How to paint the bath with enamel at home?

Unfortunately, there is nothing eternal and permanent in this world, respectively - the bath is no exception. Over time, even with

due care, its surface begins to fade, becomes covered with plaque and stains of rust, and the presence of chips only aggravates the problem. In order not to spend money on buying a new one, you can paint the bath with enamel at home. This is a fairly simple process, with the help of which you can not only restore it, but also give a completely new design.

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What to do: paint or buy?

To begin with, that the independent restoration of the bath will cost you several times cheaper than the acquisition of new plumbing. Thus, you will not only give a new life to the old bathroom, but also significantly strengthen its surface, than extend the duration of operation. In addition, painted plumbing looks completely like new.

In order for your bath to have enough time after painting, you should adhere to the following rules:

• Try as little as possible or not soak your laundry in the bathroom at all.
• Carefully choose detergents, as strong ones have a destructive effect on the painted surface.
• Do not fill the bath with water and leave for a long time.

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We paint a cast-iron bathtub at home

The restoration of a cast-iron bath should be carried out in the following cases:

1. If the surface has mechanical damage or various types of cracks and chips.
2. Yellowed enamel resulting from improper care.

If you decide to restore the method of painting the bathroom, then you should take into account its advantages and disadvantages.

The main advantages of self-painting the bathroom:

• Paint is much cheaper than acquiring new plumbing and installing it.
• Due to the rich assortment of various colors and textures, you can choose exactly the tone that fits perfectly into the interior of the bathroom.
• You have the opportunity to carry out the painting process yourself without involving outsiders.
• This procedure does not require much time and physical effort.

Minuses

Unfortunately, in addition to advantages, there are a number of disadvantages:

• Before interior painting, a number of preparatory work is necessary - leveling and priming.
• The need to treat all surfaces with an antifungal agent.
• Unpleasant and pungent smell of paint.
• Chips remain fairly visible.

Important! It should be noted that the average life of the paint on the surface of the bath is from 10 months to 3 years, taking into account the correct application.

Choose paint

High-quality painting of a cast-iron bathtub at home completely depends on the paint you choose. To date, the best option is to use an enamel spray, which greatly simplifies the painting process.

Important! It should always be remembered that enamel is a toxic substance. Therefore, beginners are not recommended to paint using sprays.

Also, when painting is often used acrylic. It is very easy to use, so even a layman can work with it.This is due to the fact that acrylic paints spread on the surface in a uniform layer, so the thickness of the coating will be the same everywhere.

To date, for painting a cast-iron bath inside, the following coloring mixtures are the most popular:

• Jobi. This is a fairly high-quality and resistant paint. Due to the fact that it has a moisture resistant property, it is an ideal option for the bathroom. Its main advantage lies in the budget price position.
• Tikkurila. One of the most famous brands. In this case, it is better to choose Luja, since the composition of this mixture is not only paint, but also the primer.
• Dulux. It is a leader among manufacturers of coatings. For painting the bathroom, you should pay attention to the “Dulux Realife Kitchen & Bathroom”.

Important! It is forbidden to use oil compositions and car paints for painting the bathroom. Besides the fact that they contribute to the further destruction of the base coat, they also harm health.

It should also be taken into account that the materials used, which are used to paint the inner and upper surfaces, are significantly different from each other.

How to paint a cast-iron bathtub outside?

For these purposes, it is better to use alkyd-based materials with a thick consistency.

Important! For external painting of the bathtub, two-component paints can also be used - such as for internal work.

Alkyd coloring mixtures have several advantages:

• Given the fact that the external surface of the bathroom is not so exposed to moisture, such mixtures are quite durable.
• Low price position.
• Lightness and speed in application.
• Dries out within a day.

Required Inventory

In order to paint the bath at home, you will need the following materials and tools:

• Roller or brush;

Important! The brush should be exclusively made from natural bristles.

