How to paint a cast-iron bathtub in production. How to paint a bathtub inside to restore a snow-white coating

August 16, 2016
Specialization: professional in the field of construction and repair ( full cycle holding finishing works, both internal and external, from sewerage to electrics and finishing works), installation of window structures. Hobbies: see column "SPECIALIZATION AND SKILLS"

Painting the walls in the bathroom is one of the simplest (at first glance!) Methods for decorating a room. It is because of this apparent simplicity that it is often chosen by inexperienced craftsmen. But then they almost certainly face difficulties and understand that in order to achieve a result, it is necessary to make no less effort than when finishing with other materials.

Be that as it may, even a beginner can learn how to paint the walls in the bathroom - and for this, in the article I will share my own experience, as well as give recommendations from other masters.

Work materials

Moisture resistant paints

The traditional method of finishing a bathroom is to tile it. However, this technology is very expensive, and even requires certain skills, so often beginners are looking for how to paint the walls in the bathroom instead of tiles.

For finishing surfaces that are almost 100% likely to be in contact with moisture, you can use a variety of compositions:

Water-based paint with additives that protect it from erosion. By itself, water-based emulsion does not perceive moisture well, so areas where water gets with a guarantee should not be finished with such material. But the question of whether it is possible to paint walls with water-based pigments that will not be in direct contact with moisture can be answered positively.
Oil paint is an option that is practically not used today, but earlier it was one of the main ones. Yes, it is characterized by acceptable moisture resistance, but at the same time it dries slowly, and with temperature changes in the room, it is almost guaranteed to begin to peel off from the base.

Alkyd enamel is probably the best choice in situations where the priority is to protect the base from getting wet. After polymerization, the enamel layer becomes practically airtight, and the wall acquires almost absolute moisture resistance. But if you need paint without , then here alkyd compounds will not work - even a few days after application, a kind of “aroma” will be felt.
When choosing which paint is better to paint the walls in bathrooms, experts most often prefer acrylic (latex) pigments. Basically, the best way it’s really hard to find: acrylic and acrylic-latex complex have good hiding power and good adhesion to any surface, they are non-toxic and can be easily applied to walls. The moisture resistance of acrylic is quite acceptable: if you do not rub the wall with a sponge and detergent and remove wet spots in a timely manner, then the finish will last for more than one year.

Silicone wall paint in the bathroom is another very worthy solution. Silicone formulations are characterized by increased moisture resistance, and if it were not for the price (it must be admitted, it is considerable), then I would safely recommend these pigments as a universal solution.

Washable covers - what are their advantages?

Tiling and painting walls in a room such as a bathroom general function- in addition to decorating, they also protect the bearing surfaces from moisture. But in some cases, simple protection is not enough: where water drops regularly, washable paint is needed.

Between moisture resistant and washable pigments, it is worth drawing a clear line:

Moisture-resistant paint is called, which is able to withstand a long time in a room with high humidity without changing its appearance and other physico-chemical parameters. If water periodically gets on it, it's okay, but regular moistening will provoke a rapid degradation of the paint layer.

Unlike moisture-resistant paints, washable paints form a dense film on the base, which is not only not afraid of moisture, but also actively resists swelling, abrasion and chemical agents.
In other words, any washable composition is moisture resistant, but not any moisture resistant paint can be washed, especially regularly.

If we talk about choosing a pigment specifically for painting bathroom walls with my own hands, then I would recommend stopping at acrylic compositions with increased moisture resistance. Nominally, they are not washable, but at the same time they tolerate various impacts very well. More durable materials will be needed in exceptional cases - for example, when painting a room with an open-type shower stall installed.

Painting technology

Surface preparation

In this section, I will tell you how to paint the walls in the bathroom with your own hands, providing the decorative layer with a sufficient margin of safety and durability. The main difficulty lies in the preparation of surfaces, which is why I will pay maximum attention to it.

Many are interested in whether it is possible to paint the walls over old paint. There is no consensus on this matter among the masters, but from my point of view, such a decision is an unjustified risk.

Even if today it seems that the old finishing layer is holding up well and is not going to peel off, then who will guarantee that it will not react with a primer or paint and will not fall off in just two to three months.

That is why, first of all, we need to figure out how to remove paint from the walls. I usually go like this:

To begin with, I perform mechanical cleaning - I take a spatula and use it to clean everything that is peeled off. I act quite intensively, but carefully: it is advisable not to damage the plaster layer, since the defects will then have to be leveled with putty.
As a rule, with a spatula it is never possible to remove all the paint, and you have to decide how to peel off the residue. Here comes to the rescue building hair dryer: I heat a layer of material, wait until it begins to soften and remove it with the same spatula.
If not, then there is another answer to the question of how to remove paint from the walls in the bathroom: chemical washes! I buy a bottle of the product, apply it to the painted area, wait for the components to react - and then remove the partially dissolved mass with little or no effort.

Finally, if you plan to cover the bathroom with drywall or complete re-plastering, then deciding how to tear off the paint , you can not be delicate: we take a grinder with a brushing nozzle, turn it on and clean off everything that is on the walls, including putty and part of the plaster.

There will be a lot of dust and debris, so we wear goggles and a respirator.

To begin with, a rough alignment of the walls is performed - either plastering or finishing moisture resistant drywall. At this stage, I try to get perfectly flat planes with a minimum number of defects..
After the plaster has dried, I putty moisture resistant composition. Also putty need to process the seams between gypsum boards and places for attaching the skin to the frame.

