How to fix a chip on an acrylic bathtub: how and how to fix chips and holes in a bathtub

Acrylic bathtubs have one drawback. They are very fragile. It is possible that chips or cracks may appear on your bathtub. How can they be repaired so that after all the work no one could even think that there were any defects on it?

Methods for repairing an acrylic bath

If your bath has become unusable, chips and cracks are already visible on it, then the situation must be urgently corrected. If these damages are left unattended, their number will increase, and they themselves will become much larger. The product will become completely unusable. There are several ways to solve the problem:

1. The simplest, but most expensive, is a complete bathtub replacement. Of course, if its service life ends, then, most likely, it is this method that should be resorted to, since recovery attempts will be ineffective.
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2. If there are too many defects and they are of a global nature, then it is better to contact those who deal with such repairs professionally. In the absence of experience, a full-fledged repair is impossible, because it will bring more harm.
3. The most inexpensive is self-repair. To do this, you will need only a repair kit, as well as a certain amount of free time.

How and how to eliminate chips and holes in the bath

Damage can occur on any item during its operation. The bath is no exception. On it, chips and holes can occur. Chips are big and small. Small chips can be eliminated by polishing, for large chips you will need liquid acrylic. If a chip occurs, you must follow these recommendations:

1. Treat the damaged surface with 800 grit sandpaper.
2. Next, you need to sand the damaged area. We start with coarse-grained sandpaper and gradually move on to fine grains.
3. Then wipe with soapy water and let dry.
4. Clean the treated area of ​​fat.
5. Use liquid acrylic from the repair kit. The components are mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6. With a rubber spatula, level the liquid acrylic so that its level coincides with the level of the bath.
7. Leave to dry for a day, then polish.

Important! When repairing a bathtub yourself, you should carefully consider the choice of a repair kit. Acrylic can have different compositions, so you should select it so that the repair acrylic and the one from which the bowl is made are homogeneous.

If suddenly a hole has formed in the bathroom, then this option is more difficult to fix. It can be restored in this situation, if only removed from the base and sealed from the outside. It is unlikely that this will please anyone, but it will serve as a lesson in a more careful attitude:

1. Turning the bath over, we clean the back side. Around a hole twenty centimeters in diameter cleans and removes fat. We clean it with an ordinary sandpaper, and remove the fat with a solvent.
2. A patch is installed on the damaged area - for example, a piece of fiberglass. The main thing is that it should be more than a hole. This panel can be purchased separately, and sometimes it is included in the repair kit.
3. We fix the fabric with an epoxy composition, make sure that the edges of the hole are closed with a margin. After the patch is glued, it needs time to dry completely, after which the bath can be returned to its normal position. It does not hurt to turn on the hood in the room.

The subsequent stages of restoration work take place from the inside. We prepare the bath in the same sequence as when sealing a simple crack. We clean the damaged area with a sandpaper, apply liquid acrylic, wait until it dries completely, and use wax to polish it to a mirror finish.

How to repair a crack in an acrylic surface

Bad things happen quite often in life. And what if your favorite bath cracked? The main thing is to eliminate it quickly, otherwise the damage may increase due to constant loads and temperature changes:

1. To begin with, the crack needs to be drilled. This will prevent its spread. Using a thin drill, switching the drill to high speed, we drill a couple of holes at the ends of the crack. You don't need to drill deep. A hole up to three millimeters deep is enough.
   

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2. Now the crack needs to be widened so that the composition fills all the damage. Using a drill, we will draw it along the entire crack.
   

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3. Apply masking tape around the crack. It will not allow damage where there is no crack. Once the adhesive tape is pasted, use sandpaper to make a roughness on the surface of the crack. Remove the formed chips with soapy water.
   

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4. Following the instructions, mix acrylic with a hardener, apply the composition to the damaged surface. Smooth with a piece of plastic or a rubber spatula. We leave to dry for a day.
   

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5. Now the surface should be polished. Glue adhesive tape around the former crack. Armed with sandpaper, we begin to sand first with large grains and gradually move on to fine grains. Next, remove the chips with soapy water. As soon as the surface is uniform, you need to take a polish and rub the surface with this paste. Continue to rub until a mirror shine appears.

Reference! Acrylic bathtubs have different shades of white. Carrying out repairs, it is often very difficult to accurately select the desired shade. Repair kits are available in cold and warm colors, so it is important to determine exactly which one is suitable for your product.

Rules for the use of acrylic bathtubs

At the moment, there are several types of bathtubs based on polyacrylic. They are distinguished by the characteristics of the top layer, its resistance to mechanical and chemical attack.

A bath with a coating of more than five millimeters in thickness is designed for a service life of more than twenty-five years. If the layer has a smaller thickness, then it will last up to fifteen years, but subject to careful handling.

The main condition is to prevent mechanical damage and not treat with aggressive chemicals. Bath care should be carried out with gentle detergents without strong oxidizing agents.

The surface of the bath is wiped with soft sponges. It is not recommended to keep heavy objects near the bath, as well as to put metal containers in it.

For bathing pets, it is better to have another bath. After all, even such soft and fluffy creatures under normal conditions can damage the bath with their claws.

If you follow all the recommendations, you can increase the life of the product without the need for repairs. True, cases that can lead to various damages are not excluded:

• the occurrence of roughness and small scratches;
• the appearance of chips and noticeable scratches;
• the occurrence of cracks;
• the appearance of holes;
• bundle.

An acrylic bathtub can be completely restored on its own. However, it is much better not to bring it to such a state. Careful and careful handling of it, as well as compliance with the rules of operation, will allow you to do without repair for a long time.