DIY acrylic repair

In detail: do-it-yourself acrylic repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Along with metal and cast iron products, polymer plumbing is also widespread. Acrylic products are very practical, but mechanical damage can cause significant damage to the coating. Repair of acrylic bathtubs is necessary if chipping, deep cracks or even through holes appear on the plumbing.

Restoration of plumbing equipment can be implemented in the following ways:

DIY acrylic bathtub repair;
restoration of the product by specialists.

The second method is, of course, preferable, but if you want to save money, you can fix the defects of acrylic bathtubs yourself.

Before you repair an acrylic bathtub, it is worth understanding the main problems and causes of malfunctions.

The main types of damage to polymer equipment are divided into two types:

Damage resulting from mechanical impact: heavy objects falling onto the surface, burning through the coating. Also, a crack on an acrylic bathtub occurs due to the heavy load on the plumbing;
Chemical attack. Do not be surprised if the acrylic bathtub is cracked after its surface has been treated with aggressive detergents containing chlorine or oxalic acid.

In order to repair plastic bathtubs with your own hands, you will need a lot of patience and a little knowledge. All the necessary theoretical material for troubleshooting polymer equipment is in front of you. So all that remains is to act.

What to do if an acrylic bathtub is cracked? Before repairing existing defects, you should purchase materials for repair separately or buy a special repair kit.

Video (click to play).

A standard set of materials for the restoration of polymer plumbing consists of:

rubber gloves and a respirator;
a set of sandpaper;
liquid acrylic;
adhesive for polymer coatings;
polishes.

Tip: You will need glue if there are holes in the coating. Therefore, you need to have a special composition on hand so that you have something to glue the acrylic bathtub. The very method of restoring plumbing depends not only on the type of damage, but also on its size.

If an acrylic bathtub bursts or minor defects appear on the surface, the instructions for restoring the plumbing will be the same; in case of more serious damage, a different approach will be needed.

First, you need to understand how to close up an acrylic bathtub with small scratches and chips. From the materials you will need:

two-component acrylic;
epoxy adhesive;
sandpaper;
special tape;

For your information: Repair of a crack in an acrylic bathtub up to 3 mm in size is performed using epoxy glue. If the defects reach large sizes, it is worth using tape. In this case, the repair of a plastic bathtub will begin with the process of degreasing the plumbing. After that, a special tape is glued to the crack, after removing the film from it.

Repair of an acrylic bathtub with minor defects up to 5 mm in length can be carried out using only the specified materials.

Recovery instructions:

To improve the adhesion of the glue to the surface of the product, the crack boundaries are slightly expanded with a knife;
degrease the surface;
acrylic paint is diluted with a hardener;
a small amount of the resulting composition is applied to the area requiring repair;
the treated areas are sealed with tape for five to six hours;
then the film is removed, the repaired plumbing is treated with alcohol, and then polished;
polish is applied to the restored part of the plumbing to obtain a glossy coating.

Video repair of acrylic bathtubs clearly demonstrates the process of restoring the coating with minor damage. The video tells how to repair a crack in a bathroom and what materials to use during restoration.

Many people who have bought polymer plumbing are wondering: why is the acrylic bathtub swollen? In some cases, acrylic can break away from the fiberglass, i.e. swell. This can happen for a number of reasons:

Firstly, when the acrylic bathtub staggers, the load on the surface is unevenly distributed, so the acrylic can lag behind the walls of the plumbing;
Second, you might have purchased low-quality equipment that used cheap materials.

An acrylic bathtub repair technician can easily fix this problem, but since the procedure is quite simple, you can do it yourself.

Tip: You will need a special glue for gluing polymer materials. In the place of the bulge, you need to make a hole and insert glue there. After the layers are completely glued, repair work is performed to eliminate the usual crack. The algorithm for restoring the coating in case of damage of this kind has already been described earlier.

If an acrylic bathtub is leaking, it means that there is serious through damage. In this situation, not just cosmetic elimination of defects will be required, but reinforcement. If the acrylic bathtub is crooked, it is better to reinstall it, otherwise it will leak sooner or later.