The dried putty must be sanded using abrasive meshes. First, I rub the surface with a large abrasive, and then I “finish” the planes with a fine-grained finish sandpaper. The less irregularities there are on the plane, the better the painted wall will look.

When grinding, a large amount of gypsum dust is formed. When mixed with paint, it degrades its properties, so I prefer to vacuum the walls for the best result.

Preparation for painting ends with a primer. For work, I use a moisture-resistant acrylic composition, which I apply at least two layers. In order for the acrylic to polymerize, I pause at least 2-3 hours between sets ( exact time the instructions for the primer composition will tell).

Finally, we need to think about paint protection for all other surfaces. To do this, cover the floor with newspapers or plastic wrap, and glue the ceiling around the perimeter with masking tape. It is also worth covering the pipes and plumbing with polyethylene or a dense cloth: no matter how carefully we work, the drops will still scatter.

If our design project involves the use of two or more colors, then the boundaries between them should also be marked with masking tape. This, by the way, is quite a reasonable solution from a purely practical point of view: Bottom part the walls are painted with a washable pigment of a darker shade, and the top one is simply a moisture-resistant light paint.

We paint the walls

To paint the walls in the bathroom, we will need:

a roller with a telescopic handle (the so-called fishing rod);
a few brushes different shapes for painting in hard-to-reach places;
paint tray;
gloves;
respirator;
protective glasses;
scarf on the head;
shelving or goats - for high rooms;
rags and solvent to remove paint drips.

Coloring begins with the preparation of the pigment:

We open the container with paint, and, if this has not been done before, add color to it. Thoroughly mix the tinting liquid, achieving uniform coloring and matching the color with the reference sample.

You can take pre-tinted paints, but I prefer to work with a white base: there is nothing difficult in adding pigment, but the savings are quite tangible.

Simultaneously with tinting, we check the container for the presence of insoluble sediment. The thing is that acrylic, latex and other paints, if stored improperly, can delaminate, losing all their positive traits. You can get rid of sediment by filtering the paint through a special filter or just a nylon stocking.
Immediately before work, mix the pigment again to increase uniformity. Next, pour a small amount of the composition into the tray and get to work.
We take a roller, dip it into the paint and roll it several times over the corrugated area of the tray to distribute the pigment over the pile.

If we did not succeed in sanding the walls with high quality, and the defects are visible even to the naked eye, then the first layer can be applied with a brush. The consumption will be higher, but a thicker layer will hide some of the irregularities.

First, we paint over the corners and joints of the walls, and then we begin to gradually process the planes, regularly adding paint to the roller.
We leave the first layer to dry, and after it dries, we repeat the coloring. We carefully rub the pigment over the surface, trying not to leave streaks, but we also avoid non-painting.

Usually, two coats of paint are enough to achieve the desired result. If a light composition with low hiding power is used, then sometimes three or four layers have to be applied to mask the base.

Room drying

To inflicted decorative material did not begin to fall off the base in the first weeks, you need to provide him optimal conditions polymerization:

First, and most importantly, ventilation.. The humidity level in the bathroom is usually higher than in the rest of the apartment, because in such an environment the pigment will dry for a very long time. You can speed up the process by providing effective removal humid air natural or forced.

Further - the absence of drafts. If we fail to meet this requirement, then the polymerization will be uneven, and stress zones will appear in the paint film, which will sooner or later lead to the formation of cracks.
Finally, a constant sufficient temperature is also important. In the bathroom you need to provide temperature regime at the level of +20..+250C with minimal differences - then there will be no peeling or peeling of the paint layer.

Each product has its own service life, which ends sooner or later. Any thing once becomes unusable, and cast-iron bathtubs are no exception. Time and water have a negative effect on it and lead to the destruction of the enamel coating.

Agree, changing the bath is expensive and time consuming. A more practical solution is to restore the plumbing yourself.

We will tell you how and with what you can paint a cast-iron bath, give recommendations on choosing a method, and also give step by step instructions for product updates.

The enamel coating of the bath becomes thinner over time, rust appears on it under the influence of water, and if measures are not taken in time, the process can become irreversible. The bottom can simply rust to holes, and then the bath can no longer be saved.

Bathtub covered in rust and limescale, looks, to put it mildly, not aesthetically pleasing. Undoubtedly put new bath will be the only right decision in the event that it is planned to make major repairs, change tiles and plumbing. However, if the repair is still far away, then buying a new bathtub will bring more problems than joy.

Modern cast-iron bathtubs are not cheap, you will also have to pay a rather large amount for delivery. Due to the large weight of the product, it is unlikely that it will be possible to dismantle the old one on your own. You need to either ask friends and neighbors, or hire people, which again costs.

Most likely, you will have to make repairs, even if it was not planned.

Image Gallery

If there are chips and cracks on the surface, they must be puttied and then processed sandpaper, after which it is necessary to remove the formed dust again. This completes the preparation process, you can start staining.

Bath restoration with enamel

Enameling a cast iron bath is an old time-tested method that has been used for a very long time. But one should distinguish between professional enameling, which the bath is subjected to during the production process, and home enamel painting.

In the first case, professional compositions are used that require pre-heating of cast iron to a certain temperature. It is impossible, and not necessary, to paint a cast-iron bath in this way at home, since today there are easy-to-use and inexpensive enamel dyes for self-application.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Among the advantages of this method of painting are:

inexpensive cost;
lack of installation work;
Can be used on both cast iron and steel surfaces.

