How to update an old bathtub with your own hands. How to restore an old bathtub

Ecology of cognition. Homestead: The restoration of a cast-iron bathtub can give an effect of no less quality than it would have if replacing an old bathtub with a new one. Let's take a closer look at how to update an old bathtub and why it's worth doing it.

After a long service life of plumbing, the question arises "how to update the bathtub so that it becomes beautiful, clean and durable again?"

The easiest solution to the problem is to purchase new equipment. Naturally, this option will save energy, but at the same time its implementation will negatively affect the budget. A worthy alternative would be to update the bath surface yourself.
To do this, it is enough to understand the main methods of carrying out the procedure and purchase the necessary material for repairs.

Choosing a restoration method

How to update an old bathtub with your own hands? To do this, you can use one of the methods: restoration of enamel, installation of an acrylic insert or filling with liquid acrylic.

Before giving preference to one of the restoration methods and getting to work, you should assess the condition of the product itself. The choice of the method of its renewal depends on the degree and type of damage.

The main reasons for the restoration of the bath:

• The enamel lost its luster, became dull, rough, dark spots appeared, paint peeled off. Re-enameling the surface will help to solve this problem.
• Rust has appeared on the product, which cannot be removed, cracks and chips have formed. An acrylic liner or restoration using the “pouring bath” technique is capable of repairing damage.
• The steel bath began to cool down quickly, and a loud noise of the water being poured was heard. Such a product can only be updated by installing an acrylic insert.
• Strong deformations of the bath body, large chips and cracks, mismatch of new pipes with drain holes. In such a situation, there will be only one way out - to replace the equipment.

  No restoration technique can restore the aesthetics and functionality of a bathtub.

Of course, the choice of the method is also based on the material from which the product is made. Acrylic bathtubs lend themselves well to renovation.

Scratches and minor imperfections can be removed with a special polish. And liquid acrylic and special repair compounds are able to eliminate even such serious damage as chips and through holes.

Renovation of steel and cast iron baths is carried out according to one of the above methods, depending on the scale of the damage. Repair is especially important for cast iron structures, as they have a long service life, while remaining very durable.

Bath enamel

The enameling process is a fairly simple procedure that allows you to update the appearance of the product. From a financial point of view, this method is considered the cheapest.

In addition, during restoration, you can significantly save on the services of masters, since even a person who has not done this before can even cover the bath with enamel.

Preparation for enameling

Before directly covering the bathtub with a new layer of enamel, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. Their goal is to create a surface that provides the best adhesion of the two materials.

First, you need to clean the bath from the old enamel. To do this, its surface should be thoroughly cleaned with an abrasive stone, emery paper or a grinder using a cleaning powder.

Then the abrasive grit and soap film must be washed off with water. It is important to expand all cracks and chips with a working tool. After that, the surface must be degreased.

To remove the degreasing layer, you can pour hot water into the bath and leave for 5-10 minutes, then drain and wipe with a cloth. The preparatory work should result in a dry, smooth and slightly matt surface.

Before renewing the bathtub by applying enamel, you need to turn off the drain and overflow, remove the gaskets, clean the product from dust with a vacuum cleaner.

Enameling process

In a container, you need to dilute the enamel by mixing the base with a hardener. The composition should be applied with a brush from the edges to the bottom of the bath. The first layer is a primer, it is important to carefully level it with alternating vertical and horizontal movements.

The second layer, and, if necessary, subsequent ones, are applied after 10-15 minutes in the same way.

Surface painting should be carried out as carefully as possible. The service life of the enamel depends on the quality of the application.

If bubbles have formed on the surface during the restoration, they must be removed with a brush. Otherwise, in this place, the new layer will come off immediately after drying.

After completing the enameling procedure, you should check the condition of the product after 15 minutes. Smudges formed on the coating can be easily removed with a brush from the bottom up. After the new enamel has completely dried, which will take at least 4 days, the product can be safely used.

The renewed bathtub can last for about 5 years, subject to strict observance of the operating rules.

