Do-it-yourself metal bath restoration. Repair of a cast-iron bath: three ways of restoration. Why enamel usually wears out

No matter how carefully you treat plumbing, time will still leave an imprint on once new products. The abrasive properties of detergents and the mechanical impact on the surfaces of the baths adversely affect the factory enamel, and make it visually unattractive. Two options come to mind - replacement or restoration of the bath. Which method is better, reviews and the financial component of the issue are described in our article.

Cast iron bath restoration

The appearance of indelible rusty stains on the bathroom indicates that the service life of the factory enamel has come to an end. Complete bathtub replacement? But this procedure is technically difficult and expensive. New materials and technologies will allow refresh the surface of plumbing in the shortest possible time, and this:

Financial savings. Modern plumbing will cost a new owner a lot of money. Let's add to this list: dismantling of the old bathroom, transportation, installation of new plumbing.
Minimum terms. The practicing master will hand over the work in a time not exceeding the mark of 5 hours, and after 48 hours you can use the updated equipment.
Quality. The durability of the product, and this depends on the material used and the method of restoration, is 10-15 years.
Color variation. Often acrylic enamel is produced in white. At the request of the client, by adding color paste, you can get a shade of the bathroom for every taste.

And of course, it is worth mentioning the most important feature of a cast-iron bath - the ability keep warm for a long time. All of the above reasons point to one thing - " No" replacement, " Yes" restoration.

What methods of restoration of cast-iron bathtubs exist

So, we found out that a complete replacement of plumbing in the bathroom will cost us a considerable amount, and besides, it is a waste of personal time.

Let's consider three options for restoration, which, for the optimal price, will give us excellent result:

acrylic coating. A new method by which a liquid acrylic solution (pouring method) is applied to the surface of the bath. Obtained layer characteristics:

Lifetime. Depending on the thickness of the layer, it is cured from 8 to 15 years.
Perfect coverage. The composition spreads well, filling all cracks and irregularities.
Odor free and hygienic. The bath can be taken by both children and allergy sufferers.

New layer of enamel. Applying special enamel to the surface of the bath will remind many of the painting process. The cheapness and simplicity of the method lower the physical properties of the updated product:

Durability. New enamel will last no more than 5 years.
Coating. The resulting hard coating is sensitive to impacts.
Appearance. With time , the enamel will definitely turn yellow.

Acrylic liner. An acrylic liner is laid on the old surface, which completely repeats its contours. Advantages:

Life time. The strength of acrylic gives the product a service life of up to 15 years.
Surface. The "bath-to-bath" design completely hides all defects.
Aesthetic look. Acrylic will never turn yellow, and the plasticity of the material allows you to add new design elements to the bathroom.

Restoration of bathtubs with liquid acrylic

When using liquid acrylic, even in the most neglected cases, you can get an excellent result, and the surface of the bath will become smooth and glossy. In addition to acrylic, the composition of the mixture includes: epoxy resin, hardener and chemical additives that increase the characteristics of the new surface.

Restoration stages:

Surface preparation. Scratches are polished with sandpaper, rust and chips are removed with a grinder. Debris is removed, the surface is treated with baking soda - degreasing.
Enamelling. The bathtub can be washed with hot water. A thin layer of the mixture is poured in a small layer onto the side of the structure. Acrylic flows freely along the walls of the bath and joins at the bottom. The resulting voids at the bottom are also filled with liquid until the circle closes.

Do not try to deal with streaks and influxes - this can only damage. When dry (hardening process lasts up to 24 hours), all errors will disappear.

In this video, specialist restorer Artem Babenko will tell and show how he restores a bathtub using liquid acrylic:

Restoration of bathtubs by applying a new layer of enamel

Ideally, enameling takes place in industrial conditions, but special compositions that have recently appeared allow this to be done at home. As a result, you can get a new protective coating without dismantling the bath.

Preparatory work. Contaminants that have settled on the surface of the bath must be removed. The container of the restored structure must be thoroughly washed and dried.
Enamel application. Enamel tools are chosen to your taste. It can be a roller, brush, etc. During operation, the solution should be carefully rubbed to prevent the appearance of streaks.

After at least two days, the enamel will completely harden, and the bath will be ready for use.