However, this method also has disadvantages:

the coating is quite thin and fragile, the enamel is very sensitive to household cleaners and shocks. Therefore, the bathroom will have to be handled very carefully so as not to inadvertently damage it;
the coating does not allow to eliminate severe defects: chips, dents, cracks;
over time, yellowness forms on the surface;
the enamel dries for a long time, the bath can not be used for about a week.

The service life of the coating is from 5 to 9 years. Although for those who are going to make repairs in the future and change the cast-iron bathtub to a new one, such a service life will certainly suit.

Over time, every bath, including luxurious and expensive, loses its attractive appearance. This is because over the years in the process of its regular use upper layer(enamel) becomes thin. As a result, there are scratches, yellow, red smudges, bumps. Therefore, bathing in such a bath is not very aesthetically pleasing, and it also spoils the interior of the entire room.

Often this leads the owners to the idea that the old bath needs to be replaced with a new one. But such an acquisition is not cheap, and the dismantling of old plumbing is almost always associated with damage. finishing elements. So, how and how to paint a bath at home? The compromise solution is cosmetic restoration product surface. For bathtubs made of metal, tin or cast iron, enamel spray is perfect, after application of which the bathtub will look fresh and perfect, as soon as after purchase.

How to paint a cast-iron bathtub inside at home without resorting to the help of specialists? At the initial stage, you need to buy materials and draw up a painting plan.

Do-it-yourself bath surface restoration

In the course of work, the following materials will be useful to you:

primer;
enamel;
a degreasing agent such as acetone;
rubber gloves;
sandpaper;
mask;
napkins made from natural material;
sponges;
construction tape;
detergents;
polyethylene protective film.

How to choose paint

A positive result of the work depends on the method of application, as well as the choice of coloring matter. It should be noted that you cannot save on paint, because for a small amount you will receive a low-quality product, which will eventually entail re-painting and new waste.

What paint to paint the bath to make it look like new? Professionals with significant experience advise choosing epoxy enamel. The paint is available in the form of an aerosol and has excellent characteristics. It is better to choose a manufacturer that is well-known, well-established in the market building materials. Reputable firms value their name, so their products meet all standard quality standards.

Is it possible to restore the surface of the bath at home

Many owners of old bathtubs doubt whether they will be able to renew its surface without the help of professionals. As a rule, this issue becomes relevant if it is planned to carry out repairs in the entire room, and the budget is limited, which makes it impossible to allocate funds for the purchase of a new bath. In such cases optimal solutions to return the bathtub surface to its former ideal, uniform appearance, is to paint the bathtub with your own hands with special enamel.

Even the oldest, scratched, peeling cast iron bathtub can be restored to its original appearance with a quality coating. In fact, those baths, the installation of which was carried out many years ago, are particularly durable. But, as many years of operation have shown, their weakest point is the enamel covering the entire inner surface.

Over time, the coating of the product is erased or thinned, which leads to the appearance of chips and various defects. In addition, taking water procedures in such a bath is not easy, not aesthetically pleasing, but also risky. After all, a lot of dirt accumulates in microcracks, and a lot of harmful microorganisms take root.

Therefore, for thrifty owners, the most profitable option is to paint the bathroom with enamel. To carry out such a difficult event, if desired, every owner of "worn out" plumbing can. You don't need help to save money professional builder specializing in the restoration of cast iron bathtubs.

Save money on bathroom refinishing

If you are seriously thinking about restoring your own bath and about how you can paint the bath yourself, then you will have a question: will this venture justify itself financially? Restoring a bathtub will cost you several times less than buying a new one. Thus, you will not only save money, but also increase the life of the product several times over! In addition, the return of the previous type of damaged plumbing will not take a lot of time, and the result will certainly please you.

A bathtub coated with a high-quality aerosol will look as good as new! And the prices for all the necessary materials are relatively low when compared with the cost of a new one. quality product. Do you want your updated plumbing to last as long as possible? Stick to these rules:

soak laundry in the bath as little as possible;
if possible, do not use detergents with a high content chemical substances that have a negative effect on the enamel coating;
do not leave the bath filled with water for a long time.

And remember, absolutely every bath can be restored! During the restoration process, be patient, careful, and do not forget to use high-quality materials.

In fact, changing the enamel is not a difficult task, however, it requires accuracy, because. water can penetrate micropores. If you have time and want to save the family budget, then prepare everything you need and start painting. But remember that every rule must be followed exactly.

Grinding the surface of the bath with your own hands

Inventory preparation

Before starting work, you must have the following attributes with you:

paint for plumbing;
degreaser;
grinding machine;
large brush;
sandpaper;
a vacuum cleaner;
latex gloves;
special glasses;
protective mask.

Let's start coloring

Even a novice builder should understand that high-quality enamel bath painting, reviews of which are only positive, largely depends on the choice of a particular type of paint. The most common shades: white, light green, pale blue. There is an opinion that colored enamel is able to hide minor flaws that are more noticeable on a white surface.

A hardener is included with the paint, it must be mixed with enamel before proceeding with painting. Experts recommend not to mix these 2 components at once, but to make this process step by step. This is necessary to prevent premature hardening of the enamel, so it should be applied to the surface gradually.

