Enameling a cast-iron bath with your own hands: how to properly restore a cast-iron bath How to restore an old cast-iron bath Do-it-yourself steel bath enamel repair

The unpresentability of old plumbing is not a reason to replace it. There are several effective and inexpensive methods of enamel restoration. In order for the updated “jacuzzi” to serve for several more years, it is necessary to adhere to the restoration technology and follow the basic recommendations for caring for the bath coating.

Restoration of an old bath: the choice of method

A new snow-white bath loses its attractiveness over time - the surface becomes rough, gloss disappears, yellowness and smudges appear. There is a need to replace plumbing. However, a complete renovation and the purchase of a new bathtub is a costly undertaking. It is much easier to restore the coating of steel or cast iron on your own.

The three most popular methods for renovating an old bathroom are:

• processing with two-component enamel;
• "bulk bath" made of acrylic;
• insert installation.

Each of the methods has its own characteristics.

Bathtub enameling- an affordable restoration option that effectively eliminates roughness, yellowness, rust and minor scratches. Enamel is not suitable in the presence of large defects: peeling of the coating, the presence of chips and deep scratches.

The main advantages of covering an old bathtub with enamel include:

• low cost;
• the enamel layer does not hide the volume of the bath;
• to perform the restoration, it is not necessary to dismantle the siphon and tiles along the sides of the bowl.

Disadvantages of the method:

• if the enamel is applied poorly, brush marks may remain;
• drying time - 3-4 days;
• does not mask major damage;
• coating service life - up to 5 years.

Bulk acrylic applied to the walls without a brush by uniform flow. Using liquid acrylic has a number of advantages:

• the updated bath will not turn yellow over time;
• the coating is resistant to household chemicals and corrosion;
• the material is suitable for the restoration of various baths;
• smudges do not form on the surface;
• restoration does not require the dismantling of the old bath;
• acrylic does not allow air to pass through, so the coating is smooth without air bubbles;
• long service life - about 15 years;
• acrylic coating is resistant to mechanical damage and chips;
• The high thermal insulation of acrylic retains heat and the water does not cool down quickly.

Arguments against the "bulk bath":

• before processing, you will need to dismantle the drain;
• acrylic repeats the factory irregularities of the bowl;
• the coating does not tolerate very high temperatures;
• long drying period - 4 days.

Important! When using low-quality glass and non-compliance with the finishing technology, bubbles may form, which will subsequently lead to deformation of the new coating.

Installing the acrylic liner in an old-style bath - the most expensive way to restore. As a rule, the insert is made to order according to the plumbing parameters. It is not advisable to perform this restoration method on your own - installation errors reduce the service life and ease of use of the bath.

Advantages of a "bath in a bath":

• fast installation;
• the ability to hide chips and other defects;
• the liner has all the positive characteristics of acrylic: smoothness of the coating, heat capacity, unpretentiousness in care.

Disadvantages of this recovery method:

• high cost of the liner;
• before restoring the old bath, you will need to remove the tiles adjacent to the plumbing;
• reduction in the useful volume of the bowl;
• the difficulty of doing the work yourself.

Step by Step Guide to Enameling a Bathtub

High-quality enamel is the basis for the longevity of the bath

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of enamel. Experts recommend using specially designed tools:

Necessary tools and materials

To carry out restoration work, prepare:

• an electric drill and a nozzle (scrubber) for cleaning the old coating;
• abrasive;
• oxalic acid;
• two-component enamel;
• surface degreaser;
• a brush for applying enamel with a width of 7 cm or more - it is better to choose an inventory of medium hardness with natural bristles;
• respirator or gas mask;
• masking tape, polyethylene;
• cleaning powder.

Surface preparation

Before restoring an old bath at home, it is necessary to remove the old coating:

The procedure for processing the bath with enamel

After degreasing the bath, you can start applying the enamel. The work can be conditionally divided into several stages.

As a rule, to achieve a lasting result, you need to apply 3-4 layers. Installation of the piping and operation of the bath is possible after 4-5 days.

Important! It is advisable to carry out the restoration in the warm dry season. The windows must be open during the drying period. Children and pets should not be in the room.

How to update a bathtub with acrylic

The technology for restoring a bathroom with glass is in many ways similar to enamel processing. Surface preparation is the same as in the previous method. Next, you need to dilute liquid acrylic:

1. Add the hardener to the acrylic container and mix well.
2. Leave the composition for 10 minutes and mix again.

After cleaning the bath and preparing the glass, the plumbing is restored:

The drying time of glass depends on the composition of the material and the air temperature in the room.

