid cleaners. Work with gloves and goggles to protect yourself during surface treatment;
6. Turn on the water. If it is typed evenly, does not roll, does not form drops, then you have degreased the surface of the bath well;
7. Warm up the bathtub by turning on warm water, wipe it dry.

Now let's move on to different methods of restoring the surface of the bathroom.

enamel

Today, the restoration of bathtubs using enamel is an inexpensive, but rather complicated method. Work is carried out in compliance with the following sequence of steps:

• Mix ingredients for making enamel. Read how much base, hardener should be added. Also read the instructions to know how long to withstand the composition before application. It is best to divide the mixture into two parts in order to have time to apply both layers;
• Start painting the edges of the bathroom, carefully smearing the surfaces;
• Now make stripes, moving from top to bottom all the way to the bottom of the tub. The strips are smeared transversely, which will allow a thin layer of the composition to be applied to the side faces;
• Try to carefully rub the mixture into the surface of the bath;
• Don't wait for the first coat to dry. Check the instructions for how long it takes to dry. Start applying the next layer. To do this, pour the residue to the bottom and distribute it over the entire surface;
• Wait about 15 minutes. But don't wait any longer. Check for leaks. If so, remove them with a brush, moving the tool from bottom to top;
• During the drying process, be sure to keep an eye on the bath to prevent the formation of smudges in other areas;
• Close the room for several days so that the composition dries and adheres to the surface.

liquid acrylic

Often the restoration of bathtubs is carried out with liquid acrylic, although it costs more than enamel. But the question is not how much money you will spend, but how good the recovery process will be. Here the enamel definitely loses to acrylic.

Liquid acrylic is easy to work with. The process looks like this:

• Mix the ingredients according to the manufacturer's instructions. You need to focus solely on it;
• Fill with acrylic the place between the tile and the bathroom, that is, the area where the plumbing is adjacent to the wall;
• Treat the perimeter of the bath;
• Gradually treat the entire surface;
• The rest of the solution will flow down through the drain, so be sure to put some kind of container under it;
• Bubbles form in the bath. It's not terrible, but quite natural. You need to remove them with a brush;
• After brushing over liquid acrylic, streaks will remain. Do not worry, no matter how many there are, because after a few minutes they will drag on;
• Depending on the characteristics of acrylic and the thickness of its layer, 1-4 days after the restoration of bathtubs by this method, plumbing can already be used.

liner

But is it worth bothering with liquid acrylic or enamel when restoring and restoring the surface of the bathtub, if there is another excellent method - an insert. Such a restoration of a bathtub with your own hands provides for similar stages in preparing the surface of plumbing. After that, proceed as follows:

• Unscrew the lower and upper water drain;
• In a special acrylic insert, make holes specifically for your drain;
• The edges will have to be trimmed or adjusted to fit your bathroom. Do not trim after laying;
• Treat the inner surface of the plumbing with a special two-component foam. Finding it in any specialized store is not difficult;
• Apply a layer of sealant at the drain and connection points;
• Install your insert, which will allow you to restore the product;
• Replace the drains, turn on the water supply and fill the tub completely. This will allow the liner to fully adhere to the surface;
• Hold the water for about 12 hours, then drain and let stand for another day just in case. After that, the restoration of bathtubs using the liner method is considered complete.

Each method of restoration and restoration has its own subtleties, advantages, and weaknesses. Carefully consider whether it is right for you to use one of these techniques. In some situations, the restoration of baths is no longer a way out of the situation, but only a temporary measure. If the plumbing is frankly old, covered with rust, eaten by corrosion, then it is better to just buy and install a new bathtub. Here, restoring the surface of the bathroom is no longer an option.

Today, the restoration of bathtubs is an easy and fairly budgetary way to restore slightly “tired” plumbing to its original appearance, add strength, reliability, protect it from scratches, hide minor damage, factory defects, and cracks.

Doing it yourself, or entrusting the work to professionals is an important question. Weigh the pros and cons of the two bathroom renovation options, estimate the financial costs, take into account the confidence in own forces experience or minimal knowledge. Theory is good, but without practice, doing such tasks with the restoration of the bathroom surface is fraught with consequences without practice. It's not worth the risk trying to prove your worth as home master.

We tell you how to update an old bath at no extra cost.

The easiest way to get a new white bathtub is to throw out the old one and buy a new one. But it is expensive and unreasonable. It is cheaper and more correct to update an old bath, especially since all the methods that we offer are affordable, quite simple and easy to implement at home.

