Pros and cons of artificial stone bathtubs: features of artificial stone bathtubs, types of stone bathtubs,

In the house of each person a special place is occupied by a bath. After all, this is not only a place for washing. Taking a bath, we can relax, distract from everyday problems. Therefore, the choice of plumbing is required to be approached with all responsibility.

The modern buyer faces a difficult question: what material to buy a bath from? On sale are bowls of a wide variety of materials, for example, of artificial stone.

This is a fairly new material, so many do not know what features, pluses and minuses it has.

Features of artificial stone baths

Modern industry allows the creation of artificial materials that are practically indistinguishable from natural ones. Therefore, a bowl of artificial stone cannot be visually distinguished from a product made of natural materials. But the price and weight of such a product will be significantly lower than that of the original.

For the production of baths, stone chips are used: marble, granite, quartz, malachite. As fixing substances, various resins, catalyst, plasticizers are added to the crumb.

Bowls are made by casting. A base having a liquid consistency is poured into special forms. In it, the future bowl is aged for 24 hours. During this time, the material completely hardens, thanks to its constituents.

Then the bowl is removed from the mold and placed in the oven, where the drying procedure takes place. After that, the bath is polished, and a special protective composition is applied to it.

Types of stone baths

The materials used for casting bathtubs are divided into two types:

1. Natural baby. For example, marble, with the addition of dyes, fixing resins and catalysts.
2. Quartz sand. This is the most inexpensive and affordable material for the production of plumbing. It is called an acrylic stone. Products are lighter and cheaper than those made from natural chips. Do not differ in high rates of durability and long operation.

Products are classified by type of natural chips:

1. Marble. The bowls have a classic, luxurious look.
2. Granite. It turns out a durable product, not inferior in appearance to a bath of marble chips.
3. Onyx. The bowls are unusual, original, because onyx is able to shimmer like Swarovski crystals. The undeniable advantage of such products is a wide color palette.
4. Malachite. The tanks are unusual, stylish.
5. Veneer. It looks extremely original - it completely repeats the structure of natural wood.
6. Sandstone. Beautiful natural material from which the legendary pyramids in Giza were built.

Reference! To create a unique, original bath, manufacturers mix several types of stone chips.

In addition, bathtubs can be divided into types by the method of grinding material:

1. Pounding. In this case, the edges are asymmetric.
2. Polished. The surface is smooth, but a slight roughness is maintained.
3. Polished. The product is smooth, matte with a barely visible stone structure.
4. Mirror. The bowl is glossy, and the pattern of the material is clearly distinguishable.

Pros and cons of bathtubs made and artificial stone

Let's move on to the main characteristics of the product, its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages are:

1. Stylish design. Outwardly, the reservoirs successfully imitate natural stone, but, unlike it, the surface of the bowl of the artificial stone bathtub is warm and smooth.
2. Excellent thermal insulation. The bowl has rather thick walls, and the material retains heat well. Therefore, the water will be warm for a long time.
3. Easy to care. You can clean the bath with any detergents. The resulting defect can be eliminated on its own: just apply a special paste, and then carefully polish the damaged area.
4. Resistance to mechanical stress. Stone is an exceptionally strong material, therefore it can withstand even the fall of heavy objects.
5. Soundproofing. When filling the bath, the water will not “ring”, falling on the surface of the bath.
6. Security. Bowls are completely harmless to the human body.

Not without flaws. True, they are much smaller than that of products from other materials.

The cons include:

1. Weight. Even artificial stone has a significant mass. Therefore, for the installation of such a product will require a lot of effort.
2. Price. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to buy such a bath.
3. Instability to stain. If coloring agents get on the surface, you risk getting a stain that will ruin the entire appearance of the plumbing.
4. Do not clean with large abrasive particles. This will make the protective layer thinner. Therefore, use detergents in the form of paste, gel, cream.

An artificial stone bath has undeniable advantages that outweigh the disadvantages. With proper use, plumbing will serve you for a long time, becoming a real decoration of the room.