Renovated bathroom care

After the restoration of the product, you should adhere to the recommendations for caring for it, since renewing the bath is only half the battle. Neglecting the rules, the new coating will fail very quickly and lose its original appearance.

After enameling, the bath must not be cleaned with products containing acid, aggressive chemical compounds. For this purpose, you can use soap solutions, dishwashing detergents.

Do not wash in a bath with bleach; it is highly undesirable to soak colored laundry in it.

Bath restoration with liquid acrylic

Liquid acrylic is a modern restoration material that allows not only to eliminate aesthetic defects, but also serious damage. This technology has a number of significant advantages.

In order to update an old bath with acrylic, no special skills are required, just follow the instructions. The newly created coating is very durable, capable of withstanding even mechanical stress.

The water in the renewed bath will cool more slowly than in the cast-iron structure.

Acrylic does not change its appearance over time, the coating does not darken, and remains resistant to detergents containing aggressive chemical compounds.

The service life of a refurbished product can be up to 10 years or more. At the same time, the aesthetic and practical qualities are fully preserved.

Preparing to create a new coverage

Do-it-yourself bathroom renovation with acrylics should be started with its preparation. Stubborn dirt and limescale must be removed by thoroughly rinsing the product with cleaning agents.


To degrease the surface, you can clean it with baking soda.

After that, you will need to twist the covers on the drain hole and on the overflow and sand the bath cover with sandpaper.

This will help remove rust and loose old enamel.

If the bathtub has already been restored using the enamel method, you will have to remove the old coating.

After that, the surface must be thoroughly rinsed. It is recommended to heat the material to be repaired by drawing hot water into a bath. After 5-10 minutes, you can dry the surface; this can be done easily with the help of a construction hair dryer.

For work, you will need a small container with a volume of 1.5 liters, from which acrylic will be poured onto the bath. You also need to prepare a wooden stick, which will be required for mixing the components of the solution, rubber gloves and a spatula.

A container must be placed under the drain hole, the remnants of acrylic will drain into it, and the tiles at the edges of the bathtub must be sealed with masking tape.

Acrylic pouring process

After completing the preparatory stage of work, it is necessary to prepare liquid acrylic by thoroughly mixing the hardener with a polymer base. It is very important to strictly follow the instructions in order to get a quality result.

It is quite possible to cover the bathroom with acrylic on your own. The process itself is a uniform pouring of the finished mixture onto the surface of the product. For convenience, you need to use a small pre-prepared container.

After completing the first circle, you need to start the second, starting from the middle of the sides of the bath. The result should be a thick layer at the bottom, which will need to be leveled with a spatula towards the drain hole. Excess acrylic will be removed this way.

It is highly undesirable to touch the sides of the bath with a spatula. If nodules have formed on the surface, they will be removed by themselves. Any impact on the new coating will compromise its integrity.

After finishing the work, the bath must be left so that the surface is completely dry. This will take at least a day, the exact time is indicated on the acrylic packaging. The final stage is the installation of a drain siphon and overflow, removal of masking tape from the walls.

To get a snow-white, even and durable surface, it is enough to update the bathtub with liquid acrylic. The new coating will have excellent adhesion and long service life.

Acrylic liner

How to update a bathroom quickly and easily? An excellent way is restoration with an acrylic liner. The main disadvantage of this method is its price, which will be higher than repairing equipment in another way.

First, you need to remove the dimensions from your bath and purchase a ready-made liner in a specialized store. The inserts have standard parameters, but are also made to order.

The main characteristics of acrylic are its strength, tightness, resistance to high temperatures, and environmental friendliness.

It is easy to clean, does not lose its aesthetic properties during use, does not turn yellow, and rust does not appear on it.

If a cast iron bath is restored, the result will be an excellent design that combines the advantages of cast iron and acrylic.

