Restoring a cast iron bathtub

A bathtub, like any other product, loses its attractive appearance over time. Chips, scratches, and cracks form on the surface of the bowl. At the same time, replacing a bathtub is a rather troublesome undertaking, and purchasing new plumbing equipment can create a noticeable gap in the family budget.

Several options for restoring the surface of a cast iron bathtub can help in this situation. Specialists often resort to them, but you can cope with the restoration of the bowl on your own.

All methods for restoring a cast iron bathtub at home

There are several ways to restore your plumbing fixtures to an attractive appearance:

1. Installation of a new liner. The main advantage of this option is ease of installation
2. *++. Even a person who has no experience working with plumbing can handle the job. The disadvantage of installation is that it is often difficult to choose an insert that is suitable in shape and size. If you have a bathtub of a non-standard shape, this method will not suit you.
3. Painting with a special composition. To do this, use a sprayer or a paint brush.
4. "Fluid bath." The method allows you to restore bathtubs of a wide variety of shapes. You can do this yourself.

In this case, an important step in each option is surface preparation:

1. The surface must be well prepared, so the old coating should be completely removed. It is optimal if the layer is removed before priming. To do this, you can use coarse sandpaper or a sander.
2. The entire surface of the tank must be thoroughly cleaned of old coating.
3. Dirt, dust, and enamel fragments should be removed.
4. If there are deep defects, they must be eliminated using automotive putty.
5. You also need to remove the tap and dismantle the drain.
6. The washing machine, sink and other interior items should be covered, and the surfaces adjacent to the tank should be sealed with masking tape.

Only after this can you begin restoring the plumbing.

How to update a cast iron bathtub using enamel yourself

The method is quite simple, so you can do it yourself. At the same time, you can enamel not only the bathtub, but also sinks, shower trays and other plumbing fixtures.

It is worth understanding that enamel is not ordinary paint, but a complex chemical composition of various polymers. You also need to know that such enamel is not similar in quality to factory enamel, and the application technology itself eliminates the baking step in an oven. Therefore, the new coating will last 2-3 years.

How to do:

1. First you need to prepare the composition. To do this, pour the base and hardener into a deep container and mix thoroughly. The exact information is indicated on the packaging of the composition.
2. Using a brush or velor roller, carefully apply the product to the entire surface of the tank. First make horizontal strokes, then vertical ones. This must be done carefully so that there are no unpainted areas left.
3. While the first layer has not dried, apply the second using a similar technology.Blend the resulting enamel stains with a brush.
4. The bottom of the bowl must be covered with an additional layer of solution.
5. The last step is drying. It should only happen naturally. Therefore, there is no need to speed up the process with a hairdryer - this will cause the coating to dry unevenly. The composition dries completely within a week.

Important! If you decide to use a brush, soak it in water for 24 hours. This way the stubble will not come out of it. The enamel has a pungent smell of chemicals, so the restoration of the bathtub must be carried out using a respirator.

Restoration with acrylic or self-leveling bath

“Fluid bath” is a modern way to restore the surface. Despite its novelty, the technology quickly gained popularity, because it is easy to do on your own, and the new coating will last for 10-15 years.

To carry out restoration work, follow the following recommendations:

1. For convenience, pour the acrylic into a suitable container and place it on the bottom of the tank - this way you will not stain the surfaces adjacent to the bowl.
2. Starting from the corners of the bowl, pour acrylic in a thin stream onto the surface of the reservoir. The composition has a thick consistency, so it flows evenly down the sides and bottom of the product.
3. Apply several layers of acrylic.
4. Take a spatula and carefully level the composition. This must be done starting from the middle of the tank and to its bottom. You must completely cover up all the resulting gaps. To do this, lift the acrylic from the bottom of the bowl and spread it evenly with a spatula.
5. The final stage is drying. The coating must dry completely, so the plumbing fixtures cannot be used for three days.

Reference! The density of the acrylic composition allows not only to restore the original appearance of the plumbing fixtures, but also to eliminate unevenness on its surface.

You can restore the surface of the bathtub and return it to its original appearance without resorting to the services of a specialist. In addition, this will save the family budget, because replacing plumbing fixtures is an expensive undertaking.