Why do-it-yourself bathroom renovation?

Enamel restoration or a complete restoration of an old bathtub will be much cheaper than buying, shipping and installing a new one and disposing of the old one. We do not argue - this is not the easiest job, but it is quite within the power of an unprepared person. The main thing is not to rush and do exactly according to the instructions, then everything will definitely work out.
If you are afraid of spoiling something, call the experts. Finding such masters is not a problem: websites and newspapers are full of ads. In addition, probably someone from your acquaintances has already done a similar procedure. But remember: to the cost Supplies, which we calculated for each option, the cost of the master's working time will be added. For example, one of the companies offers a bathtub restoration service for only 4500 rubles. It seems to be a small overpayment for the saved time and quality. But this price does not include preparatory work: cleaning the bathtub, dismantling and re-installing the drain, removing paint and enamel, and a bunch of little things. In total - about 8000 rubles. There is a difference.

Method number 1. Restoration of the bath using bleaching and polishing

If the enamel of a cast-iron or steel bath does not have large visible cracks or chips and has simply darkened or turned yellow, we restore whiteness and smoothness by polishing and bleaching. The procedure is simple and safe for enamel: the coating of a good bath can be polished several times. It changes its color because microcracks appear on its surface. As a result, dirt and other deposits accumulate there - we will fight them.

In the hardware store we buy a cleaning bleach for the bath. In any supermarket you will find a dozen items. Can also be used folk remedies: vinegar, chlorine bleach, car cleaner. Still need Sander rotary or vibration type. Rent it from friends or buy it - a useful thing, it will come in handy on the farm.

2. Whitening

First, thoroughly wash the bath with detergent and scouring powder, remove all dirt with a sponge or a stiff brush. Then apply a bleaching agent to the clean surface of the bath. After the time specified in the instructions, rinse off the bleach with plenty of water. If acid is used as a bleach, add soda to the water: alkali neutralizes the acid (chemistry, grade 7). Repeat the treatment in those places where darkening or yellowness remains.1.

3. Polishing

Before you start polishing, try bleaching and polishing some of the most heavily soiled areas. If visible cracks remain, it means that the enamel coating has worn out, restoration or even its replacement is needed. If everything went well, great. Start polishing with coarse emery, then medium, and finish with polishing paste. The products that are used to polish cars are perfect.

Pros and cons of bleaching and polishing

The main advantage of this method is its low cost: a grinder will cost you from 500 to 2500 rubles, a bleaching agent - about 500, sandpaper - 200 rubles per pack. Total: 1200 - 1500 rubles, if you buy the cheapest grinder. In terms of time, you can meet in one day: the bath will be ready for use on the same evening. Unfortunately, polishing will last for a year or two, no more: the enamel layer becomes thinner, but the temperature and mechanical effects remain the same. Then - just a replacement.

Method number 2. Restoration of a bathtub with bulk acrylic

Renovating a bathtub with acrylic is a little more expensive and takes longer. It is necessary to peel off the old enamel from the bath and apply a new coating based on acrylic resin.

1. Preparation of the necessary materials

Arm yourself with a grinder with a coarse abrasive, a drill with a metal brush, or ordinary coarse sandpaper. You will also need putty for metal. Where to buy? In any hardware store. In the same place, buy a special bulk composition for bathtubs based on acrylic resin. For example, "Stakryl" or "Liquid acrylic".

2. Removal of old enamel and surface preparation

First, carefully remove all old enamel. It will be noisy and long. Then rinse the bath with a degreaser and dry thoroughly. Large irregularities and roughness (and they will certainly be) close up with a putty for metal already familiar to you.

Next, disconnect the bathtub from all plumbing: remove the mixer if it interferes with the process, and be sure to disconnect the drain. Place a container under the drain hole - excess of the finished mixture will drain there. Prepare composition. To do this, mix liquid acrylic with a hardener in the proportion indicated in the instructions, and mix well. The mixture should be viscous and fluid.

3. Filling the bathtub with acrylic

Gently and evenly pour the composition onto the edges of the tub so that it flows down to the bottom of the tub. No need to correct or "help" the composition - it will drain to the bottom and leave a coating of the desired thickness. Please note that a Creel coating is applied in one or more layers. Before applying the next layer, let the previous one dry properly (at least a day).