Installing the liner is the fastest way to restore

If there is significant damage, re-enamelling or acrylic treatment may not give the expected result. In order not to have to remove the old bath, the restoration will have to be done using an insert.

To select a finished or order pallet, you must correctly take five measurements:

• full length - the distance between the edges of the sides of the bath;
• internal length - the maximum length inside the bowl;
• the width of the container near the drain;
• the width of the bath in the back area;
• depth of the bath - to calculate above the drain, place a flat bar across the bowl and measure the distance to the bottom.

Installation order:

Important! Installation of plumbing piping must be done very carefully. An overtightened tightening bolt can provoke a crack in the liner, and the accumulation of water between the coatings is a consequence of insufficiently strong fasteners.

Performing a comprehensive restoration of plumbing, it is desirable to replace the legs of the old bath. A ready-made kit can be purchased at the store or you can make a support from metal profiles yourself.

Correction of minor defects in the bath

Single bath defects can be masked locally without resorting to a complete restoration of plumbing. The recommendations of specialists will help to restore damaged areas in a short time.

Through holes. It will turn out to close up such a crack with epoxy resin, and apply a reinforcing mixture on top. To restore the bath, you need a special repair kit.

Chips and scratches. Troubleshooting procedure:

1. Treat the area with a rust converter, then clean the surface with a powder.
2. Degrease the surface with acetone.
3. Lubricate the chip with putty for cars and sand.
4. Paint over the LMB area.

Cleaning the bathtub without damaging the coating

Careful attitude and regular cleaning of the bath cover will help maintain the aesthetics and attractive appearance of sanitary ware. It is enough to be guided by simple tips:

1. Enamel and acrylic coatings are susceptible to abrasive substances, so you need to choose a "soft" cleaner. It is important to exclude detergents that contain ammonia, powder, chlorine, acetone and other aggressive components.
2. After cleaning, the surface should be rinsed with plenty of water.
3. It is not advisable to bathe pets in the bath - sharp claws can leave visible scratches. Do not put metal basins and buckets in the bowl.
4. A dangerous enemy of acrylic is rust on the faucet and metal elements of plumbing. The acrylic surface absorbs yellowness, which is subsequently very difficult to remove. Therefore, limescale should not be allowed to form and the plumbing should be wiped dry more often. Water should not drip from the tap - the drain hole will quickly begin to rust.

Full restoration of the bath is a rather complicated process that requires certain skills from the performer. In the absence of experience, the probability of errors is high. For beginners, it is better to use the method of bulk acrylic for restoration.

How to restore a bath at home? Probably, many choked on this question. So how do you give your bathroom a second life? Buying and changing a bath is a rather difficult task, but everyone can transform an old one. To do this, it is enough to purchase the materials necessary for restoration and study all the available information on this issue. It is also worth paying attention to the types of bathrooms, because not every restoration option is suitable for one or another type.

Bathtubs are divided into several types:

cast iron;

acrylic.

For each of the varieties there are restoration options that anyone can handle.

Do-it-yourself cast-iron bath restoration

Restoring a cast-iron bath with your own hands is a rather lengthy task, but it's worth it. Cast iron bathtubs have been produced since Soviet times, according to GOST, these bathtubs were given a guarantee of about 2 years, but time has shown that their use reaches 10 years, so before throwing a bathtub in the trash, try to give it one more chance. There are several options for restoring a cast iron bath at home.:

enamel coating;

inserting a special insert;

bath coating using the bulk method.

Let's consider each of the options in particular.

Restoration of the bathtub by coating it with new enamel

Enameling a cast iron bathtub is one of the most economical options for restoration. Its main advantage is the absence of the need for dismantling and the need to disconnect the bath from the sewer.

At the beginning of the restoration, it is necessary to prepare the surface of the bath in advance. This action is one of the most necessary. It is done like this:

A special powder for cleaning bathtubs is taken, in which there is no chlorine in the composition, it is applied to the surface.

Then, using sandpaper, the surface is cleaned. You can also use a drill with a grinding wheel.

The resulting abrasive crumb must be washed off with water.

Take a full bath of hot water and leave for 10 minutes.

Drain the water and use a towel to wipe the surface dry.

Now it's time to apply new enamel to the surface. This stage also has its own special moments:

It is necessary to apply enamel without the formation of smudges and blisters.

