DIY acrylic bathtub repair yourself

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

Acrylic bathtubs have long been a leader in the domestic market, since they are affordable, presented in a wide variety of shapes and colors, easy to install and unpretentious in operation. However, even the highest quality product can crack. It is not at all necessary to part with it right away, repairing an acrylic bathtub at home is quite possible.

Polymer bathtubs enjoy well-deserved popularity not only due to the fact that they are able to embody any design fantasy. They are lightweight, for a long time, like cast iron, they maintain the temperature of the water. This is convenient if you are using a boiler for an apartment, it will help you save on utility bills. They are pleasant to the touch and beautiful - snow-white or colored gloss always looks very advantageous.

Stylish and comfortable acrylic bathtub

Of course, a lot depends on the quality of the product itself. Acrylic is available in different thicknesses, the composition of the polymer may vary slightly. Cast acrylic is considered the strongest and most durable, but such bathtubs are more expensive. It is clear that, no matter how much the purchase costs, you will have to take care of the bathroom in any case, preferably from the first days. To avoid minor and major troubles, it is best to do it right. Otherwise, the color will fade, the gloss will be replaced by an unattractive cobweb of small flaws. But the restoration of an acrylic bathtub will become difficult. Let's start with what you definitely shouldn't do:

  • wash heavy objects with sharp corners or surfaces that can scratch acrylic in the bath,
  • wash animals, whose claws will inevitably leave marks,
  • drop heavy objects,
  • pour out coloring agents, for example, hair dye; it is undesirable for the means for fixing the hairstyle - varnishes and mousses to fall on the surface,
  • clean a dry bath, especially with hard sponges and brushes.
Video (click to play).

What products should not be used to wash an acrylic bath:

  • containing abrasive substances,
  • "Hard" chemical preparations containing ammonia, other industrial alcohols, acetone, acids and alkalis, formaldehydes.

How, then, to wash the bathtub? It is best to use a soft cloth or sponge with a special or mild detergent. For example, you can use a common dishwashing detergent that dissolves grease and dirt well. It is better to apply the product for 5-10 minutes, letting it act, and then you can simply rinse it off with running water. Particularly soiled areas can be rubbed with the same cloth.

If rust has formed near the drain or under the tap, you can remove it by dampening a cloth with regular vinegar or lemon juice. These products, by the way, are good at eliminating unpleasant odors, which is also important for bathrooms. Timely cleaning of the sewage system will also affect the state of the bathroom.

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. 1. Take a few numbers of sandpaper.
  2. 2. Start sanding the damaged area with the coarsest emery cloth, trying to level the surface.
  3. 3. Move to smaller numbers.
  4. 4. Having eliminated the defect, polish the place of repair with felt or a grinding wheel using grinding mastic.
  5. 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. 1. The place is sanded as described above.
  2. 2. Then washed with soap and left to dry completely.
  3. 3. It is processed with a degreaser.
  4. 4. The acrylic diluted according to the instructions should be applied with a rubber spatula (usually included). Level the surface, eliminate the chip.
  5. 5.Make sure that the patch does not form a bump, it will be difficult to remove it.
  6. 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. 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. 2. Grind the crack and the place around it with sandpaper, going from coarser to finest.
  3. 3. We treat the place of repair with soap, wash it off, let it dry.
  4. 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 renewed 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. 1. We buy enough acrylic.
  2. 2. We clean the place of repair with sandpaper, going from coarse to fine.
  3. 3. With my soap, removing fine dust, let it dry.
  4. 4. Degrease.
  5. 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. 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. 7. Leave to dry for several hours, protect with cellophane.
  8. 8. Repeat the process of creating the patch at least two more times.
  9. 9. Be sure to let each layer dry well.
  10. 10. Grind the place of repair with a grinding wheel with mastic.