Do-it-yourself bathroom restoration and restoration

Recommendation points

• Which bath can be refurbished
• How to prepare the surface
• Secrets of chemical etching
• Bathtub painting with enamel
• Glass coating

Today we will talk about how you can return an old metal or acrylic bathtub to its previous appearance, which was damaged by deposits of limestone and rust. The stages of mechanical and chemical cleaning, varieties of special chemistry and enamel paints will be considered.

Abrasive cleaners and chemical additives in tap water will severely age the enamelled bathtub. Over time, the surface becomes rough, dirty spots appear.

Changing a bathtub to a new one is too expensive, and in most cases the costs of bathroom renovation are attached to this. Replacement is especially irrational if the bathtub is embedded and tiled. In such cases, the coating is restored by applying a new layer of paint, which, subject to technology, lasts for 10 years or more..

Which bath can be refurbished

Most coatings that show signs of severe aging can be restored. Bathtubs that are only slightly damaged by paint erosion are slightly more difficult to renovate. The thing is that the older the coating, the greater its porosity, which means that the new layer will lie firmly and last longer. If the enamel surface has small roughness and cloudiness, it is much more convenient to clean them with chlorine-containing agents..

The material of the bathtub can be any, with the same success it is possible to restore both cast-iron or steel, and acrylic containers. It is only important that the bath does not have areas of knocked down enamel and damage to the body..

How to prepare the surface

The layer of enamel paint is uneven. The inner layer is in direct contact with the metal or fiberglass, which has high adhesion to the surface, it is almost impossible to knock or peel it off. This layer is covered with a film of paint with a glossy surface, which prevents aggressive action on the “substrate”.

The first stage of the restoration is mechanical treatment of the coating with an abrasive. The paint surface must be carefully cleaned, evenly removing the gloss layer, which is about 30-50 microns..

This is done using abrasive powders or sandpaper 400-600 grit, or use a drill or angle grinder with a grinding wheel. It turns out very well to process the surface with a flap wheel with an abrasive paste. The latter can be prepared independently by grinding laundry soap on a grater and mixing it with three times the volume of abrasive powder for sandblasting machines. The abrasive fraction should be selected no higher than 0.16-0.18 mm, ground nickel slag is best suited.

The resulting mixture is poured with a small amount of water and kept for about a day. As a result, you should get a rather viscous paste, which in consistency resembles hard plasticine. It is applied to the entire surface of the bath and immediately treated with a petal circle, the complete treatment is repeated 1–2 more times until the surface becomes dull and very rough. It is impossible to completely clean off the paint, therefore if a certain area begins to darken noticeably, it is no longer processed.

When stripping the paint, the bath is not disconnected from the sewer, so it is more convenient to wash off the waste material. After the bath is cleaned and thoroughly washed, the siphon with the overflow is dismantled, the untreated places are thoroughly cleaned and the old siphon is temporarily installed, which will subsequently be damaged..

Secrets of chemical etching

To make the coating structure more porous, the paint is etched with harsh chemicals. Chemical treatments also help remove stubborn rust stains and deep limestone deposits.

From rust solvents, FAS or “Tsinkar” is suitable. The liquid is liberally applied to the rusty stain and wait for the completion of the reaction, during which the stain turns pale and spreads. It is very important to rinse the product off before it dries, otherwise the dirt will remain in the pores..

Enamel etching should be done correctly in three stages, however, many ignore this recommendation and simply degrease the surface before painting. This leads to a decrease in the service life of the new coating due to insufficient penetration and residues in the pores of chemical compounds that continue a sluggish reaction.

At the first stage, the pores are expanded, covering the bath surface with a 3.5% hydrochloric acid solution. To increase the time and activity of exposure, the acid is applied several times at intervals of 5-7 minutes. After etching, the acid is washed off and the surface is treated with potassium hypochlorite or bleach diluted with water to a slurry state. The mixture is left for 15–20 minutes and washed off, then dried thoroughly with a hairdryer. Acid fumes and chlorine released are hazardous, therefore, the respiratory tract must be protected.

The last stage of chemical treatment is general degreasing, which will remove traces of organic matter and residues of reagents. Degreasers for car painting work well: acetone, gasoline “Kalosha” or trichlorethylene. The product is impregnated with a lint-free napkin and thoroughly wiped the surface, then dried it.

Bathtub painting with enamel

For best results, use only a spray bottle or spray paint. Even the most expensive and high-quality paint, when applied with a brush, does not penetrate well into the pores, defects may also appear on the surface.

Before painting, you should do a wet cleaning in the bathroom and remove dust as much as possible so that no rough spots form on the surface of the paint when it dries. The door must be kept closed, or the opening must be covered with plastic.

For painting bathtubs, ready-made epoxy enamels are used, such as Dulux Realife, Whitest NEWTON (spray), or two- and three-component compositions Tikkurila Reaflex and Rust-Oleum Specialty. Some manufacturers also offer universal coloring pigments, adding which to the paint you can give it the desired color to match the tile..

The paint is applied with a spray gun from a distance of 25–30 cm with short cross strokes. The surface to be painted should only be slightly damp. Do not apply too much paint, it is better to open the bath in several layers, but this must be done evenly. The second layer is applied 15–20 minutes after the first, and each subsequent one with an interval of half an hour. After painting, the door to the bathroom is locked for a day, after the paint has dried, the bath can be operated.

Glass coating

Acrylic coating has a much more attractive appearance and lasts about 20 years, the application technique is extremely simple. In addition to general degreasing, treatment with a special primer is also required. The acrylic mixture is prepared according to the instructions and poured onto the side of the bath, moving along the perimeter. As soon as the liquid reaches the edge, they begin to pour it in a thin stream onto the walls. Viscous and flowing acrylic is very well distributed over the surface in a layer of 4-6 mm, the excess flows through the drain hole into a prepared clean container.

Acrylic polymers have a delayed polymerization, so you can slowly cover the entire surface with an even layer. It is impossible to correct acrylic with a tool, acrylic dripping from the bottom is simply poured into the missing places. After covering the bath, it is locked in a room for 4 days to dry completely..