It is necessary to apply several layers of enamel. The interval between them should be about half an hour.

After work, the enamelled cast-iron bath must be left for at least 6 days to dry.

Inserting a special insert

This option is slightly more expensive than with enamel. In addition, it will not do without outside interference, because a special liner is produced at an industrial enterprise. This restoration option has another name - "bath in the bathroom."

The essence of this option:

The liner is custom-made to the customer's dimensions and then simply inserted into the old tub.

The finished insert is cut off at the level of the tile, and the seams are blown out with silicone.

The dimensions of the plums are joined, and then fastened with the help of an adhesive base, previously applied to each of the surfaces.

The restoration process takes about 3 hours. Only a specially trained person can cope with this method, so you should not take risks. After carrying out the work after a day, you can already use the bathroom. The restored bathtub will serve you for about 6 more years.

Bulk bath

This option, as well as the previous one, is capable of making acrylic from a cast-iron bath. The whole essence of this option lies in the arbitrary pouring of liquid acrylic, which is an enamel consisting of several components.

The workflow is based on several actions:

First you need to clean the old enamel, as in the first option, and then degrease.

It is necessary to distribute acrylic from the top edge, leveling the areas that are adjacent to the tile with a spatula. Next, you need to pour the acrylic around the edges in a thick layer so that it can arbitrarily flow into the bathroom. After the bathroom is completely covered with acrylic, it is necessary to apply a second layer. This time, acrylic must be applied from the middle of the bathtub. The bottom of the bathroom is leveled with a spatula.

After finishing the coating of the bathroom, it must be left for 5 days until completely dry.

Acrylic bath restoration

Acrylic bathtubs are very beautiful, but, unfortunately, over time, like any plumbing, they lose their original luster. Chips and rust can form on their surface.

There are several ways to solve this problem:

Purchasing a newer model.

Using the services of professionals for restoration.

Do-it-yourself bath restoration.

It is best to use the first method if the bathroom is many years old and it is not a pity to throw it away, but if the bathroom has only a few scratches, do not throw it away.

The second option is suitable for those people who do not have time to do this, but this method has one big drawback - high cost! Such a restoration will cost a pretty penny. It remains to use the third method.

Before you start work, you need to choose the material for the acrylic bath. The composition of the new material must be the same as that of the base of the bathroom, otherwise, as a result, all the work done will go down the drain. In addition, the material must have a high level of adhesion, so that in the end it does not begin to exfoliate. After the material is selected, you can proceed to direct restoration.

In order to get rid of damage on an acrylic bath, you must perform the following steps:

Clean the surface with sandpaper.

Treat the entire tub with bath polish.

If the damage is quite extensive, then simply cleaning will not help here. First you need to fill in liquid acrylic, and only then begin to clean the surface.

To eliminate cracks, the following procedures must be carried out:

Clean up the crack with sandpaper.

Drill a hole with a diameter of about 1 mm on each side.

Clean the surface from dust and crumbs. Wash thoroughly with a mild soap solution.

Mix liquid acrylic with hardener.

Cover the holes and the crack with the resulting mass.

Leave the applied composition for a day, and then sand to a smooth surface.

To restore the bathtub from chips, you must perform the following measures:

The bathroom is covered with coarse putty. This type of putty is subject to shedding.

The dried layer is polished with ordinary sandpaper.

The surface of the bathroom needs to be polished.

Thus, it becomes clear that you can restore any kind of bath with your own hands at home, if there is a desire. In addition, it will significantly save the budget.

Replacing a bathtub is a very expensive and troublesome undertaking, associated with great difficulties, but quite tangible financial costs. That is why most of those who started a repair (especially not a major one, but a cosmetic one) are looking for alternative ways to give this plumbing product a neat look again. How to restore an old cast-iron bath - know, of course, the masters of this field. But it is quite possible to do most of the work yourself.

When is it time to refurbish a bath?

A cast-iron bath is a standard of quality, strength, and reliability in the plumbing world. No wonder it is advised to install products from this alloy in apartments. In many houses built back in the Soviet Union, just such bathtubs were installed. And such baths are used to this day. Also, a cast-iron product is comfortable to use: it does not create noise, unlike, for example, a thin-walled iron bath. Yes, and it is pleasant to wash in it - the bath retains the heat of the water poured into it much longer than others.