• Drill;
• Grinding nozzle;
• Paint knife;
• Tweezers;
• Acetone or a special solvent;
• Rags (it should be lint-free).

Work sequence

The process of painting the bath can be divided into three stages.

Stage 1. Preparatory work

Before painting the bath at home, a series of preparations should be made. This is necessary in order for the paint to set well and lay evenly:

• We clean the surface. This should be done using alkaline chemistry. After using it, it is necessary to rinse well and wipe the surface dry.

Important! Alkaline chemistry very strongly burns the skin of the hands, so always use gloves when working.

• Degrease. In this case, special chemical compounds will come to help you, you can even use automobile ones.

Important! For degreasing, you can use the usual Fairy dishwashing. The process of degreasing this product should be carried out 3-4 times in a row.

• Top layer removal. You can completely remove all the enamel or only the top layer - this is purely your choice. This procedure should be performed using an electric drill with a grinding nozzle.
• Clean the bath again and dry it naturally or with a hairdryer.
• Already apply a primer to a dry surface with a roller.

Stage 2. The staining process

After the primer has completely dried, the process of painting the bathroom can begin:

1. First, paint over the sides by applying a thick layer of paint on them, after which it will gradually drain.
2. The side walls of the bathroom should be painted in the same way, only taking into account the previously applied layer.
3. Your next task is to evenly distribute the paint around the perimeter.

Important! Use a paint roller for painting. This will greatly facilitate and speed up the process.

Stage 3. Drying

Once you are finished, the bathroom should be closed for 10 to 24 hours to dry. This is necessary so that various contaminants and villi do not get on the painted surface.

Important! The complete drying process lasts about 5 days, so you can’t use the bathroom all this time.

We will also consider other options for how to restore a bath at home.

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Restoring the bath with epoxy enamel

This is the oldest and most practiced method. The application process resembles the same painting. The difference lies only in different composition. Today, epoxy enamel is divided into two categories:

1. For professional use (they are very liquid and require application in several layers);
2. For self-restoration (this option is quite thick, which facilitates the work).

Important! Enamel, which is produced in spray cans, is very short-lived, and it lasts only for one year, after which it is necessary to carry out the process again.

The main advantages of this method:

• Cheap material;
• There is no need to dismantle the bathroom;
• Suitable for both cast iron and steel bathtubs.

Minuses

In addition to the advantages, a number of disadvantages that are inherent in this restoration method should be taken into account:

• Long drying time - about a week;
• Quite a long and laborious painting process;
• Strong and unpleasant odor;
• Shock-sensitive coating;
• Short term of operation;
• Does not hide various surface defects;
• Over time, it begins to turn yellow.

Tools for work

In order to carry out the restoration of the bathtub using enamel, you will need the following materials:

• Roller or spray gun - for applying professional enamel, or a flute brush - for self-application;
• Tweezers;
• Drill;
• Grinding nozzle.

Completing of the work

The restoration process is divided into several stages:

• Preparatory work. They are exactly the same as before painting: clean, degrease, remove the top coat, primer.
• Before application, prepare the mixture according to the instructions.

Important! Do not use the entire composition at once, do the painting in batches. This is due to the fact that the enamel sets very quickly, and the application process is quite lengthy.

• In order to apply enamel to the surface, you need to moisten the brush abundantly. After that, draw a vertical strip from bottom to edge. Next, wipe the enamel on the sides. Tint the second strip so that when rubbing it reaches the already-treated area. The application process occurs as if overlapping. Thus, the first layer is applied. Allow the mixture to seize and immediately proceed to apply the second.

Important! In the process of applying the mixture on the surface, streaks may occur. If this happened, then you can remove them by making the smear with a clean brush to the place of smearing. As for the influxes, they must be removed after the enamel has cured using an assembly or painting knife.

• The composition will dry about 3-7 days. You can withstand even more time, as this helps to strengthen the new coating and extends its operational life.