If this trouble did occur, you should answer the question of how to repair an acrylic bathtub with such damage? First, you will need to get a piece of fiberglass, which will be used to seal the holes. And the process of work itself will be as follows:

the edges of the through crack should be cleaned with an ordinary knife;
damaged areas are treated with fine-grit sandpaper;
then the surface is thoroughly wiped with alcohol;
the defect is covered with a layer of epoxy resin;
after that, the product should dry out for several hours;
the sealed area must be cleaned with sandpaper;
after the surface is smooth, it should be treated with alcohol;
as soon as the surface is degreased, apply polish to a clean soft cloth and process the coating.

Take your time to throw away your plumbing if your acrylic bathtub is cracked. Often, such damage must be repaired. With high-quality work, the repaired products can last from two to five years.

Unfortunately, most people ignore the plumbing "hints" that signal trouble is approaching.

If an acrylic bathtub creaks, it means that the plumbing was originally installed incorrectly, or the walls and bottom of the equipment are very thin. But there are ways to eliminate this nuisance.
In a situation where an acrylic bathtub bends, bricks or blocks can be placed under its base. This method is suitable for those whose bathtub is covered with a plastic screen. This solution will significantly reduce the load on the inner surface of the product and avoid cracking.
Look at the purchased polymer product in sunlight, if the acrylic bathtub shows through, this is a bad sign. But you should not be upset, in such a situation you can purchase latex paint, which is applied in bulk to the plumbing coating. This will make the equipment more robust, which will reduce the risk of defects.

Many people are interested in the question, can the restored plumbing last a long time? In any case, the restoration of equipment will extend the life of polymer products for at least a couple of years. Considering the relative cheapness of the procedure, this event is quite profitable.

Having figured out how to fix an acrylic bathtub, you can easily eliminate almost any defects in polymer plumbing, carry out restoration and repair on your own. Quaril baths are restored in a similar way.

If the acrylic bathtub leaks, the damaged surface should be treated with special glue. Then the plumbing can be used for its intended purpose.

A polymer bath can be saved in almost any type of damage, so take your time to get rid of old equipment, because it can serve you for more than one year.

However, for all their advantages, lightweight acrylic bathtubs are sensitive to external influences.

The material tends to expand at high temperatures, it is easily scratched with abrasive detergents, and when heavy objects fall in such a bath, cracks or even holes can form.

Are acrylic bathtubs repairable? What to do if an acrylic bathtub bursts? Can you glue it?

Yes, baths made of polymer materials are repairable, and you can fix the crack yourself without asking for help from specialists.

However, ordinary all-purpose glue will not work for these purposes.

Since acrylic has poor adhesion properties, you will need a special moisture and heat resistant glue.

Theoretically, it is possible to block a crack or a small hole in an acrylic bathtub using any sealant, however, it should be noted that during operation, the bathtub bowl will continue to be subjected to constant mechanical deformation, as well as to high temperatures and corrosive liquids.

In this regard, refurbishment must be carried out in 2 stages: from the outside and from the inside.

First, a patch of fiberglass is glued on the back of the bath, and only after the surface has acquired structural integrity and strength, external defects on the front side are eliminated.

Accordingly, two completely different compositions are needed to seal the bathtub: two-component epoxy glue and acrylic putty.

To reinforce a cracked bath from the outside, the simplest (inexpensive) brands of epoxy glue are suitable, for example:

Contact is a universal 2-component epoxy adhesive. The composition is colorless, not afraid of moisture, the glued products can be used at high temperatures (up to 150 degrees).

The glue contains epoxy resin, composite hardener, modifying additives.

Glue "Contact" has increased fluidity, fills cracks and voids, restoring the shape of the product, does not shrink and does not expand during the curing process. Sold in a package convenient for dosage (double syringe), costs about 120 rubles;

Moment SUPER EPOXY is a universal two-component adhesive, supplied as a set of two combined tubes (epoxy resin + hardener).

