You have decided to renovate the bathroom. We bought all the material for him. What to do with the plumbing? If, for example, the toilet bowl and sink can be changed, but what to do with the bathroom itself? If you have it old, cast iron, and changing it is problematic. Dismantling alone is worth doing. Removing it from its place and taking it out into the street is far from easy, because a cast-iron bathtub is very, very heavy. And here you will need more than one man’s hands..
What is worth buying a new bathtub? The value of the new bathtub is quite high, and its transportation and installation is worth it. So if your bathtub has only superficial damage, that is, only the enamel coating is damaged, it makes sense to simply restore it. This can be done in several ways. Can be refurbished with enamel, pouring bath and acrylic liner.
To cover the bathtub with special enamel, it must first be properly prepared. To do this, rinse well and degrease the surface of the bath. Then we carry out the cleaning using a drill or grinder with special attachments. After cleaning the bathtub, it should be thoroughly rinsed with an alkali-containing agent and running water. We warm it up with hot water and let it dry. Then we wipe it with a solvent, warm it up again and dry it, wiping the bath with a lint-free cloth. The bath prepared for painting must be dry, matte and smooth. Your bath is now ready to be enameled. We dilute the purchased special enamel with a hardener, mix well and apply with an ordinary molar brush on the prepared surface of your bath. After applying the first layer, let it dry, then apply the second layer. It is advisable to apply three layers of coating, after which, using a cotton swab soaked in solvent, we bring the third layer to a glossy shine. But the enamel in cylinders, due to the absence of a hardener in it, leaves smudges during painting.
If the bathtub has deep cracks and chips, then simply enameling the bathtub will not work here. A more effective method is needed — a «pouring bath». We use liquid glass, which levels the surface, filling in all the voids. After repair, the cast iron bath has a flawless surface and a longer service life.
And, of course, when restoring an old cast-iron bathtub, you can use an acrylic insert. But this method is suitable when the renovation in the bathroom has not yet been completed, because you will have to knock down the tiles around the perimeter of the bath. We’ll have to invite a specialist who will measure your bathtub and prepare an insert according to the measurements. Then he will come and install the liner in your old bathtub, fix it along the sides. And your bath is ready.
Restoration of an old cast-iron bathtub means saving finances and with careful handling, the bathtub wakes you up for a long time to delight you with its impeccable appearance.