Restoration of bathtubs with acrylic liner

The two restoration methods described above are labor intensive. What to do if you need to get results in a short time? To do this, there is a “bath to bath” method - installing an acrylic liner on an old surface will allow you to enjoy the updated plumbing in two hours.

Preparatory work. The dimensions of the old bathroom are carefully carried out, the appropriate frame is selected. The enamel of the old coating is carefully protected with sandpaper - the roughness allows the liner to adhere as accurately as possible to the old bathroom.
Installation. A sealant is applied around the perimeter of the bathroom (protection from moisture), the rest is filled with special foam. An acrylic tab is installed, and with it a siphon and screws.

For thorough gluing, water should be drawn into the bath - under the influence of the load, the foam will not be able to lift the liner up. Everything is ready, and after two hours you can take water procedures.

Do-it-yourself bath restoration at home

All the methods described in our article do not require the installation of a bathroom, and the work is done at home. Doing the restoration yourself, or inviting a specialist is everyone's business.

Consider the important points to pay attention to when restoring bathtubs at home:

Foreign objects.	Whatever the work is in vain, it is necessary to completely secure any possibility of foreign objects getting on the drying surface of the bath: washcloths, creams, soaps, shampoos should be hidden. Remember - even a hair falling on the enamel can spoil the work done.
Proper surface preparation.	An improperly prepared surface of an old bathtub can cause the new layer to swell or chip away. Only conscientious cleaning (grinder, drill, sandpaper) and degreasing (baking soda) will achieve an excellent result.
Preparation of liquid acrylic.	After adding the hardener to the main components, stir the mixture with a whisk for at least 7-9 minutes. Then give the acrylic about 4-5 minutes to polymerize, and for another 5 minutes, mix the resulting solution manually. If the acrylic is not properly prepared, the enamel may not harden or turn yellow in places.

The best way to get rid of the waste of personal time and considerable financial investments to replace the unattractive appearance of the enamel of sanitary ware is to restore the bathtub. Which way is better, reviews and a great opportunity to save an old cast iron bathroom will allow you to make the right choice.

Video lesson: restoring the coating in the bath

In this video, master Evgeny Pogrebnoy will tell you how to restore an old, rusty bathroom coating with self-leveling acrylic:

Any bath loses its former novelty over time: the color fades, an unpleasant roughness appears, the enamel cracks ... If your bath has lost its beauty, it is not necessary to spend money on a new one. Restoring an old bath is not difficult, especially since you can choose the most suitable method.

Before proceeding with the restoration of the bath, you need to make sure that it is subject to renewal, and not disposal.

The bath can be updated if:

the enamel has become rough;
there are shallow cracks, scratches and chips of enamel;
the color faded and became a dirty yellow.

If the body of your bath is deformed, or deep cracks have formed in it, no restoration will help here.

Enamelling

Cast-iron baths are available in almost all apartments in the post-Soviet space. These are reliable non-lifting structures that are easier to repair than replace, which is what we will do today.

Enamel on such bathrooms wears out for several reasons. First, it is too long. As a rule, enamel lasts about 10-15 years with proper use. If the apartment, for example, was built back in the days of the USSR, then the “natural death” of enamel should have come oh so long ago. Therefore, if you got such a “treasure”, you must immediately restore the cast-iron bath. Secondly, during operation, household chemicals, sometimes very aggressive, are used to clean the surface. Slowly but surely, they destroy the enamel and bring the repair time closer.

Restoring a smooth enamel coating at home is quite simple. It is enough just to purchase the necessary tools and materials and get to work.

Tools and materials:

drill with grinding nozzle;
abrasive powder;
rust solvent (you can buy a special product in the store or get rid of rust with a “folk” remedy - Coca-Cola);
sandpaper;
degreaser;
lint-free rags;
natural bristle brush (flat);
gloves;
respirator;
two-component enamel.

Working process:

Congratulations, you've restored your bathtub! However, do not rush to bathe - before using it is better to wait about a week for the enamel to harden properly. Such a coating is "enough" for 6-10 years, depending on the quality of the enamel used.

liquid acrylic

This is a relatively "young" way, which, nevertheless, has already gained popularity around the world because of its speed, convenience and durability. You just need to call the master, and literally in an hour you can enjoy the view of the snow-white renovated bathroom! But we have gathered here because it is not in our rules to spend money on the services of masters. Restoring a bathtub with your own hands using acrylic is as easy as shelling pears.

