Acrylic bath insert

The bathroom is an abode of cleanliness and order in the house, but even here it is not complete without repair and replacement of plumbing. An acrylic insert in the bathtub is one of the ways of cheaper and better repair, without replacing the bathtub itself. The problem of reinstalling the plumbing bowl often arises due to the fact that the dimensions of the bathtubs in Soviet-built apartments do not always correspond to modern standards. And whatever one may say, nothing lasts forever, and even cast-iron and steel bathtubs age over time and lose all their attractiveness. From this article you can find out what an acrylic insert is, how it differs from new bathtubs and a lot of other useful information that will be useful to anyone who has started repairs in their own bathroom.

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Acrylic liner - what is it?

This technology of bath restoration was developed in the middle of the 20th century. Its essence lies in the fact that the new bath is installed on top of the old one on a special adhesive composition, which can significantly save on repairs.

The properties of the material from which the acrylic insert is made allow you to fully copy the shape of the original, while supplementing it with the following useful properties:

1. The glossy surface and the absence of pores, which in turn prevents dirt from absorbing into the surface of the bath. As a result, the surface is always very hygienic.
2. If the bottom of your bathtub is slightly deformed, which is typical for steel and acrylic bathtubs - this is not a hindrance. The material used for the inserts very accurately follows the shape of the previous surface.
3. The acrylic insert in the bath allows you to not worry when choosing a detergent. It does not require aggressive powders, pastes, care consists in very simple measures for washing the walls with a stream of clean water, sometimes with a disinfectant.

Important! Acrylic inserts in the bathtub for repair are necessarily made in industrial conditions, on specialized equipment, in compliance with all technological standards. A slight deviation can already cause a decrease in the mechanical properties of the product and its wear resistance.

Failure to comply with the technology in the manufacture of the product may entail expensive repairs after a month of operation of the equipment. Before installation, check all the characteristics and parameters of the insert model you have chosen.

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Types of Inserts

Acrylic inserts are made by different technologies, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Consider the main ones.

Molded liner

The cast manufacturing method is based on the following technology:

1. Take a thick sheet of acrylic.
2. Heats up to the necessary temperature.
3. The necessary product is made by the method of vacuum formation, which repeats the shape of the original as much as possible.

Features and benefits:

1. This formation is performed on an aluminum matrix, which provides the gloss of the final product.
2. To lower the cost of the final product, instead of aluminum matrices, others can be used, cheaper ones from a heat-resistant synthetic composite. Externally, it is impossible to distinguish products from different matrices.

Important! In the manufacture of a product such as an acrylic insert into the bath by the cast method, there is one significant drawback.If the manufacturer uses thinner than the technology requires, the acrylic sheet of the wall of the final product may not even withstand the pressure of water. Therefore, be careful and check the thickness of the original material from the manufacturer.

ABS plastic inserts

This is a cheaper way to make acrylic bath inserts using ABS plastic. The technology is that the base made of plastic is covered with a thin layer of acrylic. The application process itself allows you to create a strong connection that cannot be disconnected.

Just like the previous manufacturing method, it has its drawbacks:

1. The thickness of the acrylic layer on the final product is no more than 2-3 mm, which causes difficulties if the bathroom needs to be polished.
2. The slightest scratch on the acrylic layer will require major repairs.

Important! Such bath inserts are much cheaper than those made entirely from acrylic, but their service life is reduced in proportion to the price.

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The benefits of using technology

Even with the risks that arise when using a recovery tool such as an acrylic insert, it is gaining more and more popularity.

Benefits that outweigh all the risks are:

1. The entire installation cycle will take only 1.5-2.5 hours, and the bath can be operated normally as soon as the next day.
2. A bath using this technology is much stronger than ordinary acrylic, the walls of the old design are a solid frame for the new.
3. The acrylic insert in the bathtub fully retains all the advantages of the aforementioned acrylic bathtubs.
4. Dismantling of old plumbing is not required.
5. The life of such equipment is equal to 20 years.
6. The cost of repair is several times lower than with a rearrangement of plumbing.

