Just two decades ago it was difficult to imagine that it would be possible in the bathroom to install a bath of any configuration, color and style. At present, the choice of this plumbing product is truly huge! The room of the bathroom in the apartment and in the cottage can be turned into a real work of design art.
The materials from which the baths are made are also quite diverse. On sale there are pig-iron enameled, steel enameled, acrylic and even marble baths. By results of sales, in the first place on demand there are usual cast-iron baths, but acrylic bathtubs are always in great demand. Even with visual inspection, the advantages of an acrylic bath before cast iron are noticeable - their range is more diverse. Acrylic bathtubs have unusual shapes and are complemented by high-tech options, for example, a built-in plasma panel. Let's try to understand more carefully, what are the pros and cons of an acrylic bath? What are the advantages and disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs in front of plumbing products made from other materials?
Advantages of Acrylic Bathtubs
- The acrylic bathtub is strong enough to withstand a greater impact than a cast iron or steel bath;
- The bath is made of a synthetic polymer, therefore, does not contain a metal that can rust;
- acrylic keeps heat well;
- the polymer bath is easy to maintain due to the special smoothness and homogeneity of the surface;
- maintenance does not require expensive sanitation: a dirty bath is simply wiped with a sponge soaked in liquid soap or dish soap;
- the surface of the bath is not slippery, so it is almost impossible to fall down;
- products made of acrylic do not change color, do not fade, and, therefore, during operation, the bath will remain as new;
- with mechanical damage the material is easily restored;
- due to the fact that the weight of the acrylic bath is much less than that of a cast iron or marble bath, it is easier to deliver it at the place of demand, to install. It will not create a problem that is often found in modern country houses, an excessive load on the floors. In addition, the weight of the polymer bath is distributed more evenly, due to the design features: the acrylic bath has 8 legs, and not 4, as in other baths;
- Acrylic bath can be equipped with a variety of options: hydromassage, aeromassage, chromo- and color therapy, television plasma panel.
Well, of course, than good acrylic bath - a variety of forms. Products can be rectangular, angular triangular or oval. In addition, the bath can be supplemented with comfortable seats, armrests, elegant decorative panels.
Disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs
The acrylic bath has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages. What is bad acrylic bath?
- the surface of the acrylic bath is easily damaged by a metal object (although, as already noted, damage can be easily eliminated);
- The polymer bath gradually deforms, the edges shift;
- the price for the product is higher than for cast iron and steel baths. Recently, cheaper acrylic baths are on sale, but experts note that they are of low quality: a cheap bath wall can not withstand the temperature and
internal pressure of water, and at some point burst.
Considering all the advantages and disadvantages of acrylic bathtubs, we recommend that when choosing a model, in addition to exterior design, pay attention to the following technical characteristics:
- the thickness of the acrylic sheet, the optimal - 0,5 - 0,6 cm (the thicker, the stronger the bath);
- the number of layers of reinforcement, which can be easily determined by examining the end of the rim - there should be several (the more, the better).