The order of work

How to upgrade your bathtub yourself by installing an acrylic liner? The main stages of work:

• Bath surface cleaning.
• Preparation of the liner, marking, determining the location of the drain holes.
• Checking the joining of holes.
• Aligning the liner, trimming the edges along the wall tile.
• Application of a special adhesive to the surface of the bathtub and to the insert.
• Installing the liner in the bath.
• Pouring water into the product. The bath should be left full for a day to ensure maximum adhesion of materials.

How to update an old bathtub with your own hands, in order not only to eliminate defects, but also to make it beautiful? The acrylic liner will help you achieve the desired result.

The insert itself has a small thickness, so the usable space will decrease very slightly. The renewed bathtub is ready to serve its owner for at least 20 more years.

Thus, having decided on the restoration method, strictly following the recommendations and performing the work with high quality, it is quite possible to renew your bath on your own. published by If you have any questions on this topic, ask the experts and readers of our project.

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

In addition to their low thermal conductivity, high strength and durability, they are famous for their maintainability, which makes it easy to update an old cast iron bath with affordable materials. In this article, we will show you how to restore a cast iron bathtub, without any extra 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 sanitary fixture with a long service life, good strength properties and significant weight, which, depending on the size of the model, can reach 500-600 kg. Cast iron itself is black, while enamel gives the product a white color, on the surface of which minor damage, cracks, and discoloration occur during operation.

The restoration of a cast iron bath has the following features:

• The thickness of the walls of the cast iron washing tank is 0.6-0.8 cm, so models made of this material are considered more maintainable in comparison with thin-walled steel products. The restoration of a cast-iron bath is possible even with sufficiently deep damage.
• The service life of high-quality cast iron plumbing equipment exceeds 50 years, but the enamel coating on the inner surface of the bowl wears out much earlier. If the enamel is restored, then the restored device will be almost like new, therefore, the restoration of a cast-iron bath with your own hands is economically profitable.

Note! High-quality cast-iron models of bathtubs are quite expensive, for a spacious product with a length of 160-170 cm 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 bathtub, it is better to return its attractive appearance with the help of restoration.

Common damage

Before restoring a bathtub, you need to figure out what damage is characteristic of cast iron models, and also why they occur. Every experienced craftsman will say that the most vulnerable point of cast iron products is enamel, which over time loses its original appearance. The most common damage to cast iron wash containers are:

Please note that before restoring a cast-iron bathtub, you must carefully assess its condition, mark all existing defects, and then choose the best method and material with which it is best to perform the restoration. will fail if there is through damage on it.

Re-enameling

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

Important! Full polymerization and hardening of epoxy enamel occurs within 5-7 days, during which you cannot use the bathroom. In addition, during the restoration of the washing container in this way, a pungent, chemical odor is emitted, so you can only work with a respirator.

Restoration with liquid acrylic

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

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

Repair with an acrylic liner

If the surface of the cast iron washing container is in disrepair, if most of the enamel surface is covered with damage, it is problematic to properly 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 takes place as follows:

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

Video instruction

Over time, cast iron or steel bathtubs, even covered with durable enamel, lose their original appearance, and it becomes necessary to learn how to renovate a bathtub with your own hands, the enamel of which is cracked, yellowed and covered with a layer of rust and deposits.

Enamel renewal methods

There is no need to rush to get rid of the old, but strong cast-iron bathtub, which has served faithfully for many years. You can renew the enamel coating, putty the chips and use the restored bathroom for a few more years, and in the case when the bath is embedded in the walls, the restoration of the coating is the only way to repair, without expensive dismantling work. Updating the font, as the reviews show, is available at a price and the prevalence of materials, and a not very complex technological process allows you to do the work yourself.

Renewal of the coating without significant damage

If the enamel of the bath does not have deep damage, but simply becomes cloudy and covered with deposits, you can restore its original appearance by bleaching and polishing. The thickness of the coating allows you to painlessly renew the bathroom coating two, and in some cases even three times.

For your information: The bath enamel, which is exposed to temperature extremes and aggressive chemicals, becomes covered with scratches and microcracks, in which dirt, rust and lime deposits accumulate. The color of the bathtub becomes yellowish or gray and the surface loses its appearance.