Leave the updated bath alone for a few days: the acrylic composition needs 3 to 5 days to completely dry. If you covered the bath in several layers - wait at least a week.

Pros and cons of using acrylic

We have good news for you: the service life of a new self-leveling enamel (subject to careful maintenance) is up to 5 years. Then the procedure will need to be repeated. However, this method will cost a little more than the previous one: a grinder costs from 500 to 1200 rubles, liquid acrylic for a 1.7 m bath - about 2000 rubles (for one layer of coating), detergent - about 200 rubles, putty for metal - 700 Total: 3400 rubles (with the most inexpensive grinder). Another minus is that you have to spend more time. The whole process will take two to three days: a day to clean off the old enamel, wash and putty, and a day or two to pour and dry the mixture. The bathroom can only be used after 5 days.

Method number 3. Restoration of the bath using an insert

And finally, the most expensive and most effective method bath renovations - acrylic liner. The principle is clear already from the name: an acrylic liner is installed in the old bathtub in size. It is not necessary to remove the old enamel. Something to remove and remove, of course, will have to. But first things first.

1. Preparation of the necessary materials

You will need bath detergent, mounting foam to fix it, waterproofing sealant and the liner itself.

2. Surface preparation

Rinse and degrease the inside of the tub thoroughly and allow it to dry thoroughly. Then take away decorative screen or false panels and carefully remove the row tiles, which is in contact with the bathroom.

3. Installing the liner

First, apply a fixing composition to the inner surfaces of the old bathtub - a two-component mounting foam. Insert the finished liner into the tub. After that, treat the joints with mounting foam or waterproofing sealant. Replace the tiles and false panels.

In principle, you can use the bath immediately, but it is better to pour water into it and leave it for a day. Under the weight, the liner will “sit down” and take the shape of an old bathtub.

Pros and cons of using an insert

The main plus of this method is that a bathtub with an acrylic liner will last at least 15 years. But there are also disadvantages: ready-made liners are sold only for baths of standard sizes. For a non-standard bath, you will have to make it to order, and this is more expensive, you know. The high cost is also not encouraging: a standard 1.5-meter acrylic liner costs about 4,000 rubles, a 1.7-meter one - from 4,800 and more. Mounting foam for fixing will cost about 300 rubles. Silicone sealant for joints - about 200. Bath detergent - 200. In total, according to the most conservative estimates, it will turn out to be about 5,000 rubles.

Enamelled steel and cast iron bathtubs, as well as bathtubs with acrylic coating, wash hot water using detergent or laundry soap Wipe the bath dry: the water contains impurities that are deposited on the walls of the bath and eat into the enamel. Remember the scale in the kettle - these are the very deposits. In order not to damage the enamel or acrylic coating, do not use metal sponges and abrasive powders to clean the bathtub. Give preference to brushes made of plastic or natural bristles. Means like "Komet" or "Domestos" contain aggressive substances that can corrode the enamel. Use them as little as possible, and only for the toughest stains. Do not use them to clean acrylic bathtubs - special products are sold for them.Do not put objects in the bathtub that can scratch the enamel or acrylic coating: stools, metal buckets and basins. Be careful not to drop heavy objects into the tub that could chip the enamel or damage the acrylic.

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How to update a cast iron bath - 3 different ways for the home master

Ancient wisdom says that only change is eternal in this world. A cast-iron bath is a reliable and durable thing, but even it sooner or later loses its attractiveness. This happened with my bathroom, at one point I discovered that the yellowish coating and stains were no longer washed, naturally the question arose whether to buy a new one or restore the old one. In this article I will talk about the difficulties associated with buying a bathtub and how to restore a cast-iron bathtub, both independently and at home.

Is it worth buying a new bath?

At first glance, the answer is obvious, every new thing is always better than the old one. But not everything is so simple, in the case of a cast-iron bath, a lot of pitfalls can come up. When the first euphoria from the temptation to “give people money and forget about the problem” passed, I began to reason logically:

• Of course, the first thing you remember is the price of the issue. I have a capital still Soviet cast-iron bath. I don’t want to change it to enameled thin iron, which will make noise for the whole house or plastic of dubious quality. And imported goods of equal quality are now expensive;
• But even if I decide to fork out for high-quality cast-iron plumbing, such a bath weighs at least 100 kg, therefore, I will have to hire movers and pay them for careful delivery. Asking friends and "pulling" yourself is not an option, you can break it on the way. And such a delivery is not cheap;

• My bathroom is lined with normal tiles, everything is done beautifully, and if you dismantle the old one and put a new one in its place, all this repair will practically have to be done again. This work is not only difficult, but also quite costly in financial terms, plus again I don’t feel like delivering dirt in the apartment;
• And finally, the last argument that pushed me to restore the cast-iron bath at home was a long-standing surprise from the builders. The fact is that the good builders first installed the bath, and then mounted the door hatch, apparently the one that was available. As a result, it is impossible to take out the old plumbing without dismantling the loot, it simply does not pass through the dimensions.