First, a few words about this very acrylic. This is a special high-strength composition called glass. Stakryl is a two-component acrylic (acrylic and fixative) that is specially designed for bathtubs. That is, when buying stacryl, you simply cannot make a mistake, while enamel can be used for cars, for water pipes, and for painting wood. Stakryl forms a dense film with a thickness of 4-6 mm, which does not allow water to pass through and has excellent performance characteristics.

Advantages of glass:

viscosity;
fluidity (the composition quickly envelops and is distributed over the surface);
slow polymerization (low hardening rates help to carry out restoration with high quality and without haste);
protection against mechanical damage (in a frozen form, you can not be afraid that the composition will break off from an accidental impact).

Working process:

Prepare the surface of the bath in the same way as in the case of enamelling.
Disconnect the siphon and place a plastic container under the drain (you can cut off a five-liter bottle). Acrylic will flow there.
Prepare the acrylic mixture according to the instructions on the package and start pouring it in a thin stream over the rim of the tub. As soon as the mixture drains to the middle of the height of the sides, begin to slowly move along the perimeter. When you return to the starting point, repeat the procedure again, starting from the middle of the tub.
You need to pour acrylic continuously, so you need to immediately make sure that the container is of the appropriate size. In this case, it is better not to save money, since it is much more difficult to redo mistakes after improper handling of glass than to restore an ordinary enamelled bath.

Polymerization takes from two to four days, depending on the type of composition. It is best to take your time and choose acrylic with a long curing time (the longer the better). In this case, it will be much stronger and last much longer than quick-drying formulations. The service life of the acrylic coating is about 20 years.

Video on how to restore a bath with acrylic:

Liner or "bath to bath"

The most elementary, but at the same time the most expensive way to restore a bathtub. Its essence is as follows: the surface of the bath is smeared with glue and a thin "cast" of identical sizes is inserted into it. Everything seems simple, but you can only get such an insert at the factory where the baths are made. If you live next door to one of these businesses, or if you happen to own one, the following instructions are written just for you!

Working process:

Now you know how to restore the bath yourself. As a good parting word, we can only advise you not to limit yourself to the standard white color, but to choose the shade of enamel in accordance with the interior or your own fantasies. So, black bathtubs look very impressive, but it should be warned that this is a “capricious” color that requires constant care. Blue and green colors will allow you to relax and unwind, and orange will instantly cheer you up!

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:

Add the hardener to the acrylic container and mix well.
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:

Treat the area with a rust converter, then clean the surface with a powder.
Degrease the surface with acetone.
Lubricate the chip with putty for cars and sand.
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:

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.
After cleaning, the surface should be rinsed with plenty of water.
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.
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.

During the repair, you want to restore order everywhere, including in the bathroom. A new wall covering, a beautiful ceiling, fresh plumbing… There is only one important nuance - an old bathtub with a terrible yellowed and cracked coating, on the surface of which there can be quite terrible black chips. This element of convenience in an apartment is not so easy to change as it seems, and it is an expensive pleasure. But there is a way out. A coating that has lost its appearance can be restored, and quite quickly and cheaply. In this case, it will be easy to cope without the help of professionals. Restoring the enamel coating of a bathroom with your own hands is quite realistic and does not require a huge amount of money.

Why "save" the bath?

Before you know how to revive the old bathroom flooring without completely replacing it, you need to figure out why restore it at all. Why not just buy and install a new one?

A new bathroom costs a lot of money, and especially a high-quality, cast-iron one. Of course, you can buy an ordinary metal one, but it gives a certain discomfort to the residents living in the apartment: filling with water is accompanied by a loud sound that even neighbors hear in thin-walled houses.

You still need to manage to install a new bath, while dismantling the old one. And it's not as easy as it seems. Such work will entail a large amount of garbage, besides heavy. At the same time, women will not be able to cope with it - in any case, strong male hands are needed and those who dismantle everything will endure. And just apply a new enamel coating can, probably, everyone.

Fortunately, the factory enamel in the bathtub is quite durable, and some apartment owners do not even have to deal with such a procedure as its restoration. This can be achieved thanks to a special technology by which the application takes place. The blank of the bath is subjected to strong heating and only then is covered with a protective coating, that is, enamel. In theory, it can last for centuries, but due to the constant cleaning and treatment of the bath, this does not happen. On the contrary, the bath slowly but surely loses its appearance, the enamel turns yellow and becomes not smooth to the touch, but rough.