• Before you clean the enamel of the bathtub, you must choose a suitable product available in a nearby outlet. For cleaning, citric or oxalic acid, table vinegar, and oxygen or chlorine bleach are often used, at a concentration slightly higher than when bleaching fabrics. Good results can be obtained with car cleaners, but they must be applied very carefully.
• Before bleaching the darkened enamel of the bath, we put on gloves and wash off all possible dirt with a cleaning powder, and then dilute the selected agent and apply it to the enamel surface in strict accordance with the instructions.
• After maintaining the required time, wash off the product with plenty of water. When using acid-containing preparations, it must be remembered that any acid can be neutralized with a weak solution of baking soda. For light contamination, one treatment may be sufficient to obtain a satisfactory result. If local foci of contamination remain on the enamel surface, the treatment can be repeated exactly in these places.
• When the dirt is removed, the surface must be polished. Renovation of the bathroom in this case requires the use of a rotary or vibration sander.

Note: Grinding begins with 800-1000 grit waterproof abrasives. As the surface is smoothed, the grain size decreases to 1500 and is sanded until an even matte surface is obtained. Final polishing is carried out with abrasive pastes used in the repair of car paintwork.

Before renovating an old bathroom with polishing, you need to try to work on a small, most contaminated area, and if after polishing a visible network of microcracks remains, then the enamel coating is worn out and needs to be restored or completely replaced.

If the enamel is worn out ...

If the old enamel is damaged and cracked, how to renew the enamel bathtub in order to extend its service life by several years.

Tip: Significant chips and damage can be putty with a mixture of liquid glass (office glue) with the required amount of white nitro-enamel, which is most suitable for the color of the main bath coating. Automotive nitrocellulose putty or epoxy-based compounds can also be used as a repair compound. The difference lies in the preparation of the working mass and application technology, which are described in detail in the instructions.

After repairing cracks and chips, several methods can be used to repair the old coating:

• It is impossible to update the bath with enamel using factory technology at home, therefore, the repair consists in applying special nitrocellulose and epoxy enamels to the prepared surface, both in conventional and in aerosol packaging. The application technology does not require special skills and can be easily done independently. Before renovating an old bathtub, you should carefully study the instructions that came with the selected materials and try to coat any small surface set vertically. If you can avoid drips, you can safely get to work. But it should be borne in mind that such a coating will last no more than five to seven years, depending on the intensity of use.
• How can an old bathtub be renewed for a longer period? This is where acrylic resin-based pouring compound comes to the rescue. The special composition is applied to the cleaned, degreased and sanded surface of the bathtub by pouring the compound evenly onto the sides of the bathtub. Under the influence of its own weight, the resin flows down the walls to the bottom and forms a fairly thick and durable coating that has the excellent gloss of acrylic and the strength of a metal bath. Renewing an old bath in this way gives acceptable results without major damage to the base coat.
• How can you update a bathtub when the old coating has significant damage. If it is a steel bathtub, then it is better to replace it, and if it is an old cast-iron bathtub with a large wall thickness, then using it as a basis, you can order from a specialized company an acrylic insert made in the shape of an old bathtub and glued to the prepared surface with special glue. It is impossible to do such a bath renovation with your own hands, and it costs more than enameling, but the service life of the liner without losing its appearance is about fifteen years.

How to upgrade an acrylic bathtub

To renovate modern acrylic bathtubs, which are also subject to wear and tear and are not immune from damage, only specialized formulations are used. Renovation of old bathtubs, where the acrylic coating has lost its luster, can be done using abrasive polishing compounds and independently, but there is a danger of local overheating of the surface and irreversible loss of the appearance of the product, so it is better to entrust this work to professionals.

There are many ways how best to renovate a bathtub, but the possibility of their application depends on its initial condition, the economic feasibility of the repair and the possibility of obtaining the desired result.

Dear visitor, in this article we talk about existing methods of bathtub restoration, compare technologies, advantages and disadvantages of methods.