As you understand, reasoning in this way, I decided to make repairs cast iron bath with your own hands.

Methods for restoring a cast-iron bath

With the purchase, the issue was closed, now it remains to decide how to update this legacy of the Soviet past on your own. Fortunately, among my acquaintances there was one specialist with the necessary qualifications, he then advised me in all details on how to repair a cast-iron bath with three possible ways, and now I will tell you about these recipes.

Preparatory stage

I decided to single out the preparation of the bathroom for restoration in a separate chapter because this instruction is suitable for all three methods of restoration. And whatever you choose, do-it-yourself repairs in any case begin with careful preparation.

Some sources say that it is not always necessary to dismantle the drain and overflow during restoration work. So, I can tell you with confidence, the siphon must be removed before work. Moreover, I advise in general to replace it with a new one. After all, the price of siphons for the bathroom is now quite acceptable.

• The old enamel, although it has lost its attractiveness, still remains quite smooth, so any coating on it will not take well. Therefore, we need to clean it up so that it becomes rough and adhesion increases. Most often, emery and some kind of abrasive powder are used for this. Personally, I used dry oxalic acid instead of an abrasive. A little water is added to the powder, a gruel is made and applied to the entire inner surface. After 15–20 minutes, the enamel is additionally processed with emery;

Tip: factory enamel is a strong thing and you can rub it with sandpaper by hand for a long time. For these purposes, it is better to purchase a nozzle on a drill. Moreover, you need to work with a drill, the grinder has too high speed and without experience you can completely clean off the enamel, and this is highly undesirable.

• Now all this must be thoroughly washed off. In order to completely remove the oxalic acid, I had to fill the bath with hot water, after which, under pressure, wash the entire surface;
• If there are chips on the surface and with traces of rust, they will have to be puttied. But first you need to remove the rust. There are now special modifiers for this, the instructions for them may differ, so read before use.

When the rust is removed, the traces of the modifier are also washed off. Putty is used bodywork, you can find it at any car market. The composition is applied with a soft rubber spatula, after which you need to wait until the putty sets well and sand it to perfect condition;

• Preparation ends with degreasing the enamel with any alcohol solution or acetone.

Method number 1. Using enamel

Now on sale there are two-component enamels in cans and aerosol cans. So we are only interested in two-component compositions. Whatever they tell you about aerosol cans, this paint lasts no more than a year, I don’t know why, but it’s true.

• If we have already decided to repair with our own hands, it is better to immediately purchase a repair kit. In addition to the enamel itself, this set includes all the necessary related materials. That is, special primer, lint-free wipes, and so on. It will be much easier to work with him. Keep in mind that enamel is not included in some types of repair kits, it is purchased separately;

• Primer is applied to the surface first. After applying the primer and drying, the entire surface will need to be wiped again with lint-free napkins. Then you can proceed to cover the bath with the first layer of enamel. Of course, it is better to use an airbrush for these purposes, but not everyone has such equipment, so most home craftsmen use a regular brush;
• The enamel is applied in a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 layers. But the break between layers should be at least 1 hour, respectively, all work, together with preparation, stretches for the whole day;
• When the paint is done, the final layer will need to be coated with gloss. This is done simply, an hour after application, the enamel is wiped with a solvent and left to dry. The paint itself dries in a day, but it will be possible to use the bathroom only after a week.

Please note that the enamel is two-component, that is, if you connect the components, the paint will be in working condition for a short period of time, then it will simply harden. Therefore, you need to dilute for 1 layer of staining.

To be honest, this enamel is not very popular. Of all the pluses, there is only an affordable price. Everything else is just cons. So the manufacturers promise that this enamel will last at least 5 years, but in reality its maximum is about 3-4 years.

