DIY enamel bath: how to treat the bath with liquid acrylic at home

The enamel coating of the bath is not just a decorative layer. It protects the bowl material from damage and extends its service life. In addition, a smooth coating can effectively remove various contaminants from the surface. You can repair the damaged layer yourself if you know how to achieve a perfect result.

We will tell you how to enamel a bath yourself. We list everything that the home master will need, describe in what order the work should be performed. Based on our recommendations, you can easily restore the protective and decorative coating.

What is liquid acrylic?

Liquid acrylic means a special polymer substance, which is in a liquid state before use.

After application to the surface, the material is evenly distributed over the treated surface and solidifies as it dries. The result is an even, smooth and durable coating that reliably protects the bath from damage.

Usually liquid acrylic is a two-component composition. Before use, it must be mixed in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Some manufacturers supply a ready-made composition that does not need to be mixed.

Among the most popular varieties of liquid acrylic can be mentioned:

• Plastrol - It is considered one of the highest quality materials for the restoration of bathtubs, it does not have the unpleasant odor characteristic of such materials.
• Stacryl - a two-component composition that allows you to perform all restoration work within 3-4 hours.
• Ecowanna - A good formula that allows you to get high-quality coating, but the work will be accompanied by a characteristic unpleasant odor.

These brands of bulk acrylic are constantly being improved. In addition, more and more varieties of acrylic fillers with improved characteristics are appearing on the market.

Bulk acrylic is usually sold in the form of two components: an acrylic semi-finished product and a hardener. The components must be thoroughly mixed and do not forget about the life of the finished composition

Features of the restoration process

Although the process of bath restoration using liquid acrylic seems simple, all the requirements of the technology must be precisely met. Careless handling of the composition can lead to the formation of bubbles on the surface of the coating. In this case, the repair will have to be completely redone. But you should start with the proper preparation of the foundation.

Bath surface preparation

You can’t just pour the composition onto the surface of the bathtub and expect that all flaws will be hidden under a layer of acrylic. Over the years of use, contamination has accumulated on the enamel surface, possibly, areas with corrosion have appeared. Even if the foundation looks solid and clean, it still needs to be prepared.

It is produced as follows:

1. First, the entire surface of the bath should be sprinkled with a cleaning agent, including abrasive particles.
2. Then you need to clean the enamel with this tool and sandpaper or grind the surface with an electric drill (optionally with a grinder), on which an abrasive wheel is mounted.
3. Now a rust converter is used, which should treat all areas that are at least slightly affected by this type of corrosion.
4. The converter is left on the surface for a while, as specified in the preparation's instructions, usually a period of about half an hour.
5. Then the surface is again carefully treated with sandpaper.
6. After this, the powdery contaminants accumulated inside the bath are completely washed off with water.
7. Now the surface of the bath should be degreased using a special tool and a lint-free cloth, this will protect the base from new contaminants.
8. The bath is filled with hot water and left in this state for about 10-15 minutes, so that the surface of the base warms up.
9. Then the water is drained, and the bath is again wiped with a clean lint-free cloth.
10. Now the surface needs to be carefully examined again to make sure that there are no, even the most insignificant, contaminants.

A base prepared in this way will be even, clean and warm. These conditions will ensure maximum adhesion of the repaired surface to the acrylic composition.

The use of a grinder with an abrasive is not necessary, it all depends on the initial state of the bath.

Before starting the repair, the base must be prepared: clean off the layer of old enamel, remove rust, degrease, warm and thoroughly dry the surface of the bath

If there is only slight damage to the enamel, but in general it looks flat, you just need to sand the surface with sandpaper. The grinder is floated in those cases when the damage to the base is deep and noticeable.

This operation cannot be dispensed with when there are areas on the bath affected by rust. The more serious the situation, the deeper the foundation should be cleaned.

These auxiliary tools and protective equipment may be needed when preparing the surface of the bath for restoration using bulk acrylic

Abrasive grinding is a dirty and dusty job. Such operations are best performed in special protective clothing and a respirator.

If the bathroom has furniture and plumbing, before starting such work it is better to cover them with a film or cloth, otherwise all surfaces in the bathroom will have to be washed. It is very important that in the future such dust does not fall on the fat-free and dry surface of the base.