If you have already decided on the choice of bath restoration method and you are interested in prices, you can find them on the page "Bath restoration price"

We will not describe the reasons why your bath has lost its whiteness and shine, whether it is due to poor water or aggressive detergents, or the enamel is worn out or cracked.
Let's just put ourselves in front of the fact that the bath in this state does not suit you and "you have to do something about it" :).

Renovating a bathtub or buying a new one?

And it would seem. Here is a bathtub that has been in the house for 30-40 years. Why not collect some money and buy a new one, the same one. You look at it for another dozen years and will stand ...
This is usually the very first idea that comes to people faced with this situation.
And when we are asked about this on the phone, we usually explain why this seemingly good option does not fit most people.
And the point here is not at all in the price of a new bathtub (it is usually more expensive than the restoration of a bathtub, see "prices"), but in the fact that such bathtubs were made using those technologies and the fact that in the country "USSR". You won't find it in any store. They have not been released for 10 years already. They have not been released from the word "absolutely".

And the durability of enamel in modern bathtubs is so dubious that you often wonder whether it is worth overpaying. We are ordered to restore the bathtubs that were bought less than 4 years ago, the enamel in which has already been "eaten away" to the cast-iron frame.
Well, if we talk about the price. It is worth considering that when purchasing a new bathtub, in addition to the "hassle" with assembly and disassembly, you will receive, in its pure form, only a renewed white layer of enamel.
Well, since it's only a matter of the enamel layer, so maybe it's worth "changing" only it?

As we wrote earlier, in this article we will consider exactly the methods of restoration where the enamel coating is updated directly, while maintaining the old body from the bath, be it cast iron or iron.

And also consider only those methods that can be done at home.

So, the restoration of a bath, iron or cast iron, to begin with, we list all the methods: - (when the enamel is applied with a brush, roller, spray gun.) - (aka the "Bath in a bath" method) - (aka: filling the bath with liquid acrylic, glass, bulk enamel. "Bulk bath") - (The method is extremely specific and not particularly practical, but worth mentioning)

Let's consider the methods in more detail, compare prices and draw some conclusions for ourselves:

Enamel bath restoration method.

Bath enamel or classic enamel is the oldest restoration method. In those Soviet times, when new bathtubs were "not available" and I didn't want to swim in a rough bathtub, the first thing that came to mind of those savvy people was "why don't we just paint the old bathtub ???". And so they did. Of course, paint and paint differ, and not every paint is suitable for enameling a bath, but in principle, the process technology is similar to a banal painting of any surface. Depending on the quality and manufacturer of the bath enamel, a bath restored in this way will last from 1 to 5 years on average.

Disadvantages of enameling

• Turns yellow - Epoxy enamels tend to turn yellow over time
• The appearance of cracks - "Hard" enamel is very sensitive to impacts, chipping is possible over time.
• Long drying time - (You can use the bathroom only after 5-7 days)
• Copies the factory casting - Enamel does not hide the factory irregularities of the bath, any bulges or depressions can stand out

The cost of this method usually depends on the enamel used with which this bath is covered and usually ranges from 3000 (the cheapest paints) to 4900 (good, foreign).
Since the main criterion of this method is "cheap", then usually no additional payments are provided, the only thing is that if you have previously enameled your bathtub, then the masters take a surcharge for this, for cleaning the old layer (400 - 500 rubles ).

What you should pay attention to:

• It is important to use enamel designed specifically for baths. Only they are safe for humans. Almost all others, upon contact with hot water, release toxic enzymes.
• The bathtub should be covered with at least 2 layers, ideally 4.
• You should take your time and withstand the full drying period set by the manufacturer of the enamel.

Acrylic insert, "Bath in a bath", Acrylic insert - many names, displays one meaning. This is the process of restoration, when a new plastic trough is inserted into its inner surface of the bathtub, repeating its shape. This trough is glued on a special foam to your bathtub and, according to the intention of the manufacturers and craftsmen, installing them should last about 15 years.

Advantages:

• Acrylic, unlike enamel, is a much more plastic substance and is not as susceptible to chips as enamel.
• Always White - Plastic does not yellow over time.
• Perfectly flat surface.