Those who understand at least a little about paints know that enamels are perhaps the most pungent-smelling compositions. A protective mask is indispensable here, you will have to work in a respirator or even a gas mask. If we add to this the obligatory week of drying, then the failure of this method becomes obvious.

When I spoke with an experienced master, he told me that enameling is most often used when an apartment is being prepared for sale and it needs to be polished. Or when the apartment is rented and the person is not going to stay in it for a long time.

Method number 2. Coating with liquid acrylic

Renovating a bathtub with liquid acrylic is considered the most the best option. Among professionals, this composition is called "stakril". Application technology here will be simpler:

• The first step, as usual, is preparation, that is, cleaning, rinsing, degreasing, drying. Further on a dry surface, starting from the sides, acrylic is poured slowly and evenly. No brushes, rollers or swabs are used here. Acrylic mass flows down by itself;
• Under the drain hole you will need to substitute a container for excess paint. When the board is filled, you can move on to the middle belt and so on until the bath is completely covered. The acrylic mass is quite thick composition and at the finish the thickness of such a coating will be about 5 - 7 mm;

• That's basically the whole process. When the tub is covered, it is left to dry completely. Stacryl dries on average 3-4 days. The drying time in this case depends on the quality of the material and, of course, on the manufacturer.

The advantages of such a coating are much greater than in the case of enamel. In particular, manufacturers promise that the bath will last at least 15 years. Experienced masters say about ten years, which you will agree is quite decent.

In time, such an arrangement will take 2 - 3 hours, and this, together with preparation. And importantly, the composition dries much faster than enamel. Plus stakryl does not have a suffocating smell.

There is only one minus of such a coating, and that one is quite controversial. Stakryl costs an order of magnitude more expensive than good enamel. But if you think about it and calculate, then the final amount of costs will be less. Indeed, within 10 years, while the glass will have a decent appearance, the enamel will have to be changed at least three times.

Method number 3. Bath in the bath

To be honest, I liked this method the most. The point is that you mount a thin and durable plastic liner of the same dimensions on top of your old cast-iron bathtub.

• Naturally, it all starts with the acquisition of this same insert. The fact is that the baths only seem to be the same in appearance, their parameters may differ. Therefore, before going to the store, you will need to describe and sketch all the dimensions as accurately and in detail as possible. Fortunately, now there are photos and videos in the phone, so it will not be superfluous to take a picture and shoot it on video;
• When the liner is selected, of course, the first thing to do is to try it on. The “trough” itself should fit tightly, but freely. In no case should you crush it, so that the tab does not burst. Remember that this is not cast iron, but only plastic. By the way, on the first fitting, the tab may not go all the way, it will interfere with the overlap along the edge. In this case, the excess will need to be noted and carefully cut off with a grinder;

• Now that the plastic layer is clearly fitted, you will need to make holes for the drain and overflow. If you mark the drain hole, as a rule, you can from below, then the overflow is often pushed close to the wall and you need to mark it, as they say by eye. Before drilling, the drain and overflow holes are liberally lubricated with some kind of dye, I personally lubricated with ordinary toothpaste. After that, the form is inserted and holes are marked according to the imprinted dye;
• There are two ways to cut holes. The easiest way is to use a round serrated crown of the appropriate diameter. But it is good when the markup is clear and you are absolutely sure of its accuracy. I did it differently. The edges of the markings were blurred, and drilling by eye, in this case, is extremely risky. Therefore, I first drilled an approximately suitable hole of a smaller diameter. And after that, I brought it manually to the desired shape using a round file. Do not worry, the plastic is cut off easily, the main thing is to act carefully and not take too much;
• Simply inserting an insert is not enough. It will need to be securely glued and additionally smeared with all problem areas with a waterproof sealant. Otherwise, sooner or later mold will settle in a wet bathroom between plastic and enamel;

• A special foam is used for gluing, although this special foam, which is offered to buy with the liner, is very similar to the usual one. mounting foam. Therefore, I suspect that this is just a publicity stunt. As I said, in addition to foam, you will need a sealant, it, like foam, is sold in tubes and fits a standard construction gun;
• The sealant is thickly smeared around the drain and overflow, in a continuous layer at a distance of 100 - 150 mm. It's not worth saving here. The foam must be applied in a thick grid and very quickly. You have no more than 5 minutes for this. After that, the liner is inserted and tightly pressed against the walls of the base;
• Squeezed out excess sealant is immediately removed and mounted with overflow. The bath can be used in a day, but so that the liner does not open with foam, it should be filled with water. The next day, you will need to cut off the dried excess foam and that's it.