Do-it-yourself enamel bath painting

Bath restoration steps

Degreasing. At the initial stage of work, it is necessary to remove limestone, greasy deposits. You can cope with this problem with the help of potent solutions containing alkali.
Removing the old coating. The process is carried out using special grinding equipment. By the way, in order to save the budget, you can not buy it, but rent it at a hardware store. If you still have not resolved the issue with the machine, then you can remove the old layer with a hard sandpaper, but you will spend a lot of time.
O cleaning the bath from the remnants of enamel. Preparation for coloring. The remaining particles of old paint should be washed off with a water jet. If during this you see moisture collecting on the bath, this means that the degreasing step would have been performed poorly and must be repeated.
Dry the inside with a hairdryer. To ensure trouble-free operation in the future, as well as to eliminate the ingress of old enamel residues, the walls of the bath must be carefully treated with a special hairdryer.
Coloring. You can proceed to the most important process and paint the bath with enamel. The technology for the restoration of cast iron bathtubs consists in painting the surface (from the sides down). The paint must be applied in 2 stages. The bottom is painted at the very end.

In conclusion, it is necessary to dry the surface throughout the day. In this case, all doors and windows in the dwelling must be tightly closed. This is necessary so that debris, dirt, dust brought from the street does not get on the painted walls of the bath. Better yet, do not swim in the updated product for at least 7 days in order to new bath completely dry, and the coating on it held firmly.

At the end of the renovation, you can complete the transformation by painting the outer part of the bath and replacing the old legs with original and beautiful ones. Thanks to what your bath will get a smart, esthetic look.

Acrylic painting

And now we will learn how to paint a bathtub with acrylics with our own hands at home. For painting, acrylic should be mixed with a hardener. Then the resulting mixture must be immediately applied to the surface, because. she freezes quickly. At the same time, you should have sponges and shreds made of natural material at hand, with which, as necessary, you will wipe the resulting smudges.

In the process of restoring a bathtub with acrylic, there are some features. For example, a bottle containing a hardener can be used as a watering can, through which resourceful "restorers" pour acrylic on the walls of the bath. It is better to start applying acrylic from the upper far sides, going in a circle to the nearest edge. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the evenness of the filling. The trickle must be carried out slowly, measuredly, making sure that the areas are completely covered.

To make it convenient to close the drain-overflow, remove the sieve from the plug, and then place cardboard tubes in the hole, which will be 10 cm higher than the surface. Thanks to this, in the process of pouring acrylic, you will not have difficulties with the lower level, as well as the distribution of layers .

When painting the bathtub, moisture must not be allowed to enter it. Therefore, it is better to remove the faucet and shower or move it to a washstand.
For convenience, the place to work must be equipped in such a way that there are no third-party objects nearby that interfere with the painstaking process.
Before applying acrylic, the bath must be thoroughly dried with warm air. For these purposes, it is better to use an industrial special hair dryer, which can be rented at a hardware store. But if such a technique is not available, then use a home hair dryer, however, it needs to be allowed to rest from time to time, because. its motor is weaker, so it can burn out.
If you notice large defects on the surface that has not yet been treated with acrylic, then it is better to putty them so that they are not noticeable after painting.

That's all. Now you know how you can paint the bath yourself, as well as how to update its design and save on repairs.

Restoring the surface of the bath with your own hands Painting the bath with enamel with your own hands

The topic is of interest to many, it is generally accepted that painting a bathtub with enamel at home is the cheapest and most practical way to restore old coatings. The outer surface will not only be restored, but in many respects will exceed the characteristics of enamel. In order to understand the issue and accept the right decision according to the methods of restoring the external coatings of bathtubs, you need to know what real enamel is, how surfaces are covered, and whether it is possible at home even using the most expensive materials get an identical layer.

By physical properties resembles a glassy coating deposited on the metal surface of the bath. Its physical properties are similar to glass, but it has increased strength. It has a slightly lower coefficient of thermal expansion than that of metal, due to this, the risks of delamination during heating of the base are eliminated; the strength reaches 350 MPa.

On iron, it is first applied to a primer coating, and then enamel - the adhesion coefficient increases. Color changes due to additives: blue color– cobalt oxide, green color– copper oxide, White color- magnesium carbonate. Annealing temperature up to +900°С. At such temperatures, the glass melts, turns into a dense homogeneous layer and adheres strongly to the surface of the bath. Only such a coating has the right to be called enamel.

People of the older generation remember very well how, in the days of developed socialism and general welfare, it was impossible to buy natural coffee, it was “gotten by pull”. But all the store shelves were littered with barley coffee. Advertising claimed that it is much better than natural, contains a large amount of vitamins and other useful substances, the taste is no different, it also invigorates, etc. Although, in fact, this ersatz product slightly resembled natural coffee only in color.

Conclusion. From a physical point of view, enamels in cans and jars do not exist. This ordinary paints with the addition of performance-enhancing fillers. This is how you should consider the repair of the bath, you will not work with enamel, but with various types of paints. Their choice is wide, there are many varieties.

Types of enamel for bath restoration

Now you can begin to consider which paints are called enamel, what are the differences, what advantages and disadvantages they have. This information will help determine the specific choice of paint (enamel).