Unfortunately, even seemingly eternal things wear out over time. And a cast-iron bath is no exception. At the same time, it is not she herself that deteriorates, but the coating - enamel, with which the structure was covered at the factory. And now this special paint, applied using a special technology, begins to lose its appearance, and its performance is deteriorating.

On a note! Cast iron bathtubs are enameled during production after strong heating. It is due to this that it is possible to obtain a high-quality coupling of the base with the coating.

Here are some signs that it's time to upgrade your bathtub.

1. Roughness of the inner surface. It is much more pleasant to step on smooth enamel than on a pumice stone resembling the touch.
2. Bathtub cleaning is getting harder. The reason is the very rough surface on which an ordinary sponge no longer slides easily and pleasantly. Cleaning a bathtub takes a lot of work.
3. Dirt and rust quickly and strongly eat into the enamel due to the loss of smoothness.. In some cases, contamination cannot be removed at all.
4. The appearance of chips and cracks on the enamel surface.

Attention! Enamel chips are dangerous for the entire structure. The fact is that the enamel paint protects the cast iron from the effects of water and aggressive chemicals for cleaning plumbing. In places of chips, rust forms quite quickly and gradually begins to spread throughout the structure right under the enamel.

It is these signs that inform the owner of the bath that it is time for her to “rest”. But do not rush to dismantle it and throw it away - the bath can be reanimated! And for this, there are three fairly simple and, moreover, relatively inexpensive ways - this is the use of an acrylic liner, the “filling bath” technique and enamel renewal.

Three ways to update your bath

All these methods differ from each other in price, quality, speed of work and complexity of implementation. But it is worth considering them all to choose the one that suits you best. Each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, which are important to know in order to make the right choice.

We paint the bath

Self-enamelling or, more simply, painting the inside of the bathtub with special coloring compositions in order to renew the coating is one of the oldest restoration methods that has already been tested by time.

The work is carried out with a brush and special restoration kits, which include directly and a hardener for it, also in the kit there can be colors of various colors that will allow you to change the color of the bath and make it as harmonious as possible in a certain color scheme of the interior. By the way, such coloring pigments can be bought independently, and then simply added to the coloring composition diluted according to all the rules.

The paint is applied to the surface of the bath, previously cleaned of dirt and rust. Before starting work, it is advisable to grind the walls with a grinder, wash, and then degrease with any means (for example, acetone).

Important! Before the enamel is applied, the bath is well warmed up. This can be done with a hair dryer or by typing hot water into it. However, after using the second method, the surface of the structure will have to be well dried. Otherwise, the paint will not lay down as it should.

It is most convenient to work with a brush, but there are also those compositions that are perfectly applied to the surface of cast iron with a small paint roller. There are restorative compositions for enameling bathtubs and in aerosol cans, but they are not recommended for use on large areas, since the paint coming out of them often lies unevenly on the surface, therefore streaks may remain. By the way, some formulations, especially professional ones, may have increased or decreased fluidity, which can complicate the work of a beginner. Therefore, it is worth buying non-professional sets.

Attention! All compounds used for enameling baths are very toxic, and therefore it is important to work with a respirator and rubberized gloves. You should also ensure good ventilation in the apartment and remove children and animals from the house.

It will take about a week to completely restore the bath in this way. The fact is that the enamel is applied in several layers, and each of them should be well dried before applying the next. TO , you can read in our article.

Advantages	disadvantages
A cheap and affordable way to restore bathtubs.	Enamel is sensitive to impact and breaks easily. Over time (and rather quickly) chips can appear.
Bath enameling work can be done independently, and the means for this are sold at any hardware store. You do not need to have special skills for applying enamel.	Enamel does not cover large irregularities - they need to be pre-finished.
During the work, the dismantling of plumbing is not carried out.	After a while, the white paint will begin to turn yellow.
This is a fairly quick way to restore the bath.	You need to take care of such a bathroom very carefully - do not use aggressive chemical and abrasive products for cleaning. Also, do not pour boiling water into the bath with such a coating.

The average service life of enamel is about 5 years. Therefore, if this method was chosen, one should be prepared for the fact that after this period of time the enameling will have to be repeated.

Bath enamel prices

bath enamel

Acrylic liner

This method of bathtub restoration is actively used for cast iron products and is otherwise called “bath to bath”. A custom-made or purchased ready-made acrylic liner is inserted inside the old structure, which follows the contours of the plumbing structure. It is fixed inside with foam or special mastic, which is applied to the inner surface of the bath. In this case, it is necessary to dismantle the plumbing parts for draining.

