What You Need To Know When Installing An Acrylic Bath Liner

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Benefits of self-restoration
• Liner selection
• Bathroom preparation
• Do-it-yourself installation of an acrylic liner in a bathtub
• Conclusion

Sometimes it becomes necessary to restore the bath, and the most popular, and at the same time, an effective option is the installation of an acrylic liner. It should be noted that the repair of a bathroom with an insert is carried out as soon as possible and allows you to return it to its original appearance. But to carry out such events, you need to know some of the features of the process.

Benefits of self-restoration

It is worth saying that the technology for installing an acrylic liner appeared quite recently, but despite this it is quite popular. Over time, it more and more rapidly displaces other repair options, such as a bulk bath or applying new enamel.

Let's take a look at the advantages of the technology that contribute to its popularity:

1. First of all, as mentioned, the whole process takes quite little time. The restoration usually takes about three hours, after which the container is filled with cold water. In a day, everything will be completely ready for operation.
2. The second is, of course, that the whole process can be carried out independently. At the same time, the probability of success is quite high (compared to self-enameling).
3. The service life of such an insert, if used correctly, is at least five years.
4. The system is endowed with a beautiful appearance and smooth surface, and also perfectly maintains water temperature, i.e. after "equipment" with acrylic, water cools down much more slowly than in steel or cast iron.
5. It is also worth noting that acrylic is resistant to rust formation.

However, for all its merits, it can be easily scratched or damaged, therefore, to care for it, you must use a soft sponge and soap or products specially designed for washing. It is highly not recommended to use abrasive detergents when washing. Details about the care of an acrylic bathroom.

And naturally, it is very important to protect the surface of the acrylic bathtub from falling heavy objects. If minor defects appear on the acrylic bathtub, then later they can be polished.

Thus, when choosing a way to restore a bathroom, an acrylic liner becomes a priority option, which is worth paying attention to first.

It should be noted that this method is mostly applicable only for cast iron baths. This can be explained by the fact that the standard steel options that have remained from the times of the USSR are either completely out of order, or cannot be restored.

At the same time, cast iron products have not lost their strength and are ready to be restored. Further, having considered the advantages of the option, we will tell you step by step how to properly repair a bathroom with your own hands. And the process itself will be directly divided into several stages:

1. Liner selection.
2. Bath preparation.
3. Do-it-yourself insert installation.

And now let's go directly to the step-by-step analysis.

Liner selection

First of all, installing an acrylic liner in a bathroom requires careful preparation, including the selection of the liner itself. It depends on him how well the work will be done, and how long the plumbing will last.

Note that many baths that have remained from the last century have the same shape and size in accordance with the state standards of those times. This greatly simplifies the selection process, the only thing that is required of us is to measure the height, length and width, and use them to select acrylic.

It is worth considering only the places where measurements are taken. In particular, the width and length are measured along the contour of the tub (top). The depth is from the bottom point, for greater ease, you can put a level on the bath, lower the plumb line from it to the lower drain hole, and then measure the height along the thread.

Knowing these dimensions, it will be easy to choose an insert, which can be done in a hardware store. Sellers will help you with the choice and give you the necessary recommendations.

Immediately with it, you need to purchase a special foam, which will be used for installation.

Bathroom preparation

The next step, which involves installing the liner in the bathroom, is the preparation of the base. Here it is necessary to perform a certain set of works, which will greatly facilitate the installation and extend the service life.

In total, the following steps should be followed:

1. Completely clean the bathtub, and in addition, dismantle all decorative elements adjacent to it (tiles, plastic, etc.). This is necessary to gain access to the edges of the bathroom.
2. The next step is to clean the coating from the old layer of enamel. Coarse sandpaper or a metal brush will work well for this task. This process is performed to obtain maximum adhesion between the liner and the substrate.
3. After thorough processing of the enamel, to such an extent that not a single large piece remains that is not scratched, you need to wash the bath from dirt and dust, as well as fragments of enamel.

4. And the last step is to dismantle the siphon.

   

Now the preparation is complete and you can start installation.

Do-it-yourself installation of an acrylic liner in a bathtub

Now, after careful preparation of the base, you can proceed directly to the installation. In order to do everything correctly, it is worth considering the tips and recommendations that we will provide below.

1. The first thing to do is adjust the liner to the required size. To do this, it fits into the bath, after which the edge of the bath is marked with a pencil on the ledge of the insert.
2. Next, you need to take it out and use a jigsaw or grinder to cut it according to the marks.
3. The next step is to mark all the holes that are in the base, after marking, cut them out in the same way.
4. It is very important to make the marks as accurately as possible. To do this, it is necessary to press the insert as tightly as possible, and apply the marks themselves with a simple pencil from the outside.

Now that everything is ready for installation, we proceed to the last phase, and it is carried out as follows:

1. We need a sealant and special foam.
2. Apply an airtight compound along the contour of the drain and overflow holes. Thanks to it, the risk of leaks in the future is minimized.
3. In addition, we also apply a layer of sealant along the contour of the bathroom, at the joints with the liner. This will create the most tight contact between the elements.

4. The next step is to apply foam to the entire surface of the bath. Without fail, its application must be carried out in a continuous layer. Otherwise, in places where voids are formed, the liner will bend, which will lead to its destruction.

   

5. Next, we install the liner itself directly and press it tightly.
6. It is recommended to additionally fix it with clamps. But in this case, it is required to provide boards or slats in order to avoid damage to the surface.
7. Immediately after installing the acrylic, it is worth connecting a siphon, which will ensure a complete sealing of the water olive.

8. The next step is to immediately take a full bath of cold water. In particular, its level should be 2-3 centimeters below the overflow hole. The weight of the water will help to press the insert as tightly as possible and ensure its reliable fixation.

   

9. This completes the work and in this state it is necessary to leave everything for about a day. After their expiration, it will be possible to operate the plumbing in the usual way.

   

Note that the technology for carrying out the work is incredibly simple, and therefore even a beginner can cope with it. All that is needed is to follow all the tips presented earlier, and of course, use only specially designed formulations.

Find out ways to patch up the joints between the bathroom and the wall.

Conclusion

And in conclusion, it should be said that if you decide to carry out the restoration of the bathroom yourself, then this method is definitely for you. And for complete confidence in your abilities, we invite you to watch several videos that will clearly show how the insert is installed in the bathtub.

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