Name	Brief characteristics
	Used to cover bathtubs for over 15 years, consists of epoxy resin, fillers and hardener. It has high hardness, good adhesion. The coating is not afraid of aggressive chemical compounds, the outer surface is glossy. Disadvantages - due to toxicity, safety regulations must be observed, after preparation there is a limited time for use, low-quality epoxy paints become yellow under the influence of ultraviolet rays.
	Drying time is no more than thirty minutes, has good adhesion with natural enamel. Available in spray cans, which greatly facilitates the application process. The main drawback is that the stability of the coating is poor; the bathtub will have to be repainted until a new one is installed. The frequency of repainting largely depends on the accuracy of the technology. It is not uncommon for detachments to appear in a month or two.
	There are names "latex enamel", " liquid acrylic”, but in fact it is a two-component polyurethane paint. Operational performance at an average level, correct application and use increases the service life up to ten years.
	Ordinary water-dispersion waterproof paint with ordinary characteristics. Worst choice for bathtub interiors. But in terms of price and manufacturability, the most affordable.

Reaflex 50 - Reaflex 50

Bath enamel "Renaissance"

You need to choose the type of coverage based on your own wishes and financial capabilities. Do not forget that the quality and durability of the coating depends not only on the materials, but also on the professionalism of the performer.

Practical advice. We recommend using this method of restoring baths for temporary residences. The less often you use the bathroom, the longer the coating will last. Why there is such a dependence, there is no need to explain.

Tools

After you have decided on a specific brand of enamel, you need to prepare the tools. They will be needed to clean the bath and protect adjacent surfaces from paint ingress.

Electric drill. Power does not matter, with its help the surfaces are cleaned of solid deposits. But do not take it harder, it is difficult to hold it in your hands, there are risks of leaving deep marks from abrasive tools.
Sandpaper. The numbers are different, from 80 to 200. Coarse-grained will be used to remove dirt, fine-grained scratches from the abrasive material are smoothed out. Do not remove hard deposits with metal brushes, they will leave black marks on the surface. It is very difficult to get rid of them. Metal brushes clean only rust on metal, not on enamel.
In the photo - coarse-grained sandpaper
Rubber grinding wheel. Grinding paper is attached to it, the diameter is not more than 15 cm. It is difficult to clean deposits in the bends of the bath with a large circle. Another nuance - do not use too hard, the thickness of the rubber is within two millimeters.
Degreasers (acetone, solvents), caustic soda, acid detergents. Don't skimp on degreasers. Greasy surfaces are the main enemy of a quality coating. If irregularities spoil appearance coating, greasy surfaces cause it to peel off. You will have to repair or completely repaint the surface.
Tassels. Do not use cheap ones, hairs fall out of them and stick to the paint. It is difficult to remove them, if they were not noticed in time and the paint has already dried, then it is impossible without a trace. Be sure to take all measures to remove weakly holding hairs before use. Press the brush firmly against the surface and move it in different directions. First, the brush should be dry, and then dip it into the paint. If hairs constantly come out of it, then it is better to buy a new one of better quality.
Personal respiratory protection. Some paints and degreasers are so toxic that it is forbidden to work without a respirator. You will also need rubber gloves. Problems may arise if the bathtub is painted in a residential apartment. Take all measures so that the fumes do not spread to other rooms, use only the existing ventilation in the bath for ventilation. Leave the room while drying.
It helps protect surfaces from paint ingress.
If you have to remove the siphon, you will need screwdriver. Siphon elements can not be dismantled. How to protect them from paint ingress, we will describe in the article below.
Mixer. Needed for high-quality mixing of two-component enamels. No store bought - use homemade. It can be made from a piece of wire about 35–40 cm long. Bend the lower end with the letter P, clamp the upper end in the cartridge. Such a stirrer works no worse than a purchased fixture. And in the case of mixing paints even better. The fact is that factory copies form air bubbles during mixing, which is bad. Homemade does not have such a drawback. True, they will have to work longer, but the amount of paint is small and the increase in time is not critical.

Think about what enamels you will cover the bath with and buy paints in the right amount. That's all, now you can proceed to direct work.

Surface preparation

The better the surface of the bath is prepared, the more reliable the coating will be. Even the most expensive enamel will fall off after several baths if gross deviations from the recommended technology are allowed during the coating.

Step 1. Inspect the condition of the bath, select a cleaning algorithm. It is best to use an emery cloth, with its help you can not only remove hard deposits of rust, but also level the surface. Enamel paints cover the surface with a thin layer, through which all the tubercles will be visible. You can tighten the bumps only at the bottom, and then the manufacturers do not recommend pouring one thick layer of paint, but applying several thin ones. Such features place increased demands on surfaces. The exception is epoxy and acrylic enamels. They are poured in a layer up to 2 mm thick, this is enough for the final leveling of surfaces with paints.

Step 2 Attach #80 sandpaper to the sanding wheel, start sanding hard deposits and rust. You do not need to press the tool too hard against the surface, it is better to make several passes in one place. The work is dusty, close the door and window to the bathroom, otherwise the drafts will spread the dust throughout the rooms. Do not rub the enamel to the metal, do not leave deep marks after the passage grinding wheel. It is advisable to work in a respirator.

Step 3 Clean the surface of dust, you can use a soft dry cloth or a vacuum cleaner. Inspect surfaces again, correct problem areas.

Step 4 In order for the outer surface of the bath to be perfectly flat, it must be sanded. Work with sandpaper with a number higher than 100, select specific values taking into account the depth of scratches. Don't expect the paint to blur and hide all the bumps, it's not. Especially if you cover surfaces from a spray can.