• The voids between the liner and the cast-iron bath, into which water can enter and begin to rot there.
• It is forbidden to install in steel baths.
• Obligatory dismantling of the old drain siphon.
• The insert is held in the bath on a special adhesive foam. And it tends to come off over time.
• Requires gaps between the wall and the bathroom (minimum 3cm).

At first glance, the cost of installing an acrylic liner does not seem high. Usually, installers declare a price in the range of 4000 - 4700 rubles. But it is worth noting that often these prices are indicated only for delivery, lifting and installation of the liner. You should be prepared for additional spending, "the arrival of a measurer-consultant" - (usually 500 rubles). You may also have to pay extra for dismantling the old drain siphon and installing a new one (from 600 - 1200 rubles). Well, if the bathtub is embedded in a tile, then you will also have to pay extra for dismantling it (usually 300 - 600 rubles per wall).

On specialized forums, there are rumors that some unscrupulous installers are dismantling the drain siphon, deliberately damaging the sewer pipe. Thus, increasing the cost of work at times.

It takes a long time to describe the positive properties of acrylic (as a material), and, in principle, the idea of ​​installing an insert in the bath is not bad at all. But as time has shown, this method has a drawback that reduces the service life of such a bath to 3-5 years. This is the glue with which the liner is attached to the bathtub and the not perfectly flat bathtub surface.
How is this disadvantage expressed? The moment you step on the bottom of the bathtub, in which the insert is installed, its surface microbending occurs, but when you leave the bathtub, it bends in the opposite direction. In those places where the bathtub is in contact with the liner, these bends are minimal, in the same places where the factory unevenness is present, the amplitude of the deflection is greater.
Polyurethane foam, which is applied to the inner surface, is designed to keep the liner inside and in the first or second year it successfully copes with this. But time goes on and from the constant "trampling" on the bottom of the bath, it begins to peel off and voids appear in the cavities, into which water begins to fall. What happens next, I think it makes no sense to tell, the water in the voids rots over time, and the smell is incredible.
Such problems with liners appear regularly, and the manufacturers - inventors, having brainwashed them, decided to somehow get rid of the weak connecting link, the glue. So a new method of bathtub restoration with liquid acrylic was invented. About the method below ...

Method of restoration Liquid acrylic.

This method of restoration is also called Acrylic Enamel. And knowing how the classical method is made, one can understand this one too.
In a nutshell, this is about the same material from which acrylic liners are made, it is very similar to plastic, but it is produced in a liquid state. In "raw"; looks like "condensed milk". Well, it is applied to the bathtub by the "pouring" method, if you look at the pink picture on the left, it roughly reflects this procedure.

Advantages:

• Drying Time - Can usually be used after 36 hours
• There is no layer of glue between the bathtub and the acrylic. This makes the coating stronger.
• Liquid acrylic inherits the good qualities of an acrylic liner, it also does not turn yellow over time, it also retains heat well in the bath and is resistant to acid detergents.
• Both cast iron and iron baths can be restored.

Flaws

• It is advisable to remove the drain siphon.
• Bulk acrylic, completely copies the curves of the bath, and if there are factory irregularities on the bath, they can be noticeable.

The cost of the method for the restoration of baths with liquid, bulk acrylic (the bulk bath method) is usually 3500 - 4100 rubles. Depending on the size of the bath, on the used bulk acrylic. Usually, the prices for this type of restoration are predictable, the only thing is that, as with enameling, if you enameled the bath before, you will need an additional payment (400 - 500 rubles) and if you need to dismantle the old drain siphon, then the masters also take an additional payment for this work (400 - 700 rubles )
Liquid acrylic is a relatively new material. Manufacturers often change their formulations, as they say "to improve quality", but in reality this is not always the case. Unfortunately, the quality of liquid acrylic must be monitored regularly. It has already been noticed several times that after the eminent manufacturer renews the composition of its acrylics, their quality has dropped. Moreover, the manufacturer himself never recognizes such a jamb. So our advice to the masters, so as not to listen to bad words from customers, check each batch of the material you buy.