Yes, enamel is needed not only for beauty - it also protects the bath from the effects of various aggressive factors (for example, cleaning products, water of different temperatures). Without enamel, the metal loses some of its qualities - for example, at the site of damage, the cast iron will begin to rust, and the rust will spread further and further, destroying the product.

Attention! If damage to the enamel is not repaired in a timely manner, then rust can destroy the entire product or drastically change the appearance of the bath.

Of course, it is impossible to create factory conditions in an apartment and ideally restore the enamel, too. But it can still be reapplied, which will help return the bath to a beautiful and neat appearance. And this is without unnecessary financial and physical costs.

Note! , applied at home on its own, will not be able to serve as long as the factory one, but it is still capable of turning your old bath into a new one for quite a long time. But you need to handle it with care - it is less resistant to mechanical / chemical influences and can even change color due to contact with certain substances.

In general, now there are the following methods for restoring the appearance of the bathroom.

acrylic coating- the so-called bulk bath. The inner part of the structure is filled with liquid acrylic.
Acrylic liner- sold in hardware stores or made to order. Placed in the bath.
Replacing an old bathtub with a new one.
enamel coating- simply put, applying special paint to the inner surface of the bowl.

What will be needed?

In order to carry out restoration work, you will need certain materials and tools:

respirator;
brush, roller for applying enamel;
old clothes or apron;
rubber gloves;
grinder or sandpaper;
old rags;
primer;
acetone;
bath restoration kit - in other words, bath enamel.

Now on the construction market there is a large selection of different enamels for bathtubs, aimed at both professionals and home craftsmen. At the same time, if you are a beginner, then it is better to purchase the simplest option - it does not require special skills to use. Such enamels are sold both in aerosol cans and in cans (applied with a brush or a small roller).

Note! It is best to use the composition that is intended for application with a brush - it perfectly covers the old coating, it is easy to work with. Aerosol products are chosen when it is necessary to restore a small chip - the enamel in this case lies unevenly.

A bathtub restoration kit usually consists of two components - a hardener and the enamel itself. There should also be a preparation that will help prepare the bath itself for painting. By the way, replacing the enamel is a great option for choosing a new bath color. The latter can be painted in blue, red, green and other colors using special colors.

Table. Bath restoration kits.

Name	Description
"Reaflex-50"	This set is aimed at professionals, it is very liquid, so it will be difficult for a beginner to work with it. To close the old coating, you will need to apply the composition several times. Restoration of the bath will take at least a week, as each layer must be thoroughly dried. But the coverage is excellent.
"Svetlana and Fantasy"	These are enamels of medium density, they are easy to apply, without much spreading, which is optimal for an inexperienced restorer. Easy to apply with a brush. The kit also includes a preparation that treats the surface of the bath before starting work. You can use special colors.
"Epoksin-51"	Thick, rather viscous enamel, which is applied with a brush - in the density lies the whole complexity of the work. At the same time, the enamel spreads perfectly, leaving no streaks. Does not require pre-spackling. Dry for at least 2 days.
	A group of drugs that are not inherently enamel. They cover the surface well, are applied easily - just pour the bath with this product.

Preparing the bath for the procedure

Before proceeding with the coating of the bathtub with new enamel, it is imperative to prepare the surface to be treated. It should become smooth and as light as possible.

Step 1. The bath is cleaned of rust. This will help special preparations based on acids. Many of them are quite effective. For example, a preparation based on hydrochloric acid will remove red spots in just 10 minutes, but it will also destroy all the remaining enamel in whole pieces. It is also important to rinse this product well from the surface of the bath and be sure to follow the instructions for use. There are also more gentle preparations that are not so fast, but still effectively cope with rust. Oxalic acid-based products work well, acting more accurately than hydrochloric acid-based preparations. Preparations of the latter type are washed off with water after 30-40 minutes.

Step 2 Next, you need to make the surface of the bath rough from the inside - either sandpaper or a grinder is used for this. The latter will greatly speed up the work. It is important to clean all chips and cracks well.

Step 3 After working with a grinder, it is necessary to wash off all dust and dirt from the surface of the bath. After that, the surface is degreased with acetone.

Step 4 The next stage is the application of a primer, for example, GF-020. The layer of this substance should be well dried for about two days.