Important. It is strictly forbidden to polish the walls of the bath. If some areas of the bath did not require cleaning and remained perfectly smooth, then they must be manually wiped with scotch brite. Grain size of the material from P180 to P1000. To facilitate the determination of graininess, it has various colors. Green (the roughest), used to treat the surface of the bath before applying putty to the chipped areas of the enamel. Red for primer, gray for top coat. To increase adhesion, each dried coat of paint must be wiped with scotch brite. This slightly lengthens the process, but significantly improves the quality. Do not be lazy, it is better to do everything according to technology right away than to repaint the bathtub.

At the end of the work, carefully remove the remaining dust, the bathtub must be perfectly clean before painting. Avoid drafts, they cause dust on cleaned surfaces and paint.

Step 5 Vacuum the surface very carefully; with a cloth, fine dust will not be removed from micro-scratches after grinding or wiping with Scotch-brite.

Step 6 Degrease the bath surface.

You can use special solutions or ordinary solvents. Follow safety precautions, these substances are very toxic. Ventilate and, if possible, ventilate the room, work in a respirator and rubber gloves.

Repairing chipped enamel

This operation must be performed without fail. Why? Firstly, the paint will not hide the difference in height, especially on the side surfaces of the bathtub. Secondly, bath paint (enamel) is designed for adhesion with natural enamel, the coefficient of adhesion to metal is low, in these places it will quickly peel off.

Used for sealing automotive materials of the highest quality, work with finishing putty.

Mix the components on a metal spatula in portions, apply to the bath rubber spatula. The surface must be pre-cleaned from rust to pure iron with a sandpaper or a metal brush. Next, dust is removed from the surface, the enamel around problem area processed with green scotch-brite. Try to evenly apply putty, this will greatly facilitate its further grinding.

If there are cracks on the enamel, they must first be cleaned with the tip of a thin knife. Don't be discouraged if the enamel breaks off at the edges, that's good. It will still break off, only after that you will have to repair the bath again. It goes without saying that surfaces must be degreased before applying putty.

Video - We putty chips on the restored bathtub

Surface protection

Protect adjacent surfaces as much as possible from paint ingress. This is much faster and easier to do than removing dried paint later. Tape the perimeter around the bathtub with masking tape, protect the decorative screen, cover the floor with film or newspapers.

There is another fast and effective method protection of surfaces from paint. They are carefully lubricated with technical petroleum jelly or ordinary grease. It is not necessary to apply a thick layer, tenths of a millimeter is enough. The main thing is that the lubricant does not touch the painted surface. After completion of work, petroleum jelly or grease is removed with a rag, the surfaces remain in their original form.

Check how dry the surface of the bath. Completely dry - proceed to staining with enamel.

Use only special brands of bath paint, they are more expensive, but provide better adhesion to the enamel surface.

Spray enamel painting

Important. If painting is done a few days after bath preparation, be sure to re-vacuum the surface thoroughly. Dust may not be visible to the naked eye, but under it the paint will have the smallest bubbles, and in the future it will certainly peel off. In addition, dirt accumulates faster on the surface around the bumps and they become noticeable.

Step 1. Buy special bath paint. It is advisable to take one cylinder in reserve, it will always come in handy later.

Step 2 Read the instructions for use, unquestioningly follow all the recommendations of the manufacturer. Shake the balloon. There is a metal ball inside, it should make the contents uniform in consistency.

Step 3 Put on a respirator, decide on the sequence of painting. It is better to start from the bottom surface of the sides, these are the most inaccessible places. Next, go to the side surfaces and finish with the bottom. The distance from the spray nozzle to the surface is approximately 10 cm. The movements should be smooth and without stopping. Do not leave gaps, do not allow streaks. The paint dries quickly, it is impossible to remove streaks. Even after high-quality grinding and re-painting, traces will remain.

Step 4 Apply the first coat of paint, allow it to dry.

There are two methods to increase adhesion between paint layers.

The first layer must not dry completely before applying the second. How to find out? Gently run your fingertips over the paint, it should “creak” a little, your fingers will barely noticeably slow down. If a second layer is applied to it, then the connection between them will improve significantly. Only experienced painters can do this, if you are doing this business for the first time in your life, then it is better not to risk it.
Allow time for drying with a margin. Further, it is recommended to use scotch-brite. You can buy it in specialized automotive stores or from station employees. Maintenance. Buy scotch brite gray, it is used under the finish layer. The material leaves microscopic scratches on the surface, they are invisible to the eye. But due to them, the surface area increases significantly, the adhesion strength of the next layer increases significantly.

Practical advice. Treat the entire surface with scotch brite, do not leave gaps. Monitor treated surfaces carefully. We have already said that it is impossible to visually distinguish cleaned surfaces from unprotected ones. It is better to walk on the surface of the bath three or four times, this will take no more than ten minutes.

Step 5 Apply the following layers of paint according to the same algorithm. We recommend painting the bathroom three times, each layer minimum thickness. It must be remembered that the thickness of the paint does not have a decisive influence on the adhesion strength. If the first layer is applied to a poorly prepared and poorly degreased surface, then the paint will definitely peel off. The thickness of the layer slightly increases the protection against water, but with the slightest mechanical effort, the coating will crack. It is almost impossible for non-professionals to make imperceptible repairs at home. Such work is on the shoulder of high-class masters.