Over time, yellow spots, a network of cracks, chips appear on the enamel coating. All this spoils the look of the bowl, becomes a problem for the hostess. Unfortunately, none of them will help here. The restoration of the bath enamel or the replacement of the plumbing fixture is required. It seems to many that the latter is the only correct decision. However, it is troublesome and associated with significant costs.

The cast iron container is very heavy. It will not work to dismantle and take this out of the house alone. The task becomes many times more complicated if the plumbing is tiled or the apartment is on one of the last floors. Subsequently, you will still need to bring in a new device, install it in place. Therefore, they try to dismantle and replace them before repairs in order to immediately put the room in order.

If the repair is not planned, there is no free funds for the purchase of new plumbing, its installation, you can try to restore the damaged coating. There are three effective recovery techniques. All of them are available for independent implementation, do not require significant costs, and are relatively easy to implement. Even if you have to invite specialists, all the same, the costs of replacement and restoration differ significantly.

Preparing to cover the bath

1. ... We start with treatment with a solution or citric acid. Lubricate the area with plenty of liquid, leave for 30-40 minutes, rinse with water. If traces of rust remain, it will have to be cleaned mechanically.
2. We clean the old enamel. We clean it with sandpaper, or better with a grinder with a grinding wheel. There will be a lot of dust during the cleaning process. Therefore, we protect the respiratory organs with special means, put on overalls. At the end of the sanding process, remove the dust.
3. Deep chips, cracks are repaired for the car. Apply a layer, carefully distribute it over the defective area. After complete drying, we grind the processed fragment.
4. Before covering the bath with enamel, degrease it. To do this, prepare gruel from water and carefully process the surface with it. You can take a special drug. In any case, after processing, we wash everything well with hot water and dry it.

The dried container is once again cleaned of the remaining dirt particles. The best way to do this is with a vacuum cleaner. Then remove the drain, overflow, if any. Sections of the junction of the side and the wall are sealed with masking tape to protect the finish.

3 ways to restore enamel on a cast iron bath

Each of them gives a good result, provided that the work technology is not violated. Let's take a look at all three options.

Enamelling

It is easiest to do the so-called enameling with your own hands, in other words, the surface with a special compound. Most often it is enamel based, but there may be another remedy. The application method may vary depending on the composition. sprayed, the emulsion is spread with a roller or brush. The advantages of the technique are the ease of application, the low price of the necessary materials.

Of the shortcomings, you need to know about the fragility of the updated coating. It will last no more than five years. Poor quality formulations turn yellow after a while. Careful surface preparation is required before enameling. The liquid will not cover chips or other imperfections. It will take a week for the preparation to dry completely. All this time, you cannot use the plumbing. The work is carried out in the following sequence:

1. We prime the base with a suitable one, let it dry. Sometimes you need to warm up the bowl. In this case, fill it with hot water, wait 15-20 minutes, drain the liquid. Wipe the walls dry with a lint-free rag, only then remove the drain and overflow.
2. We substitute small containers under the holes of the plumbing fixture so as not to stain the floor. We are preparing a coloring preparation. Mix the two-component product thoroughly.
3. Apply the first layer. We start with the sides and gradually move to the bottom of the container. We carefully distribute the paint, watch the layer thickness. It shouldn't be too big, especially at the bottom where paint builds up. If this happens, we correct this defect with a brush.
4. Apply two more layers in the same way. We wait 15 minutes, after which we check if there are sags or streaks. If necessary, we correct the shortcomings.

It remains to wait for the complete hardening of the enamel layers. Depending on the type of paint, this takes about five days or more. The dried surface must be polished. This is done with a drop of polishing paste on a soft cloth.

Liquid acrylic treatment

A good result is obtained by applying acrylic paste. After drying, it forms a durable coating that will last up to 10 years, subject to the rules of operation. does not turn yellow over time, but spots on it may appear. This happens when dyes, aggressive chemicals get in. There are traces of abrasive detergents, strong impacts with sharp objects. The restored surface must be protected from this.