It happens that in some parts of the bath it is not possible to remove the old enamel by grinding. In this case, a special acid-based solvent can be used.

To degrease the surface, you can use a solvent, but ordinary baking soda is quite suitable. Soda is mixed with water in such a way as to obtain a pasty composition.

When preparing the base, all additional elements are removed from the bath, and the drain is dismantled. A small container is installed under the drain hole.

It will be difficult to close up large chips and cracks with liquid acrylic; too much of this expensive material may be needed. Some masters use a trick: deep cracks are filled with auto-putty. Of course, after such repairs should wait for the composition to dry, and then carefully grind the surface.

The adhesion of the surface of the base improves if it is heated. So that the surface does not cool before enameling the bath with liquid acrylic, you can do this: collect water in the bath, mix the composition and prepare it for application, then drain the water and wipe the surface with a napkin.

Of course, it should be remembered that the shelf life of the finished composition is limited, usually it is an hour or a little more. This is enough to complete all the necessary operations.

The last preparatory step remains - dismantling the drain. If this is not done, excess acrylic will fall into the sewer and freeze there, which can cause damage. A small unnecessary container is placed under the hole to collect the spilled composition.

Acrylic Fill

When preparing the composition for application, two points should be taken into account. First, follow all manufacturer's recommendations exactly. After mixing, the material should be uniform, otherwise bubbles and irregularities will appear on the surface after drying.

Secondly, you need to immediately prepare a sufficient amount of liquid acrylic. The pouring process should not be interrupted in order to mix an additional portion of the composition. Better to make a little more liquid acrylic.

The material should be in the same container, this will also help to fill continuously. If operating with a large container is inconvenient, it can be poured in portions from a small plastic container.

Acrylic begins to be applied so that the jet reaches the mid-height of the rim. When the pouring circle is completed, the process is repeated, filling the surface from the middle of the side to the bottom

So, pouring a bath with liquid acrylic start from the top of the rim. As soon as the jet reaches the middle of the rim, the container begins to move smoothly in a circle, gently filling the surface with the composition. When filling of the top is completed, the tank is moved to the middle of the rim and continue to fill in a circle until it closes.

The jet of liquid acrylic should be of moderate intensity, do not rush. If done correctly, the layer of material will be approximately 4-6 mm.

Pour acrylic should not be too wide a stream to distribute the material more evenly. Spatula is used to slightly push the material on the side.

Actually, at this the main stage of the repair can be considered completed. If it seems that at some point the layer turned out to be too thin, but somewhere it is too thick, do not try to adjust the process. The properties of liquid acrylic are such that during the drying process the material is automatically distributed in a uniform layer.

Extraneous interference can damage the finished layer. The only thing that can be done is to use a spatula at the very beginning of the work so that the acrylic completely fills the side.

Using a spatula or brush, you can slightly change the position of liquid acrylic on the top of the rim. On the walls and bottom of the bath, the composition will be distributed evenly without outside interference

Now it’s best to close the bathroom and leave it alone for about a day and a half. During this time, the surface of the bath has time to dry.

It is very important to prevent any contaminants from entering the surface of the bath at this time. Drying times depend on the manufacturer's recommendations. Experienced craftsmen recommend to withstand the extra couple of days to improve the quality of the coating.

The finished coating of bulk acrylic should be even, smooth and glossy. Drying time can be from a day to four

Now you can remove from under the drain hole the container with the remains of acrylic. It remains to connect the bath drain to the sewer system and check the characteristics of the new coating in action.

List of advantages and disadvantages

Bulk acrylic is one of the most popular methods. restoration of enamel coating bathtubs. This material is extremely easy to use. Actually, the work on applying the repair layer takes only a few hours.

No special tools or special skills are needed, just follow the instructions. The properties of the composition are such that after application it fills all the cracks and depressions that appeared on the enamel during operation, and its surface is automatically smoothed out, becoming smooth and glossy.

Using bulk acrylic, you can effectively restore even the surface of the bath, which has undergone severe corrosion. Such a base must be thoroughly cleaned of all contaminants.

The resulting layer tolerates contact with hot water, detergents and significant mechanical stress.The life of the restored bath can be 10, 15 and even 20 years. At the same time, the cost of repairs is relatively low. Dismantling the old bathtub and installing a new one will cost several times more.