Painting with a two-component enamel brush

The surface of the bath is prepared in the manner described above. For painting, you can use a small roller, but you still can’t do without a brush. With its power, hard-to-reach areas get off. In addition, with a brush, you need to go through the places where the bathtub adjoins the walls, carefully handle the drain and overflow holes. And another problem with the roller. The paint must be poured into a special flat container, and the large surface speeds up the drying process. You will have to work very quickly, and this is a lead to the appearance of marriage. We specifically consider the most difficult option - two-component paints. It can be acrylic or epoxy paints. There is no fundamental difference in the application technology, we will not dwell on this. Paints can be poured, but you can’t do without a brush or roller. You will have to close up gaps, remove excess material from the bottom, paint the sides from below and on the sides. Do not fill these surfaces. But not only for these reasons, we recommend using a brush. With its help, you can get a layer of the same thickness, save material, and speed up the solidification process. We will tell you step-by-step instructions for working with a brush.

Step 1. Prepare a two-component bath enamel. Follow the instructions, mix the hardener with the base in the right proportion.

Important. Prepare only the amount of paint that you can use within 40-50 minutes, after an hour the composition will begin to harden under the influence of chemical reactions.

Mix very thoroughly for at least 5 minutes. It is difficult to work manually, it is better to use a drill with a special mixer. Reduce the speed of the cartridge, too fast rotation causes the formation of air bubbles, then they will have to be fought.

Step 2 Put the container with the prepared paint in the bath, prepare the brush, remove loose hairs from it. The width of the brush is about five centimeters. It is quite convenient to work with her, all adjacent surfaces can be carefully circled. If the container with paint is in the bath, then it will not accidentally tip over, less paint will fall on the floor. Pour the mixture over the sides and sides of the tub and let it drain. Now you need to paint the bottom and side surfaces sides, eliminate gaps and process the bottom. Some areas are impossible to fill, and some are long. Now it is better to work with a brush.

Step 3 Wet the brush with paint no more than 1/3 of the length. Remove excess paint on the side of the container. In order to completely eliminate paint dripping, hold the brush in a horizontal position and constantly rotate slowly around the axis. Do this until you begin to paint the surface of the bath. The brush handle should be perpendicular to the surface to be painted or at a slight angle.

Step 4 When painting vertical surfaces, start at the top and work your way down. In this way, the walls of the bath are better covered, the paint itself flows down, the brush only smears it, makes it the same thickness. If the marks are very deep, then they need to be slightly aligned with the movements of the brush tip in a horizontal direction.

Step 5 Constantly watch for the appearance of sags and streaks, if detected, straighten them immediately. You need to align with horizontal movements of the tip of the brush. If the influx is pulled up, then after a certain time it will appear again.

Step 6 You need to process the bath with two-component paints at a time, calculate your strength, control the time. Proceed to the bottom only after the sides and vertical surfaces are painted.

Step 7 Remove the paint container, put it on the floor. Choose a place in such a way that there is no possibility of it tipping over.

Step 8 When transferring the brush from the container on the floor to the bottom of the tub, remember to keep it horizontal and rotate it constantly. Start painting with a clean surface and move towards the drain hole. Smooth out too thick a layer of paint. Don't be afraid, if there are small marks from the brush, they will disappear on their own after a short time.

The quality of the paint largely depends on its density. Keep in mind that the technology for painting a bathtub is somewhat different from processing wooden surfaces. The fact is that the tree quickly absorbs paint, but the surface of the bath does not. Accordingly, you need to take on a brush less material and more carefully equalize the thickness. The number of layers depends on the type of bath enamel. With two-component compositions, the bath is covered with one layer 1–2 mm thick. The second is applied only in case of marriage. One-component paints are applied in two or three layers, the thickness of each is not more than 0.5 mm.

Treat the process with great responsibility. Restoration of a bathtub with enamel paints is already not very reliable, the service life of such coatings leaves much to be desired. And if you still do not follow the technology, then it will not last even a month. You will have to repair (traces will remain), completely remove the paint with sandpaper (long and dusty) or buy a new bath (optimal output). Which option to choose - decide for yourself, we only give advice and step-by-step instructions technological process. With the help of instructions, you can significantly increase the operating time of the restored bathtub with minimal financial losses.

How to extend the use of a painted bathroom

If you follow the rules for using a bathroom repaired in this way, then the paint can remain intact for several years.

Do not soak laundry in the bath. Moreover, do not add washing powder to the water.
Wash the surface only laundry soap Do not use aggressive detergents.
Do not leave the bath with water for a long time, do not fill it very hot water.
Do not rely too much on the manufacturer's advertisements about the durability of the enamel coating. Absolutely in all performance indicators, they are several times worse than classic enamel.

Outcome. If you want the paint to not fall off after a few months, treat the coating very carefully.

Decoration of the internal surfaces of the bath

If your water does not meet the quality requirements, has a lot of divalent iron ions, then noticeable rust spots will certainly appear on the surface of the white bath. It is impossible to prevent their occurrence, you can only delay it a little. In order for the surface of the bath to remain attractive for a long time, it is not necessary to paint it white, add various colors to the paint and make the bath blue, green, etc. If you wish, create a unique and original external and internal surface. It will take a lot of time, but the result will exceed the wildest expectations. By the way, in such a bath, marriage becomes less noticeable.

How can you decorate a bath?