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We use acrylic

Today it is the most popular method. You can buy this mixture on sale under the name “Stakril”.

The advantages of this method include:

• Durability (can last on the surface for about 10 years);
• Ease of application;
• Forms an attractive glossy finish;
• There is no unpleasant odor.

The disadvantages are:

• If there is a scratch in some place, then the rapid destruction and chipping of the acrylic layer will begin;
• High price;
• Long drying - from 2 to 3 days.

Tools for work

In order to restore the bath with acrylic, you will need:

• Paint roller or flute brush;
• Flexible spatula;
• Tweezers;
• Drill with a grinding nozzle.

Restoration order:

• Preparatory work. They are the same as when painting.
• Application of acrylic composition. It is best applied in a spiral spiral fashion from the walls of the bath to the drain. This is due to the fact that this mixture is very liquid.

Important! Non-flooded areas you can fill with a flexible spatula.

• To dry, leave a bath for 2-3 days. The room must be closed. This is necessary so that dust and fibers do not get on the surface.

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Method “Bath to Bath”

The essence of this method is that a new acrylic insert is inserted into the old cast-iron bath, which completely takes its shape.

The main advantages of this method are:

• Perfectly even coverage;
• Very durable acrylic;
• The operational period is about 15 years;
• Lack of an unpleasant smell;
• Possibility of use in the first day after installation;
• The surface will remain white and not subject to yellowing.

The disadvantages of this method include:

• A rather high cost, which can increase if the bathtub is of a non-standard size;
• This procedure cannot be done on your own;
• In case of cracks, the mounting foam may shift;
• Due to the detachment of the liner and the constant formation of condensation, an unpleasant musty smell can form;
• The possibility of repeated restoration is excluded;
• You will have to remove part of the coating on the edges of the bath when installing the liner.

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We color plumbing in gold

Today it has become very popular to paint the bath and toilet bowl in gold. In order to possess such valuable plumbing, you should purchase only a special aerosol with gold paint.

Important! Previously, such aerosols were very expensive, since they included particles of natural gold. Modern compositions, due to the content of artificial components in them, are in no way inferior to their predecessors, but at the same time they are much lower in price.

Materials for work

For such painting you will need the following materials:

• Spray paint;
• Aerosol acrylic varnish - depending on your preferences, it can have either a glossy or matte texture;
• Masking tape;
• Lint-free rags;
• A basin of water;
• Solvent;
• Sandpaper.

The sequence of work is as follows:

• Rinse well and degrease the surface.
• If you want to create a rough structure, then at this stage you should grind the surface of the bath with fine sandpaper.
• Places which are not subject to coloring should be pasted over with masking tape.
• We begin to stain. To do this, shake the spray and distribute the paint at a distance of 30 centimeters. After 20 minutes, apply another layer.

Important! For staining “gold” should be applied at least 3-4 layers.

• After the paint has dried, it is necessary to apply varnish on top of it.

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Useful tips and tricks

In order for everything to work out, and the result will please you, we bring to your attention a few tips that will be useful to you when doing the work:

1. At the preparatory stage, it is not recommended to use products that contain chlorine.
2. Restoration of the bath is best done in the warm season.
3. During painting, try not to touch the bristles with your hands, as due to the ingress of fat in the future, the paint layer may give chips.
4. After restoration, the cuffs and gaskets should be replaced, due to the fact that the drain holes will already be compared to the walls of the bathroom.
5. It is better to apply two layers of acrylic mixture. Thus you will increase the operational life.
6. For bathtubs made of lightweight cast iron with thin walls, an insert is not recommended.
7. When staining, try to remove the faucet and shower faucet, since moisture is not recommended at this stage.

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Stock footage

If your bath has deteriorated, you do not have to immediately purchase a new one. Absolutely any plumbing can be restored and create a completely unusual design. And if you adhere to the recommendations of specialists from this article, then the finished product will serve you for more than one year.