The mixing ratio of the glue is 1: 1, which simplifies the process of preparing the composition.

During curing, epoxy glue from the Moment brand does not expand or shrink, it is not afraid of the effects of water and corrosive liquids. After application, the glue hardens within 5 minutes, and after an hour it finally sets.

Seal the crack on the outside of the acrylic bathtub a special repair kit will help, which is sold in plumbing stores, includes everything you need:

acrylic reducer (liquid acrylic);
hardener;
a set of sandpaper;
putty knife;
polishing compound and polishing cloth.

On sale today you can find repair kits from different manufacturers, they are sold under the trademarks "Remakril", "Samodelkin", "New Bath", etc., cost an average of about 500 rubles.

There are also more expensive imported counterparts, but in their composition they differ little from Russian ones.

Ready-made kits for the repair of baths and pallets made of acrylic

To seal the crack of an acrylic bath, you will need the following materials and tools:

Epoxy adhesive;
Reinforcing fiberglass;
Brush;
Acetone;
Drill and drill with a diameter of 1-2 mm;
Repair kit with liquid acrylic.

The process of eliminating cracks itself consists of several successive stages:

To begin with, a further increase in the crack should be excluded. To do this, on each side of it, a few millimeters from the edges, holes are drilled with a diameter of 1-2 mm;
Then it is necessary to strengthen the damaged area with a reinforcing patch on the back of the crack. Fiberglass patches should be glued in several layers with epoxy glue. This should be done only on a previously degreased and cleaned surface.
The composition is applied in an even layer with a brush and laid with fiberglass. After the first layer has dried, the second layer is glued. In most cases, 2-3 layers are enough to eliminate small cracks;
After about an hour (see the instructions for the epoxy glue), you can begin to eliminate defects on the outside. To do this, the place of damage is treated with fine sandpaper, degreased with acetone and covered with liquid acrylic from a repair kit. After the composition has dried, the surface is treated with a polishing paste.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

Recently, expensive and massive cast iron or rapidly cooling and noisy steel bathtubs have been replaced by light, modern models made of acrylic. They perfectly retain heat, boast a wide range of sizes, a variety of colors and shapes.High-quality acrylic bathtubs are quite expensive, the service life of such products, according to the manufacturer's warranty, is at least 15 years. However, in the process of use, a crack or chip may appear on them, which spoil the appearance or even violate the tightness of the container for washing. In this article, we will show you how you can repair an acrylic bathtub with your own hands.Acrylic is a high performance polymer material. It is durable, durable and lightweight. Bathtubs made of this material have low thermal conductivity and a beautiful glossy shine. Acrylic models are produced in rectangular, oval, round, angular shapes, the width of which is 70-170 cm and the length is 120-190 cm. The operation of acrylic products requires compliance with special conditions, if ignored, it may be necessary to repair acrylic bathtubs: Acrylic melts at a temperature of 150 degrees, therefore, it is not allowed to pour boiling water into baths from this material in order to avoid deformation. Image - DIY acrylic repair

Important! As a result of improper use, scratches, cracks or chips appear on the surface of the walls and bottom of the acrylic bath. These defects, as a rule, only spoil the appearance of the product, but do not affect the functionality of the container for washing. To bring the bath to its original form, you can make repairs at home.If, during operation, cracks, chips or scratches appear on the acrylic surface that spoil the appearance of the product, they must be urgently repaired. If left unattended, defects will grow, spread, and then lead to failure of the bath. To repair cracks, chips or scratches in the surface, you can use the following methods:

The fastest but most expensive way is to replace the bathroom. If the product's service life is coming to an end, it can be replaced; in this case, it is more expedient than repairing it.

In the case of profuse, neglected problems, you can contact companies that repair acrylic bathtubs professionally. Without experience, it is impractical to make a major reconstruction of the product, since it will do more harm than good.

The cheapest way to repair a crack, or how much, is to repair acrylic bathtubs with your own hands.In this case, you only need a special repair kit and a little time, and the termination can be done at home.