Advice! For high-quality adhesion of the adhesive substance to the surface of the bath, it is best to clean and degrease it (surface).

The acrylic liner is one-piece, therefore, to begin with, it is inserted into the bath without glue, holes for the drain are marked, and then these holes are removed and cut. Then, having applied the adhesive composition to the inner surface of the bath itself, the liner is lowered there and glued.

Table. Advantages and disadvantages of the method.

Advantages	disadvantages
Acrylic is a very durable substance, such a bath coating will be stronger than enamel.	The need to dismantle plumbing equipment.
The liner does an excellent job of hiding all the bumps and damage to the bath, making it smooth and beautiful.	Cannot be installed on structures made of thin metal. Such a metal can bend under the weight of water and a person, which is why the adhesive adhesion of the liner to the surface is easily broken.
Acrylic does not yellow over time.	Fairly high price.
Ease of installation.	The method has high requirements for the quality of materials - poor glue or a poor-quality liner can spoil the whole work.

The service life of the acrylic liner is approximately 15 years. However, this method of restoration is much more expensive than the previous one.

Video - Installation of an acrylic liner

acrylic coating

This method is also called "filling bath", because it is performed using a special technology using liquid acrylic. The substance is poured onto the prepared surface of the old bath. This is a fairly durable coating that resists daily exposure well, but still requires gentle cleaning without the use of abrasives.

On a note! With liquid acrylic, due to its relative density and viscosity, it is quite possible to mask irregularities during the restoration of the bathtub.

"Pouring bath" is a fairly new method of restoration, but it has already managed to fall in love with many, as it does not force plumbing owners to replace the cast-iron bath completely, but is easily done even with their own hands.

Hot tub - before and after

The advantages of the method lie in the durability of the coating, since acrylic is applied in a rather thick layer - about 5-6 mm. By the way, despite the density, it spreads well over the surface of the bath. It is also very pleasant to the touch and smooth.

How to restore the bath in this way? It's simple - follow our instructions.

Step 1. First you need to prepare a bath for work. Using a grinder, the old enamel coating is polished to a rough state.

Step 2 The bathtub is cleaned with a powder and a sponge, and then rinsed with clean water.

Step 3 The drain system is dismantled both at the top and at the bottom of the bath.

Step 4 The surface of the bath is degreased with any degreasing agent. Acetone will do, as well as any other solvent. After that, liquid acrylic is prepared according to the instructions indicated on the package. The mixture must be very thoroughly stirred.

Step 5 It's time to start filling the bath. For the convenience of work, a little acrylic can be poured into a small container. In order not to stain the floors, the container is placed in the bath.

Step 6 Acrylic is poured onto the surface of the bath in a thin stream, starting from the corners and edges of the bath in a circle.

Step 7 The substance is poured in several layers. It should flow down the sides of the tub, evenly covering the sides and top.

Step 8 Using a spatula, the acrylic layer, starting from the middle of the bath to its bottom, is leveled. All "gaps" are covered. Acrylic is lifted with a spatula from the bottom of the tub. Thus, all the side walls and the bottom are worked out.

Step 9 The bath is left to dry - this period is at least 36 hours. All this time it is better not to touch it at all, otherwise you can spoil all the work.

Step 10 Lastly, when the acrylic dries, a drain system is installed.

Now you can use the product to your heart's content. The service life of the "bulk bath" varies from 8 to 15 years.

Video - Technique "Pouring bath"

Compositions for the "bulk bath"

A "bulk bath" can be made using two types of products - glass and liquid acrylic. They are different from each other, and a common mistake for beginners is to mistake them for the same substance.

Stakryl began to be used about 10-15 years ago. It is relatively inexpensive and has a fairly high strength. After applying it to the bath, it should be dried for at least 4 days - and already here you can see a clear difference between the substance and ordinary liquid acrylic, which has a shorter drying time. Stakryl is also afraid of mechanical damage, so it is important to handle the bathtub covered with it carefully and carefully.

Liquid acrylic, on the other hand, has recently appeared on the building products market. It has higher strength and resistance to various mechanical influences. The coating made from it retains a glossy sheen for a long period of time. By the way, the smell from it is much less sharp than from glass. Acrylic dries in just 36 hours.

In general, both materials can be used for the restoration of bathtubs and other plumbing. But you should definitely know the difference between them.

