How to paint a cast -iron bath

Old cast -iron baths have a decent margin of strength and are able to properly serve for many decades. Their most vulnerable part is an acrylic coating applied to the inner surface of the bowl. It is this coating that takes on the blow of chemical and mechanical agents during cleaning, which is why it over time loses its original whiteness and is covered with scratches. If there is no money to purchase a new bath, you can try to restore the protective layer with the help of paint.

The easiest way to restore the coating is to apply enamel on top. For this type of work, use only a special enamel resistant to moisture. It is desirable that a moisture -resistant primer and antibacterial additive include the composition. Apply enamel with a brush in 2-4 layers, each 1.5 millimeters thick. Immediately before painting, polish the entire surface well, carefully process all chips and cracks, remove the existing pollution and degrease the entire surface with a solvent. For grinding, use a grinding machine with an abrasive circle, cover cracks and chips with a special putty sold in household stores. In the process, avoid the formation of subtexts and air bubbles, because after drying in these places the paint may peel off.

Another way of painting a cast -iron bath is the use of acrylic enamel. This method is widely known under the name “bulk bath”. The enamel, based on liquid acrylic, pours on the surface of the structure, and flowing down, fills all the cracks and gives the bath a pristine whiteness. Start work from the top of the product, gradually lowering. The layer of the applied enamel should be about 5 millimeters. As in the first case, first clean and degrease the surface. A qualitatively applied acrylic coating will serve you from 15 to 20 years and will significantly reduce the cost of repairing the bathroom, and the restored bath will not externally differ from the new one. You can start using the bathroom in three to four days.

An acrylic liner can be an alternative to painting a bath, which is a voluminous insert that completely closes the inner surface of the old cast -iron structure. The liner completely removes any, even the most serious damage to the coating. However, this method has a number of shortcomings:

Since the liner is inserted into the bath, its size decreases.
For high -quality work, you will have to knock down the tile in the area adjacent to the sides of the bath. Otherwise, you will not be able to install the insert perfectly evenly.
The inserts have a certain shape and size, you will not succeed in using it on a non -standard cast -iron bath.

At the same time, an acrylic liner has a feature that distinguishes it from other restoration methods - a variety of colors. You can purchase both a standard white insert and an insert of any other color, thereby transforming the entire bathroom.

Painting of cast -iron baths in essence is not a difficult matter. Any person who has set such a task and familiarized himself with this information will be able to transform his old bath with minimal costs of both money and personal time.