Note! If you are going to repair an acrylic bathtub with your own hands, you will need a polishing disc or a regular sponge, bath polishing paste, sandpaper (with grains 800-2000), a mixture for making liquid acrylic, alcohol, a drill, and a spatula. To repair a small crack or scratch, acrylic is not needed, repairs can only be done with polishing.

In the process of improper use of the acrylic bath, small chips or holes may appear. Chips are of 2 types: shallow and deep. Minor scratches are removed by careful polishing. You can repair deep chips with liquid acrylic. If a chip is formed, proceed according to the following instructions.

The acrylic surface around the chip is carefully processed with 800 grit sandpaper.

Important! If you plan to do the restoration of an acrylic bathtub with your own hands, when buying a repair kit, pay attention to the composition of acrylic. It must correspond to the material from which the container is made for washing, since different compositions have different properties, including thermal expansion.

If a heavy or sharp object falls into the acrylic bath during operation, a crack will appear on its surface. To stop the further spread of the defect, it is necessary to repair the coating immediately. This will require a repair kit for acrylic bathtubs and a drill. You must act according to the following instructions:

First of all, all stress on the bath is eliminated. Drain the water, release the container from heavy objects, cool.

Experienced craftsmen say that if you accurately select the color of liquid acrylic to match the bath, as well as carefully and thoroughly sand, after repair the crack will be invisible even in bright light. It is better to purchase a repair kit from the same manufacturer that makes this bath model, otherwise the repaired places will look like dirty spots.

In fact, these bathtubs are as practical to use as cast iron or steel, do not be intimidated. And yet the troubles that can occur are worth knowing by sight. This will save you the time and money it takes to fix them. Traditionally, damage is divided into two groups:

Deep damage to the surface of the bath

Chemical "burns" are caused by improper care and use. Ugly marks on a snow-white surface can leave not only dyes and caustic substances, but also low-quality washing powders or bleaches, if you decide to soak your laundry in them right in the bathtub.

Mechanical damage is much more common. The most common defect can be minor scratches. But deep damage to the surface layer, cracks of various sizes and even through holes also occur. But even a hole of about 100x100 mm can be safely repaired by yourself, without having much experience in this type of repair. This is the main advantage of acrylic bathtubs, because it is much more difficult to restore enamel on metal cases, and it is almost impossible to imagine repairing a hole in a steel bathtub.

Before heading to the store, do a good job of researching the problem you are about to fix. For each case, you will need its own repair kit, why spend too much or run after the missing several times?

Special formulations for the restoration of the bath surface

The main thing is to know exactly how your bathtub is made. Most often there are two types on sale:

vacuum or injection molding,
extruded with a thin spray.

It's pretty simple to define. If the new product was protected by a special film, and on the edge cut the acrylic layer (it differs in color and density) reaches several millimeters, you have a bathtub made using vacuum technology. In this case, the repair will require liquid acrylic made from PMMA.

The extruded coating is not protected with a film, and on the cut it will be seen that the layer is very thin, up to one millimeter. With such baths, the repair kit is often sold together, if not, you need to buy a polyester resin cleaner. Give preference to quality products from trusted manufacturers. These will have high adhesion and the repair will go like clockwork. Otherwise, the acrylic applied to the repair site will peel off pretty soon.

By the way, for small scratches or subtle chips, you only need sandpaper and felt for polishing. You just need to mechanically wipe them and restore the gloss again.

For deeper scratches, it is enough to purchase

... In the case of a major repair of cracks in an acrylic bathtub, you will need:

suitable acrylic of the right shade,
a special degreaser for treating the damaged area.
sandpaper of different numbers.
acrylic hardener (without it, you cannot make repairs).
polishing paper for finishing the repair site or grinding wheel for an electric drill with a special paste.

Ideally, it is better to purchase a set of materials for repairs from the same manufacturer that made the bath itself. This will make it easier to get into the desired acrylic shade.