Advice! A reflector will help speed up the drying process. And by the way, it is not necessary to apply a primer.

Step 5 Now you should warm up the bath well - hot water is drawn into it. But you can also use a building hair dryer - in this case, you do not need to additionally dry the bath.

The bathtub is now ready for resurfacing.

Enamel bath

We continue restoration work. Now we move on to coating the bathtub with enamel from the inside.

Step 1. The restoration kit is prepared for use in accordance with the instructions. The enamel should be well mixed to a homogeneous mass.

Step 2 Using a brush, the enamel is applied in long or short strokes. Long top down and bottom up, and then right-left or short bottom-up-right-left. Corners, areas near drain holes are carefully stained.

Step 3 Thus, the enamel is applied several times. Each of the layers must be thoroughly dried in accordance with the instructions.

Bath enamel prices

bath enamel

Video - Enamel bath

Chips and scratches

To restore the former beauty of the enamel, it is not always necessary to resort to drastic measures and paint the entire bath. Sometimes it's enough just to repair chips and scratches. To do this is not so difficult.

For example, a mixture of dry white with BF-2 glue will help get rid of small scratches. It is simply applied to those places where there is little damage. At the same time, it should be applied in several layers so that the latter does not protrude above the surface of the main enamel coating. It is convenient to apply the substance with a regular brush.

For deeper chips, a preparation based on nitro enamel is suitable, to which "Supercement" is added - a special construction adhesive. The mixture is prepared in a ratio of 1:1. The resulting substance is also applied in layers, each of which is given time to dry (approximately 24 hours).

Also, a mixture of zinc white with epoxy (1: 2) will help to cope with severe damage. After mixing the epoxy according to the rules, the remaining components are added to it. Zinc white can be easily replaced with fragments of porcelain. Such a mixture applied to the cleavage site will dry for at least 5 days, but it will serve for many years.

When carrying out these works, it is worth making sure that the color of the enamel and paint with which the scratch will be restored match. Otherwise, the bath will be spotty.

And finally - a few valuable and useful tips.

Attention! All chemicals used in restoration work are poisonous and hazardous to health, so personal safety measures cannot be neglected. If the work is done incorrectly, there is a high risk of getting to the hospital.

Restoration of a bathtub with the replacement of old enamel with a new one is a completely independently feasible way to restore the product to its former beauty. At the same time, the new coating will serve for at least 5 years with a careful attitude towards itself. Of course, later you will have to paint the bath again, but considering how much cheaper this type of work is than all the others, it is definitely worth it. By the way, an important factor affecting the long service life of enamel is the chemical composition of water. It is also desirable to take this into account when choosing a method for restoring a bathtub.

Restoration is a great chance to change the color of the bath

During the operation of a cast-iron bath, due to certain circumstances, damage to the enamel may occur due to mechanical impact and, as a result, the formation of rust spots. The appearance of the bath becomes unaesthetic and the owner faces several ways to solve this problem, one of which is a do-it-yourself restoration.

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Although this procedure is time-consuming, significant financial savings are achieved, the decoration of walls and floors is not disturbed during dismantling, and the usual reliable, but updated bathtub remains.

Can a bathtub be refurbished?

It should be understood that it is possible to restore the bath only if there are no clearly rotten areas that cannot be repaired. This applies to the bottom near the drain and where water constantly remains. On the front, the enamel may be in good condition, but the rust that has penetrated through the damaged coating may have rusted the cast iron. As a result, the thickness of the metal is not able to provide the same performance characteristics. Maintainability can be assessed by stripping the old enamel, and then by tapping on the surface with a wooden or rubber mallet, identify problem areas.

How do you clean up an old bathtub?

Cleaning of old enamel is best done by applying abrasive powder to the surface and rubbing or grinding wheel. Use abrasive nozzles on an electric drill should be in cases of deep penetration of rust into the metal layer. In this case, it is desirable to perform circular or translational movements of the working part of the tool along the surface so as not to accidentally grind off the extra layer. Restorative formulations that are applied directly to the affected areas are also suitable. When the cleaned dirt accumulates, it is removed. The procedure is carried out until the coating is removed, that is, to a shiny cast-iron surface.

Application of acrylic

Full or partial restoration of enamel?