Conclusion

Which way to choose to decide, of course, you. Personally, I preferred the insert, of course it is at least 2 times more expensive than enamel, but everything is fast, beautiful and will last about 15 years. The photo and video in this article clearly shows the installation process. If you have any questions, write them in the comments, I will try to help.

The top layer of enamel on steel and cast iron bathtubs wears off over time. Unpleasant spots, cracks, chips, yellowness appear on the surface. Of course, you can throw away such a bathtub and install a new one instead, but restoration will extend the life of your plumbing and save the family budget.

Restoration. Methods

Restoration can be done in a variety of ways, including:

• application of two-component enamel. The two components are the hardener and the enamel itself. The mixture is applied to the surface like regular paint;
• filling the bathtub with acrylic (glass). After grinding and thorough degreasing, the bathtub is filled with acrylic. After 2 days, the updated plumbing is completely ready for use;
• bathtub-to-tub installation. This method consists in installing an acrylic liner that is completely identical to the old bathtub. The liner is attached with glue or foam and allows you to use the restored bathroom for a long time.

Bath preparation for enameling or acrylic application

Although these methods have their own characteristics, the preparation procedure is completely identical. It is necessary to remove a layer of old enamel and achieve maximum adhesion of the future coating with cast iron / steel.

Find out what are, and also check out the types and selection tips from our new article.

It is necessary to prepare the following materials and fixtures:

• cleaning powder;
• solvent;
• sandpaper on a fabric basis (for example, P24);
• fast hardening polyester automotive putty;
• polyethylene, newspapers and masking tape;
• vacuum cleaner (or wide soft brush);
• grinder + grinding wheels;
• a clean, lint-free cloth;
• building hair dryer;
• screwdriver.

Step 1. We clean the entire surface of the bathtub with a brush and an abrasive agent (powder).

Step 2. We take sandpaper and clean the bath until there are risks from the abrasive. When grinding, it is not necessary to rinse off the cleaning agent. Instead of sandpaper, you can use an angle grinder with a special nozzle. This will greatly simplify the work and speed up the preparation process.

Step 3. After grinding, we wash off all the crumbs and soap film well. We pickle the bath using oxalic acid. Neutralize acid with baking soda.

Step 4. Fill the bathtub with hot water up to the sides. We wait about 10 minutes, open the drain so that the water is glass, and then wipe the bath with a dry cloth. You can warm the vessel building hair dryer. So the moisture will soon evaporate and the bath can be further prepared for restoration.

Step 5. We inspect the bath for large defects, potholes. We apply automotive putty, and after it dries, we grind with fine sandpaper. We remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner / soft brush, after which we carefully degrease the entire surface of the plumbing with a solvent and wipe it with lint-free wipes.

Step 6 Unscrew the shower hose. We wrap the spout and taps in polyethylene so that drops of water do not fall into the bath during operation.

Step 7. Armed with a screwdriver, we dismantle the grate and siphon under the bathtub. Under the drain hole we substitute the dishes into which drops of acrylic or enamel will flow.

Step 8. We seal with masking tape all the surfaces that are adjacent to the restored vessel. Paul, standing next to washing machine, cover the sink with polyethylene or old newspapers.

Let's start the restoration process.

Enamel application

You can enamel not only a bath, but also a shower tray made of steel and cast iron, a washbasin, kitchen sink. Both the entire surface of plumbing and individual sections, if necessary, are restored.

This method of restoration is short-lived, but quite economical. It will serve you for another couple of years, after which you will again have to think about staining or replacing it.

Note! Enamel has a pungent chemical smell, so all work can be done only in products personal protection for the respiratory system.

Step 1. Open the enamel and hardener. Pour them into a convenient bowl, knead with a mixer until smooth (see the exact proportions on the package).

Step 2. With a brush, we begin to apply enamel, making first horizontal and then vertical strokes. Carefully paint over the entire bath.

Advice! To keep the bristles from coming out of the brush, soak it in water for one day!

Step 3. Without waiting for the first layer to dry, apply the second one. Smudges are gently stretched with a brush.

Step 4. Paint over the bottom of the vessel again.

The bath will be ready for use in about 5 days. Until this point, it is advisable not to turn on the water and to prevent dirt from getting on the painted surfaces.