The acrylic layer improves the soundproofing properties of the metal bath. Water will flow into the tank, making fewer sounds. The bath's ability to retain the heat of the water that is in it will also increase.

This type of coating is resistant to coloring agents. With proper care, paint or rust that has fallen on the surface will not leave ugly marks or stains there. Acrylic can withstand corrosion and extreme temperature extremes. In general, repair using bulk acrylic improves the performance of the bath.

However, it should be remembered that the standard repair kit is designed to eliminate damage to the enamel, the depth of which does not exceed one centimeter. More serious flaws can be fixed if you use an additional portion of liquid acrylic, and this will entail a slight decrease in the useful volume of the bath.

Although the work itself takes relatively little time, surface preparation is a long, laborious and rather dirty process. This fact is usually not mentioned in the brochures.

In addition, after completion of work, it will be possible to use the repaired bath only after a day. In some cases, the waiting period may be four days. And if it is necessary to apply a two-layer coating, it will take even more time to carry out repair work.

To one degree or another, most bulk acrylic formulations emit a specific odor that not everyone can easily tolerate. Perhaps, for the time of the repair, the residents of the house should leave their home. During drying, the bath door should be tightly closed to protect against unpleasant fumes.

Alternatives to bulk technology

There are other ways to make the surface of the bathtub smooth, beautiful and durable. This is either enamel restoration or use acrylic liner. In the first case, the preparatory work procedure is practically no different from the technology described above using bulk material.

In the same way, it is necessary to eliminate all dirt and bumps in order to increase the adhesion of the base to the material. But liquid enamel in this case is applied with a brush. It will take two layers of material. This is a less reliable way to enamel the bath at home, because after about 6-8 years, restoration work will have to be repeated.

Installation of an acrylic liner at first glance looks very simple. It is glued to the surface of the bath. But you need to choose an insert that accurately repeats the shape of the bath, and this is not always possible.

Typically, the liner is ordered at a specialized enterprise, at home such an element is almost impossible to produce. It remains only to cut off the excess along the edge of the bath and stick it to the surface. Installing an acrylic liner requires less time and effort than bulk recovery technology, but its service life rarely exceeds 10 years.

Some useful tips

There are situations when liquid acrylic coating applied not in one layer, but twice. For example, this is done if the damage to the base is extensive and needs additional repair. In this case, it should be remembered that the filling of the second layer should be done only after the initial coating has completely dried.

This means that the repair time will increase by several days. Otherwise, the technology for pouring the second layer of liquid acrylic is performed in the same way as when applying the first layer.

The white acrylic coating looks very attractive, but the design of the bath can be changed a little if desired. If you mix a little tinting paste when mixing the material, it will acquire a certain shade.

A special tinting paste, introduced into liquid acrylic during mixing, allows you to give the surface the desired shade. But the color should not exceed 3% of the total material

The color palette is quite diverse, but the amount of dye in the total mass of liquid acrylic should be no more than 3%. if you add too much tinting paste, it will degrade the performance of the coating, make it less durable.

Introduces the technological rules for painting a cast-iron bathtub next article, which describes in detail the steps to perform difficult work.

Care for the new coating is recommended to be carried out according to the same rules as for a solid acrylic bathtub. For regular cleaning of the acrylic surface, it is enough to use a sponge and a soap solution. But do not use cleaning agents containing abrasive particles, as they can scratch the enamel.

Caution does not hurt when using acidic or alkaline cleaners. Acrylic coating does not always tolerate contact with such aggressive chemistry.

It is believed that the acrylic coating perfectly resists mechanical damage. It really is. Nevertheless, enamel should be handled carefully, trying not to drop heavy objects on its surface. Compliance with these simple recommendations can significantly increase the life of the bath.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The restoration of the enamel coating of a bath using liquid PlastAll acrylic as an example is graphically presented in the following video:

Before starting work, it will not hurt to get acquainted with the results of improper installation of bulk acrylic:

The practical experience of pouring a bath with liquid acrylic can be found here:

Bulk acrylic is an easy-to-use material that allows you to efficiently and relatively inexpensively restore the bath coating. The operational characteristics of the new bath will meet expectations only if the repair technology is strictly followed.

Tell us about how to restore the enamel coating of the bath with your own hands. Please write comments in the block below. Ask questions, share your opinion and useful technological subtleties, publish photos on the topic of the article.