Of course, choosing a bath, you need to be guided by the size of the room and your personal preferences. Today the market presents a lot of baths with various functions. Thanks to this, a whole beauty salon can be set up at home, for example, by buying a whirlpool bath. Our conversation about which bathtub is better to choose, we will begin by considering the materials of the baths, as they stipulate the constructivities, its technical equipment, design, dimensions, shape and installation.
Baths are made of different materials: from cast marble, natural stone, wood, copper, bronze, acrylic, glass, cast iron and steel. However, there are less popular of glass, wood, copper and other composite materials. Such baths are included in the category of designer delights and are worth a lot. Popular baths are made of cast iron, steel and sanitary acrylic. Therefore, we will consider them in more detail.
Cast-iron bath
Iron pigs are in great demand. The process of casting is very difficult, so few factories are doing this. Appearance, as well as service life, are dependent on the enamel. Baths are covered with homogeneous glossy or matte enamels, colored or white. Enamel is applied in several layers. The first layer is liquid enamel, the second one is enamel for fixing, and the third one is powder enamel. Odiniz most important components, which are used by European manufacturers, are titanium salts. Due to these salts, the surface is smoother and less likely to wear out. Some manufacturers add to the enamel of the silver ions, thanks to it the surface of the bath becomes hygienic and cleaned by the water. It is better to give your own preference to such a bath.
Advantages of the cast iron bath
Iron pigs have an impeccable reputation. Enamel coating on them is not only reliable, but also durable. In this case, the coating has a smooth texture and is distinguished by radiant silkiness. There is no pore on the glossy surface, so the dirt does not accumulate. Due to the damping properties of the cast iron bath, the most quiet, since they are not subject to vibration from the graphite elements entering the iron structure. The sound is muffled when water is poured into the bath wall. Another advantage of such a bath is low thermal conductivity.
Disadvantages of the iron bath
The cast iron bath is very massive, so transporting, installing and dismantling can be a problem. European manufacturers reduce the thickness of the walls, thanks to which it is possible to reduce the weight of the bath to 130 kg. Domestic producers have an 8 mm thick bottom with a thickness of 7-10 mm, while European manufacturers have 5-6 mm. Another disadvantage of such a bath is that it is long heated.
The most vulnerable part of the cast-iron bath is enamel. Despite the fact that it is very durable, mechanical damage is still enamel. If you drop into the bathtub of a heavy metal object, the enamel can easily break away. It is impossible to restore enamel at home. Therefore, when choosing a bath, special attention should be paid to its coverage. The coating should be ideal, without black spots and caverns. On cast-iron baths there is always a slight tubercularity, which can be considered at a certain angle. However, if this tuberculosis can be felt by hand, then the bath is of poor quality.
Steel bath
Some people refuse to buy a steel bath because it is very thundering, can deform under load, and because of the high thermal conductivity, water in such baths quickly cools. Such claims can be presented not to all steel baths, but only to those with thin walls.
The enamel for steel baths includes natural glass-forming materials, such as quartz. The process of enamelling occurs at very high temperatures in special furnaces, resulting in a thin coating imprinted in steel. Such a coating does not exfoliate and does not lose its original sparkle and whiteness throughout its service life.
Advantages of steel
Such people do not need special care. In addition, many manufacturers are produced with the effect of self-cleaning. Water in such baths is collected in droplets and captures all the dirt with it. Also one of the main advantages of such baths is that they are several times smaller in size than cast-iron baths. Such baths have an ergonomical design, in which convenient chrome handles, wide bows, towel bars, armrests and anti-skid system stand out.
Disadvantages of the bath from steel
Disadvantages only in baths with thin walls, the thickness of which is from 1.5 to 2.3 mm. Such baths are easily deformed, and this will sooner or later lead to the cracking of the enamel. Chamonds and cracks may appear on the enamel. In addition, the water in the bath with thin walls will quickly cool down and when filling, a lot of noise is created.
Acrylic bathtubs
Acrylics appeared on the market just over ten years ago. However, they already had time to go on living. Real baths made of acrylic are made of polymethylmethacrylate. Leaves of this material in a special cabinet are heated up to 180 degrees. With the aid of atmospheric pressure, the sheets are pressed into a mold where they adopt the desired configuration. To reinforce the use of reinforcement - do it in several layers. The more such layers, the stronger the bath.
So the biggest load falls on the bottom of the bath, it is strengthened with the help of wireframe of metal rods or with the help of a chipboard mold. Very often in the production of acrylic baths, plumbing is used. Baths from such a material is also called acrylic. They are made by the same technology.
Advantages of the acrylic baths
Such water well retain the temperature of the water, they are warm to the touch and have a good sound insulation properties. The surface of the baths is smooth and non-slip, while antibacterial. Baths made of acrylic are characterized by clarity and depth of color, as well as excellent shine. The choice of colors is very diverse. Baths made of acrylic are beautiful and do not need special care, they perfectly meet all the requirements of modern design. From acrylic, you can make any shape: triangle, rectangle, shamrock, trapezoid, hexahedron, circle, ellipse, heart and the like.
One of the main advantages of baths made of acrylic is that they can be restored at home. Scratches on the surface can be wiped with fine plaster, and then covered with polishing paste.
Disadvantages of acrylics
Vakrilova bath can not soak or wash clothes. Its glossy surface is very easy to scratch or melt if a hot cigarette falls on it. In addition, an acrylic bath is much more expensive than a bath made of cast iron or steel.
Now you know about the basic characteristics of the most running baths and can easily choose the bath that you will like.