Summing up what has been said, it can be noted with confidence that it is quite possible for everyone to restore the bath with their own hands, restore its former grandeur and neat appearance without the use of drastic measures to replace the bath itself. But the service life of such updated products (or rather, their coatings), of course, is not so great.

Acrylic bath liner - installation steps

Hot tub - before and after

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 necessary to buy new plumbing at all, since 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 involves 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 much 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 bath, 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 options for bathroom restoration, estimate the financial costs, take into account self-confidence, 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 is not worth the risk, trying to prove your worth as a home master.

Despite the emergence and active use of modern materials for the manufacture of sanitary equipment, the popularity of cast-iron bathtubs still remains at a fairly high level. These heavy, unwieldy products easily bypass the more diverse acrylic and steel models in shape and color due to their performance characteristics.

In addition to low thermal conductivity, high strength and durability, they are famous for their maintainability, because of which an old cast iron bath can be easily updated with affordable materials. In this article, we will tell you how to restore a cast-iron bathtub, without any hassle, returning it to its original cleanliness, smoothness and shine.

Features of the restoration of cast iron bathtubs

A cast-iron bathtub is a practical and durable plumbing fixture with a long service life, good strength properties and significant weight, which, depending on the size of the model, can reach up to 500-600 kg. The cast iron itself is black, while the enamel gives the white color to the product, on the surface of which minor damage, cracks, and color changes occur during operation.

Cast iron bath restoration has the following features:

• The wall thickness of the cast iron washing container is 0.6-0.8 cm, so models made of this material are considered more maintainable in comparison with thin-walled steel products. Restoration of a cast-iron bathtub is possible even with fairly deep damage.
• The service life of high-quality cast iron plumbing equipment exceeds 50 years, but the enamel coating on the inside of the bowl wears out much earlier. If the enamel is restored, the restored appliance will be almost like new, so do-it-yourself restoration of a cast-iron bathtub is cost-effective.

Note! High-quality cast-iron models of bathtubs are quite expensive, for a roomy product 160-170 cm long you will have to pay at least 20 thousand, and corner bowls are several times more expensive. Therefore, do not rush to throw away the old bath, it is better to restore its attractive appearance with the help of restoration.

Common Damage

Before you restore the bath, you need to figure out what damage is typical for cast-iron models, and also because of what they occur. Every experienced craftsman will say that the most vulnerable spot of cast iron products is enamel, which loses its original appearance over time. The most common damage to cast iron wash basins is:

Please note that before restoring a cast-iron bathtub, it is necessary to carefully assess its condition, note all existing defects, and then choose the best method and material with which it is best to restore. will not succeed if there are through damages on it.

Re-enamelling

When people are wondering how to restore a cast iron bath at home, the first thing that comes to mind is re-enamelling the tank from the inside. This is a rather complicated, time-consuming and painstaking process that allows you to update the product without serious costs. For re-enamelling, moisture-resistant epoxy enamel is used, which gives a stable, long-lasting result, subject to the technology of use:

Important! Complete polymerization and hardening of epoxy enamel occurs within 5-7 days, during which it is impossible to use the bath. In addition, during the restoration of the washing container in this way, a sharp, chemical smell is released, so you can only work in a respirator.

Restoration with liquid acrylic

You can quickly and effectively repair a cast-iron bath at home using liquid acrylic. Thanks to the unique texture and consistency of this advanced polymer, the restoration of the enamel layer is faster and easier than with epoxy enamel. Acrylic compounds consist of 2 components - directly acrylic and hardener. The ingredients of the mixture are combined, and then thoroughly mixed until a fluid, plastic mass is obtained. Restoration of cast iron products occurs as follows:

Important! In order for a restored cast iron plumbing fixture to last longer, it is necessary to follow the acrylic drying technology. The polymerization of this polymer lasts 36-48 hours, during which the contact of the coating with water or dust should be limited.

Repair with acrylic liner

If the surface of the cast iron washing container is in a state of neglect, if most of the enamel surface is damaged, it is problematic to repair it with epoxy enamel or liquid acrylic. To restore the appearance of heavily damaged products, a more radical method is used - the installation of an acrylic liner. In this case, the restoration proceeds as follows:

Remember that the cost of an acrylic liner for a cast iron bathtub is higher than restoring an old cast iron bowl with liquid acrylic or epoxy enamel. But the use of the tab allows you to repair products with through holes, with a badly damaged surface.

Video instruction