This issue is considered in each case individually, since it is necessary to take into account the condition of the enamel, the service life and the amount of damage. If small chips were received during the delivery or installation of a new bathtub, then local treatment can be performed. But even in this case, there may be problems with the selection of color tonality and the creation of a certain thickness of the coating. That is, traces of recovery will be, albeit a little, but noticeable. Once the rust spots are removed, the contrast will be more pronounced as the enamel has taken on a yellowish tint. Therefore, under the conditions of taking quick measures to preserve the metal, it is possible to perform partial processing and finishing, but to obtain the quality of the coating, a complete restoration is done.

Bath surface preparation for painting

After removing the enamel and removing rust, wash off the remnants of the coating and crumbs with water. Then the surface is degreased by applying special chemical mixtures that are neutral to cast iron, by rubbing with a soft, dry cloth.

Note!

When inspecting the bath, the wall thickness is checked and the possibility of further operation is determined.

Before applying a new coating, warm the bath with poured hot water for 15 minutes. Then the water is drained, and the inner surface for painting is wiped dry with a soft cloth. As a result, the surface should remain free of lint, dust and other foreign matter.

Application of acrylic coating

One of the easiest ways to create the perfect bathtub cover is to pour an acrylic solution onto the surface - glass. It is a two-component mixture of hardener and acrylic. When applied to the surface, the composition polymerizes and forms a thin uniform layer with a thickness of up to 5 mm. It has different degrees of viscosity and fluidity, which allows you to select with high accuracy the necessary option for creating layers of a given thickness. Also, for beginners, delayed polymerization will be convenient, which gives a little time to eliminate minor errors.

How to create an acrylic coating

Prepare the mixture according to the instructions.
Take a container and fill it with liquid acrylic.
The mixture is slowly poured onto the edges of the bath until it reaches about the middle of the wall height, after which the jet is moved further along the perimeter.
After passing the entire perimeter, the procedure is repeated starting from the middle until a continuous coating is formed.

acrylic coating

Advantages and disadvantages of bulk coating

Acrylic coating has high strength and therefore is able to protect the bathtub from external mechanical influences and significantly increase the service life. The method of its application is quite simple and even in the absence of experience in carrying out such work, difficulties will not arise. The coating is even and thick enough, due to the ability to fill in irregularities and minor surface defects. When applied, there are no pungent odors and therefore it is not necessary to use protective respiratory equipment. However, the drying time can be at least three days. Restoring an old cast-iron bath in this way will be very expensive.

Types of enamels for painting

This method is classic and successfully used for budgetary restoration of the enamel coating of bathtubs. There are two types of enamels: professional and regular. The first is used by specialists with extensive experience in enamelling. This is due to the fact that the composition of the mixture has a high fluidity and in order to apply a layer of a certain thickness, it will be necessary to paint in several layers. At each stage, a layer of the same thickness is created without streaks and streaks. With experience, it is possible to perform partial restoration of the old coating with high accuracy. Ordinary enamel is thicker and the entire coating is painted at a time, but with minor errors.

Coating

The process of applying enamel to the bath

First you need to prepare the necessary composition of the mixture. To do this, it is poured into two containers for mixing two portions in equal quantities, since the restoration of the cast-iron bathtub with enamel is carried out in two layers. The first part is mixed with the hardener in the amount described in the instructions for use. Then pour it into the sprayer and evenly apply the first layer of enamel to the surface. This procedure can be performed with a brush, but it will take more time to create a layer of a given thickness. After that, wait until it dries and immediately apply a second layer in the same way. The bathroom can be used no earlier than after 7 days.

Using the Bath Liner

The method is a radical solution in cases where the state of the cast-iron bath has been brought to a non-operational state: there are rusty holes or significant surface damage, and the owner decided that it is better to restore it than to replace it with a new one. A special liner is an acrylic frame that is inserted into the cast-iron bath and glued to a special adhesive.

Note!

The insert is made in the factory according to individual sizes, so it will be extremely expensive.

In place, they are adjusted to the level, smeared with glue, put into the bath, and smeared with sealant on top. A day later, the bath is ready for use.

Conclusion

Restoration of the operational state of the bath requires an analysis of the economic feasibility of such an event. It includes the amount of time spent, the experience of carrying out such work and the availability of the necessary tools. Therefore, before restoring a cast-iron bath, its condition is assessed and a choice of possible methods for applying enamel is made.

Do-it-yourself cast-iron bath restoration video:

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