Over time, once a snow-white new bathtub loses its appearance. In addition to discoloration, scratches can form on the surface, and deeply ingrained dirt cannot be removed by any means. In this case, the restoration of the bath is necessary. Reviews of many homeowners speak in favor of the independent implementation of this work. This is understandable. First of all, it must be said that there are very few real specialists who are able to qualitatively perform the restoration of the cast-iron bath. In addition, many are stopped by the relatively high cost of this service. Moreover, as the apartment owners themselves say, it is not so difficult to complete the restoration of the bath independently.
Material for restoration
The restoration of enamel baths can be carried out using special formulations. A wide range of different coatings is available on the market. One of the most popular is currently considered liquid acrylic. This coating has unique properties. Using it, you can restore the enamel of the bath without dismantling the tiles and the bowl itself. The material is highly resistant to chemical and mechanical stress. The undoubted advantage of liquid acrylic are its excellent decorative properties. The surface covered with it will not be slippery. As a rule, liquid rest acrylic "Stacryl" is used for restoration. The mixture contains a base and a hardener. Acrylic compounds such as Ecowanna and Alphavanna are also popular among consumers.
Advantages of Coating
Why is liquid acrylic bath restoration so popular ? The fact is that the material has a large number of positive qualities. As consumers themselves say, restoring a bath with this composition provides a surface smoothness that exceeds that obtained by factory casting. A product with such a coating serves for a rather long period, without losing its appearance. Liquid acrylic has a low thermal conductivity. Thanks to this, the water keeps the temperature longer. The acrylic bathtub is much more comfortable. After restoration, the product becomes easier to care for. It is enough to simply wipe the surface with a sponge with soapy water. There is no need to use abrasive products. According to consumers, the coating practically does not wear out over time. How to restore the cast iron bath yourself? About it further.
Pollution control
Often, restoration of the enamel of the bath is necessary when ordinary cleaning products do not help cope with the pollution, the coating is no longer snow-white, and rust has appeared. Getting rid of the latter can be very problematic. To remove rust, use agents that contain acid. It promotes the conversion of metal oxides to colorless salts.
The most effective means should include the liquid "Sanitary-2". Rust is removed after 10 minutes. However, the use of this agent containing hydrochloric acid leads to the destruction of the enamel coating. In this regard, after its application, it is necessary to very thoroughly and continuously wash the treated areas. Rust can also be removed using less aggressive means. These include, in particular, pastes and powders such as Auto Cleaner, Kama, Tartaren, Surzh and others. Without special consequences, rust can be removed with the help of 15-20 percent solutions of organic acids (oxalic, for example).
Surface preparation
Before you restore the bath with acrylic, you need to clean and dry the base. If there are small scratches on the surface, then it is enough to clean them with sandpaper. If the defects are more serious, then you will have to remove the entire coating. For this, a drill with an abrasive wheel is used. It should be noted that in the process there will be a lot of dust. Therefore, you should remove the coating in a respirator. After cleaning, the dirt is thoroughly washed off the surface. Then the bath is treated with a solvent. If not, you can use baking soda. It is bred in water to a pulp consistency. After processing, soda is thoroughly washed off the surface with hot water.
Cracks and chips must be repaired. For this, a quick-drying auto putty is used. Acrylic bath recovery is performed at a certain surface temperature. Hot water is pre-filled into the bowl. The filled product is kept for five minutes. After that, the water is drained. Then the surface is quickly dried. To do this, a fabric that does not leave villi is suitable. Immediately before you start to do the restoration of the bath with your own hands, it is necessary to dismantle the drains (upper and lower). At the same time, a container should be installed under the bowl at the level of the hole. If it is impossible to carry out dismantling, if, for example, the bathtub is tiled, the drain is sealed with tape and the bottom of the plastic cup is placed on top. The remnants of liquid acrylic will fall into it.
Technology
After careful preparation, you can begin to restore the enamel of the cast-iron bath. The mixture to be coated on the surface must be prepared immediately before application. A certain volume of the composition then pours into a small container. Restoration of the bath will be carried out by the bulk method. What is he like? A thin strip of acrylic is poured onto the side. Material with a spatula moves under the tile. Next, the mixture is poured onto the edge of the rim until a layer of 4-5 cm is formed. In this case, acrylic should drain to about the middle of the bath. The jet is systematically and continuously moved along the side. It is necessary to move around the perimeter until the ring closes. You can’t stop for a long time. In the event of sagging or sagging, it is not necessary to correct them. In the process of drying, they will disappear themselves.
After the circle has been completed, the mixture is poured into the middle of the bath. Further, in a spiral movement, it is necessary to cover the entire surface. The remainder of the mixture flows into the drain hole or the bottom of the plastic cup itself. After application, the bath must be left to dry completely. Depending on the type of liquid acrylic, this period varies from 1 to 4 days.
Technology benefits
This method of bath restoration, according to many consumers, is considered to be very economical (especially in comparison with the cost of purchasing a new product). The coating consumption for the restoration of a standard bowl, the area of which is about 1.5 m 2 , will be 3.4 kg. In general, work is fast. However, experts do not recommend rushing, especially if the restoration is performed for the first time. However, restoration will take 2-4 hours.
Varieties of material and durability
Consumers can choose any of the options below:
- Long-drying acrylic. After applying it, the surface will dry for four days. Such a composition forms a more durable surface. If the drying period does not matter, then it is advisable to stop the choice on this particular type of coating.
- Quick drying acrylic. It is used when it is urgent to restore the surface of the product. A bath covered with this type of enamel will dry in a day.
Masters involved in the restoration of products give a guarantee for their work for about 2-3 years. But, as the owners themselves say, the life of the updated bath is much longer. Recommendations for caring for the product are quite simple. If you stick to them, then the acrylic coating will last at least 15 years.
Traditional material
Liquid acrylic began to be used to restore baths relatively recently. Until that moment, there was another material and a different technology. However, even today, many are restoring the bath with nitro enamel. Before applying it, as in the previous case, surface preparation is carried out. After that, the inside of the bowl is degreased or primed. Experts recommend the use of nitro enamel NTs-11 (can) to restore the bath. It is not advisable to use aerosols. This is due to the fact that they contain quite a lot of solvent. This component significantly reduces the operating time of the composition.
Application technology
Restoration of the bath is carried out using a tissue swab. The coating is applied in three layers. In addition, each previous one should dry for 20-30 minutes. Do not use a foam swab, as the nitro enamel will dissolve it. At a humidity of more than 60%, the coating film may crack or become stained. To avoid this, it is recommended to either dry the room or install a reflector. The top dried coat should be slightly moistened with solvent. The reflector is then removed. Under the action of the solvent, an even semi-gloss film is formed. After about a day, the enamel will dry. The coating can be polished with a special paste applied to a flannel flap.
Alternative option
Restoration of the bathroom can also be carried out using melamine-alkyd synthetic enamel. However, you need to know that this coating will not dry during the day at room temperature. For acceleration it is recommended to use a reflector. When a temperature of 100-130 degrees is set in it, the surface will become dry in half an hour. Such a coating adheres perfectly to the surface of the metal. In this case, before applying the base does not need to be primed. Melaminoalkide enamel is very resistant to mechanical damage. After applying it, a glossy film forms on the surface.