Pay attention to your own safety. The polymer is often sold as a powder and dilution liquid. To protect your eyes and respiratory tract, use a respirator and plastic goggles. Hands will be protected by rubber gloves. Provide room ventilation.

Small defects in the surface layer appear as a result of careless use. For example, from a regularly falling shower head. It happens that unattractive cigarette stains remain inside the bathtub over time. Eliminating such troubles, as a rule, is not difficult:

1. Take a few numbers of sandpaper.
2. Start sanding the damaged area with the coarsest emery cloth, trying to level the surface.
3. Move to smaller numbers.
4. Having eliminated the defect, polish the place of repair with felt or a grinding wheel using grinding mastic.
5. Wash the bath and you can safely use it.

Bath restoration with special compounds

This method works for both shallow scratches and chemical damage to the bath. But a large, well-visible chip is eliminated differently, using acrylic:

1. The place is sanded as described above.
2. Then washed with soap and left to dry completely.
3. It is processed with a degreaser.
4. The acrylic diluted according to the instructions should be applied with a rubber spatula (usually included). Level the surface, eliminate the chip.
5. Make sure that the patch does not form a bump, it will be difficult to remove it.
6. After drying, polish the repaired area with felt or a polishing wheel with mastic.

Cracks are also mechanical damage, and the stronger the impact, the more significant the damage. At the same time, they have an unpleasant feature - to grow and let water pass. So if you notice even a small crack, it is best to stop using the bathroom until it is repaired. The load - more than one hundred kilograms of water, plus your weight, can lead to irreversible consequences. Repair will not take much time, but then the bathroom can be safely used for many years.

1.Using a drill and a thin drill, we expand the crack to one or two millimeters and deepen it to half a millimeter. Otherwise, even after the repair, she will do it herself, without our participation, under the influence of the load.
2. Grind the crack and the place around it with sandpaper, going from coarser to finest.
3. We treat the place of repair with soap, wash it off, let it dry.
4. Next, we repeat all the stages of chip repair:

degrease
dilute acrylic according to the instructions (usually 50 parts of acrylic and 1 part of hardener),
apply with a rubber spatula, observing the surface geometry. There should be no bump, but leave some stock of material for subsequent grinding, otherwise there will be a dent,
leave for about 6-12 hours to dry. You can cover the place with polyethylene, protecting it from dust and debris,
polish.

Serious scratch on the bottom of the acrylic bathtub

After you have managed to update the bath with acrylic, you can use it in a day. By the way, high-quality grinding at the first stage provides not only optimal adhesion of the surface of the renovated bathtub to the patch, but also avoids loss of whiteness at the place of repair.

Some experts recommend airbrushing the acrylic, citing that it makes the layer smoother. But for the sake of a one-time repair, it makes no sense to buy expensive equipment. With a rubber spatula, with a certain amount of effort, you can achieve not the worst effect.

Another point, if the bathtub is of poor quality or is installed incorrectly - with distortions and the formation of cracks, then acrylic peeling may begin around the crack. Then you need to buy a special glue, drill the exfoliated area, pour glue into the hole and fix it. Once dry, the repair can be carried out as usual by taking in the glue hole as well.

We have already said above, at home and on your own you can even close up a through hole in the bathroom 100x100 mm in size. How it was formed, we will leave it on the conscience of the owners, but it should be eliminated like this:

1. We buy enough acrylic.
2. We clean the place of repair with sandpaper, going from coarse to fine.
3. With my soap, removing fine dust, let it dry.
4. Degrease.
5. We dilute acrylic in the required amount - one layer will require about 50 milliliters. There is no need to do the surplus, they will have to be thrown away.
6. Close the hole with fiberglass and carefully, without haste, saturate with acrylic on both sides with a brush or spatula, going into intact areas.
7. Leave to dry for several hours, protect with cellophane.
8. Repeat the process of creating the patch at least two more times.
9. Be sure to let each layer dry well.
10. Grind the place of repair with a grinding wheel with mastic.