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Choose the right insert

The whole process of repairing the bathroom begins with the selection of inserts. So that the choice does not become erroneous, you need to make the right measurements, which determine the size:

1. Width and length are determined by the inside of the bath.
2. Depth is measured in the area of ​​the drain hole.

Based on these parameters, a suitable acrylic insert is selected.

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Insert Installation

Now we proceed to install the selected product. Here we will consider the answers to such questions as: is it possible to independently install the liner and how to cope with it.

Do-it-yourself installation

If you are confident in yourself and made the selection correctly, you can try to perform the installation yourself without resorting to the help of a specialist. To do this, it is important to know the technology and it is necessary to carry out preparatory operations:

1. Empty the sides of the tub to the required width and height.
2. Clean the enamel of all contaminants: grease stains, limescale and rust.

Important! After installation, do not forget that the acrylic insert in the bath should be filled to the required level with water. This is done in order to distribute the glue evenly until it dries completely.

Installation steps

Installation of an acrylic insert in a bath can be divided into several stages:

1. Preparing for installation.
2. Insert installation.
3. Drying and use.

Work sequence

Installing the liner in the bathroom requires not so much time-consuming as knowledge of the little things, in which everything goes smoothly. Consider a more detailed standard instruction:

1. We free the old bath from the drain siphon and the tiles adjacent to it.
2. Next is the preparation for installation, namely: cleaning with abrasive material, such as sandpaper. This is done in order to roughen the surface.
3. After cleaning, the bathroom is completely cleaned of dust and degreased.
4. Try on the liner, if necessary, adjust the edges of the bath.
5. Cut the drain and overflow hole. You can do this this way: outline the holes in the bathroom with a simple pencil, then make a mark on the tab so that the outlined elements are printed on it.Cut them out - this is done with a special crown.
6. Now degrease the bathroom and liner again.
7. Apply mounting foam. It is applied to the inside of the bathroom as follows: around the drain and overflow openings completely in a circle, to the bottom with stripes with a gap of 4-5 cm and vertically along the sides of the bathroom from bottom to top to the very edges of the side.
8. Insert the insert itself and push it into the bathroom. While the foam is polymerizing, we collect a siphon. Seal the space between the liner and the bathtub at the siphon installation site with silicone.
9. Fill the bathtub with 2 fingers below the overflow hole.
10. Wait for the time indicated in the instructions and the bathroom can be used.

Important! Do not forget to restore the tightness of the joints in the places where the bathroom adjoins the walls.

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Dismantling the acrylic insert

There are times when the dismantling of an acrylic insert is simply necessary. How to do it:

1. Remove the siphon.
2. Cut the liner with a grinder along and across the bathroom - you need to do this carefully so as not to damage the base on which it rests.
3. Remove the liner in parts.
4. We clean the bath from the remaining foam with a metal spatula and a drill with an abrasive nozzle.

On this, the dismantling is completed and now the bathroom is ready for the new installation or other actions that you have planned.

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Advantages and disadvantages of acrylic inserts

An acrylic bath insert is one way to restore your old bath. Like any option, it has its advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when choosing what suits you.

Benefits:

1. A sturdy frame connected to an acrylic coating increases the advantages of both types of plumbing fixtures, while reducing their disadvantages.
2. The acrylic insert in the color scheme is not limited to one tone, which allows you to bring your creative solution to the design.
3. This technology significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the bath. This, in turn, makes it possible to extend the time of water procedures without adding hot water. As a result, water savings.
4. Affordable price - this method of bath restoration will cost much less than its complete replacement.
5. The duration of use of such a bath is comparable to the use of a replaced bath.

disadvantages

With these advantages, the bathroom liner completely covers its shortcomings. They are as follows:

1. Low resistance of the insert to mechanical damage - if it is an insert made of ABS plastic.
2. If the installation technology is not followed, the acrylic insert may detach from the main bathroom.
3. Cleaning with aggressive chemicals can damage the appearance of the liner.

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Stock footage

An acrylic insert in the bathtub is a simple and inexpensive way to restore the old bathroom that has long lost all its gloss to life without replacing it. If you want to make repairs in your bathroom, without spending a lot of money, this option is ideal for you.