Bath enamel prices

Bath enamel

Restoration with glass or filling bath

Such a two-component mixture is quite convenient in application, does not have a pungent odor and has increased strength characteristics. Glass spreads itself, a monolithic even film forms on the surface of the bath. At the same time, the stacryl does not dry too quickly, which means that work can be done without haste and fuss.

Step 1. Mix the stacryl with a mixer in a convenient bowl.

Step 2. Add stakryl from a common dish to a small glass and pour onto the top edge of the tub. As soon as the stream reaches the middle of the wall, we begin to move the glass around the perimeter, periodically pouring the mixture into the glass.

Step 3 We repeat the process, starting to pour from the middle of the walls. It is not worth saving the mixture, the excess will merge into a container under the hole, and the coating will turn out to be even and smooth.

If bubbles form on the surface, they can be smoothed out with a plastic spatula or brush.

The polymerization process takes up to 4 days. Exact instructions for proportions and drying times are indicated on the packaging of glass.

When the surface has completely hardened, you can remove films, newspapers, adhesive tape, install a siphon (old or new, at the discretion of the owner) and use the bathroom restored with your own hands.

Video - Restoration of a bathtub with liquid acrylic using the "pouring" method

Bulk acrylic prices

"Bath to bath" or acrylic liner

If you do not want to carry out hygiene procedures for several days, using a basin or visiting a bath, then the method of inserting an acrylic liner will suit you perfectly. The process of self-restoration in this way takes no more than three hours, and you can use the bathroom the very next day.

In addition, the liner made of durable sanitary acrylic significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the bath, as a result, the water cools very slowly.

For the best result, it is important not only to choose the right size liner, but also to properly distribute the adhesive composition (foam and sealant from Henkel).

Step 1. Armed with a screwdriver and a grinder, we dismantle the strapping elements.

Step 2. Preparing the bath to install the liner. We clean the entire surface with sandpaper, a grinder, remove debris with a vacuum cleaner and degrease the surface. Wipe any drops of water dry. This measure is necessary to improve the adhesion of the adhesive foam to the plumbing.

Step 3. The liners are transported with a technological edge, which we carefully cut with a grinder before installation.

Step 4. After the edge is cut, insert the liner into the bath and mark the technological holes. To do this, draw circles with a marker, sticking your hand under the bathtub and circling the drain and overflow holes.

Step 5. According to the marking, we drill technological holes.

Step 6. Apply two-component foam and sealant. We insert a bottle of sealant into the gun and distribute it around the drain and overflow holes. Next, we take the foam, we introduce a special composition into the balloon with a syringe, which will not allow it to swell excessively. From bottom to top, we apply foam in stripes to the bottom, walls, sides of the vessel being restored.

Step 7. We insert the acrylic liner into the bath, gently press it with our hands, leveling it. Remove excess sealant and foam.

Step 8. We make the installation of the siphon (strapping).

Step 9. We fill the bath with water so that the foam, while solidifying, does not force out the light liner. The next day, you can drain the water and use the updated bathroom.

In your free time, you can install a decorative screen under the restored bath, as well as protective bumpers on the edges that come into contact with the walls.

Before starting hygiene procedures, do not forget to remove the protective film from the insert.

Video - Installing an acrylic liner. Do-it-yourself bath restoration

How to repair chips or small restoration of damage to the bath

Sometimes small chips, cracks from fallen heavy objects, scratches appear on the surface. And in this case, there is no need to make a complete restoration, it is enough to carry out minor repairs in the proper sequence.

Previously, such defects were eliminated by mixing glue with tooth powder or applying epoxy to the chip and sprinkling it with porcelain dust. But such methods are extremely unreliable, and it is better to refuse them.

Step one. Ready for repair. To begin with, we apply a rust converter to the chip, wait, wash off the composition with water. Then we clean the chip with powder or dishwashing liquid. Rinse with water and wipe dry.

Step two. Using acetone or another solvent, degrease the defective area. Dry and warm the surface with a hair dryer.

Step three. Using automotive putty, we coat the chip. We wait for drying and we polish with sandpaper.

Step four. We cover the puttied place with two-component acrylic or automotive enamel.

Also, for restoration, you can use a ready-made bath repair kit, which includes acrylic paint, hardener, several sheets of sandpaper, epoxy putty, polish and detailed instructions. approximate cost such a kit is from 900 to 1300 rubles.

Video - Repair of chips and even through holes in a metal bath