There is no acrylic preparation, so you can work without a respirator. It dries no longer than 36 hours. During this time, the bathroom must be closed so that dust or debris does not get onto the wet solution. Another plus of the material is the absence of drips, bubbles during application. The result is a perfectly smooth surface.

The disadvantage of the method is the need to acquire skills at work. If they are not there, it is better to first try your hand at something suitable. Without experience, there is a great risk of hopelessly ruining a plumbing fixture.

Stages of restoration

1. Preparing a two-component solution for work. Add the solvent in small portions to the bucket with the preparation. Mix the liquid thoroughly each time. The result should be a homogeneous paste. If this is not the case, the peeling process will quickly begin after application, which will ruin the new coating.
2. If planned, we add color to it. Its amount will determine the saturation of the future color. When tinting the preparation, it should be taken into account that after drying it will become a little lighter. After mixing and tinting, the solution is left for 10-15 minutes, mixed again.
3. We close the drain hole of the bath from above with a disposable glass, put a bucket under it for the dripping pasta. We collect a small amount of liquid acrylic in a bucket. Starting from the edge, carefully pour it onto the side. We move evenly along the entire bowl until we reach the place where we started.
4. After the liquid is glass to about the middle of the side, we repeat our actions. Pour the pasta from the middle of the side.
5. We remove the plastic cup. The acrylic that has accumulated at the bottom is carefully distributed with a spatula, directing the excess into the drain hole. We do this carefully, but quickly, without letting the mass grab.

It remains to wait for the acrylic paste to harden. Under normal conditions, this takes about a day, but it may take more. The exact time is specified on the packaging of the product.

Liner installation

Sometimes it is impossible to restore the enamel in the bathroom or you don’t want to mess with the paint, then the installation of an acrylic insert would be a good solution. To do this, you need to purchase a plastic bowl that will exactly repeat the shape and size of the old one. It is placed inside a cast-iron container, fixed with glue. The advantages of this method are obvious. Complex preparatory work is not always required, you can use the bathroom the next day.

The result is guaranteed to be good, which is not always the case with painting. The insert can be not only white, but any other color. He serves for a long time, at least 15 years. Provided that the requirements for operation are met. There will be one difficulty in execution: to purchase an insert of a suitable size. This is not always possible, especially for non-standard bowls.

Step-by-step installation process

1. We release the edges of the bowl along its entire perimeter. If necessary, dismantle the adjacent cladding or panels.
2. We examine the surface of the plumbing. If the enamel is smooth, you will need to sand it to improve the adhesion of the adhesive. To do this, we fix the sandpaper on a convenient holder, evenly clean the coating. After that, we wash off the dust, dismantle the drain and overflow.
3. We adjust the liner. Rub the edges of the drain and overflow holes with a stylus. We put the acrylic element in the bowl, press it lightly. The lead mark will mark the locations of the holes. We draw a line along the side, if you need to remove part of the acrylic sheet. Cut off the excess around the perimeter with an electric jigsaw. Cut holes with a drill with a crown.
4. We apply. We generously process the edges of the overflow and drain with a sealant. We do the same with the edges of the sides along the entire perimeter. Fill the remaining space with special foam. We apply it evenly, without empty areas.
5. We put the insert in place, press it with effort. At the edges we fix it with clamps with plates placed under them so as not to damage the acrylic. We install the drain, we collect water in the bowl. It should not reach 20-30 mm before overflow. The liquid will press down on the liner, which will ensure the normal polymerization of the foam, uniform fixation of the part. After a day, the water is drained. You can see the process in more detail on the video on the Internet.

We have analyzed three effective methods of how to restore the enamel coating on the bathtub at home. The most short-lived result will be obtained by self-enameling, but this is also the easiest way to restore. When the renewed enamel becomes unusable, it can be painted again. It is much cheaper and easier.

• Prepared by: Inna Yasinovskaya