Of course, there is a risk that, doing this for the first time, you will not be able to achieve ideal coverage and the update will be noticeable. But it’s better than buying a new bathtub, especially if this one hasn’t been used for that long.Affordable prices, good consumer properties, light weight and ease of installation explain the growing popularity of acrylic bathtubs in recent years.Plastic products can be used actively and for a long time, subject to the precautions that you need to familiarize yourself with before purchasing.If the trouble does happen, you should be aware of the possibility of restoring an acrylic bathtub, which is actually feasible at home.There are several types of models made of polyacrylic materials, which differ in the characteristics of the top layer, its mechanical and chemical resistance.A coating with a thickness of more than 5 mm is intended for use for a quarter of a century. Bathtubs with a thinner inner layer can last from 10 to 15 years without repair if handled with care.The main thing is not to damage the polymers by mechanical action, processing with chemically active reagents. Hygienic care can be carried out with mild detergents without the use of strong oxidants.Wipe the surface gently with brushes or sponges that do not have hard lint. Do not place heavy objects near the bathroom, do not place metal containers in it.It is not recommended to bathe domestic animals in acrylic bathtubs, because even the most affectionate and obedient animals do not always like water procedures, from fear they can scratch the surface with their claws.Compliance with simple rules increases the chances of long-term safe use of the bath without repair. However, troubles do happen, as a result of which damage of varying degrees may appear:

rough areas and small scratches;

chips and slight scratches;

cracks;

through holes;

stratification of plastic.

At home, you can repair acrylic bathtubs, using the recommendations of experienced craftsmen, a set of unpretentious devices and tools.

Chips and large scratches are somewhat more difficult to repair; this will require liquid acrylic preparations. It makes sense to buy a repair kit right away, which includes:

composition for layer restoration;
an applicator that allows you to apply the product gently;
polishes for glossing the surface;
pieces of emery cloth with the required grain size;
napkins.

Before covering up a large scratch, it needs to be widened a little so that the paste to restore the polymer fits into the cavity. You will have to work with the assembly knife carefully, since the bath can burst from the effort. After that, wipe the gap with an emery piece, clean, degrease and apply a mass of liquid acrylic into the recess with an applicator.

Note! The repair tool should completely occupy the cavity, the procedure for the execution technique resembles filling the walls.

When the mass hardens, the polymerization process is completed, the area must be rubbed on top with a polish until shine appears. It is possible that the shade of the restored fragment of the bathroom will be slightly different; this can only be noticed with close examination and good lighting, directed precisely at the place of the former defect.

Damage that leaks through is more difficult to repair, but you can also do it yourself.Such cracks should be glued in the same way as deep scratches. The difference is that not far from the damage on both sides, it is advisable to drill small holes, into which then also place liquid acrylic.Such holes will prevent further expansion of the gap and further strengthen the repair area. As a result, a tightening fastener is formed, the presence of which will increase the strength of the seam.It is much more difficult to repair an acrylic bathtub that has a hole in it. You can make a quality restoration only by removing the structure and turning it over with its back side. Such a prospect will please very few people, it will urge users to take good care of plumbing. Nevertheless, anything happens.To repair holes on the back, the area around them at a distance of at least 20 cm must be completely cleaned and degreased. Cleaning is carried out with sandpaper, the layer of oily dirt is removed with organic solvents or special detergents.Then a patch of fiberglass is applied to the area to be repaired, which is larger than the size of the hole. The linen is sold separately in building supplies stores or as a kit for repairing acrylic bathtubs.The reinforcing flap is fixed on the defect area by means of epoxy resin so that the hole is closed with an overlap. After gluing the fiberglass, you need to wait until the glue is completely dry, then return the bath to its original position. During this time, you need to turn on the exhaust ventilation in the bathroom.The rest of the repair steps are carried out from the inside of the washing container, which must be prepared in the same way as it is done when restoring ordinary cracks.The site is sanded with fine emery paper, poured with liquid acrylic agent, wait for it to dry, polished with a wax mass until shine appears.