Drawings

Can you draw? Fine. Buy colorful acrylic paints and a set of brushes. Draw marine themes, various fish, algae, etc. The complexity of the drawing is limited only by your talent and desires. Subsequently, the drawings must be covered with a protective varnish. How it is done and what varnishes to use, we will describe below.

The option is simpler, under the power of everyone. A stencil can be bought in a store; today the choice is quite wide both in terms of subject matter and size. Choose solid colors (more simple) or multi-color options (harder to work with). There is no way to purchase ready-made stencils - cut them yourself from thick paper.

How to apply a pattern to the surface of the bath through a stencil?

Fix the prepared stencil on the wall of the bath. There are several fixing methods.

First. Masking tape. It is done quickly and simply, but paint leaks in the gap between the stencil and the surface of the bath are possible. We recommend using this method only for the bottom of the tub.
Second. With contact spray adhesive. It is evenly sprayed over the entire outer surface of the stencil, polymerizes after 2 minutes. The composition is firmly glued to the stencil, and the outer surface is sticky for a long time. Do not rush to immediately stick the stencil to the surface, let the composition completely polymerize. Everything is ready - glue the stencil, carefully align it with a dry cloth or sponge. After the paint dries, the stencil peels off, leaving no traces on the surface of the paint. A great way, allows you to stick stencils on the curves of the bath, completely eliminates the flow of paint.

Paint can get into the gaps for several reasons: too thin or too much, a large brush is used to apply. To obtain a high-quality drawing, do not take a lot of paint on the brush, gently touch the surface of the bath. Move the brush away from the edge of the stencil.

You can also use a sponge. Gently touch the surface of the sponge soaked in paint to the areas to be painted, making only reciprocating movements. It is strictly forbidden to move the sponge from left to right. If you apply complex multi-colored drawings, then you can start the second one only after the first has completely dried. While fixing the stencil, make sure that the general lines of the drawings completely match. A multi-colored drawing can be done with one stencil, but this will require extreme caution. If there are small multi-colored elements, then to paint them in different colors, you need to use professional brushes for artists.

Decoupage

Recommended to do with outside baths, but you can try to decorate the inner surface in this way. The decoupage technique is simple - cut out any drawings you like and stick to the surfaces of the bath. The only requirement is that the paper on which there are drawings should be as thin as possible. Otherwise, they will rise above the surface, although this is uncritical, it is ugly.

In the implementation there are a large number of waterproof varnishes, all manufacturers promise "high resistance". But practice shows that they cannot be used for baths, after a few months of using the bathroom, they first give microcracks, then these cracks increase, the edges of the varnish bend up and break off. The result of such a process is that the bath must be completely redone or completely thrown away. Both options cannot be considered satisfactory.

In order not to get into such an unpleasant situation, buy a special yacht varnish on the Internet, it costs about twice as much as usual. But this is not a big financial problem, you do not need to buy a bucket of varnish, half a liter jar is enough. Lacquering is needed not only to protect the pattern, it additionally increases the time of using the bath. Thanks to excellent physical characteristics the surface does not change its original appearance for a long time.

Types of yacht varnishes

Names	Composition and brief performance characteristics
Akidlak	Made on an alkyd basis, one-component, used as an additional protection between layers of paint. Does not react to detergents, the period of complete drying is at least 16 hours.
Aurlac	Made on an alkyd-urethane basis, withstands medium mechanical loads, drying time 8 hours. Resistant to various chemical compounds, including aggressive ones. Recommended for coating the interior surfaces of the bath.
Aurlac Express	Manufactured on an alkyd-urethane basis, the drying time is reduced to two hours. Abrasion resistance is lower than that of Aurlak.
Polyurlac	Two-component, with high physical strength, resistant to all chemical compounds. Dries 45 minutes.

yacht varnish

Their implementation will improve the quality of painting.

Video - How to paint a bathtub with enamel

The question of how to paint a bath with your own hands is asked by many people. This simple and affordable event will allow you to quickly update the look of the bathroom without purchasing a new bathtub.

Before we tell you how you can update an old bath with your own hands, let's study the preparation process in detail. This stage is the most important and the durability of the new coating depends on its quality. Preparation includes a number of works, including degreasing and stripping - without this, the new paint will lag behind the surface in just a couple of months.

Do-it-yourself cleaning of an old bath

How to paint an old bath - step by step

Step 1: Degreasing

During water procedures, a sufficiently large amount of fat that has come out through the pores is washed off the human body. Fat settles on the surface and eventually eats into the material - it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove it from there by simply washing the bath. Therefore, degreasing needs to be given a lot of time and effort. First of all, you need to wash the bathtub with a good dish detergent. Apply the selected product to the old enamel or cast iron and leave for half an hour. During this time, the components in the composition of the detergent will dissolve the layer of fat. Be sure to rinse off the remnants of the product with hot water and repeat the treatment again.

Step 2: Stripping

Scraping serves several purposes: it helps to get to the remains of grease that has eaten into the surface and provides a roughness to the bath, so that the paint will adhere perfectly to the bath. In addition, it is quite easy to remove traces of rust, which often appears on cast iron bath. For stripping, we need a grinder or a drill with a fine fraction nozzle.

Why is it better to use a drill? This tool is less resourceful, not as powerful as a grinder, so that a beginner who decides to paint the bath with enamel or acrylic with his own hands will have less chance of scratching or deforming the coating. Clean the bath until it becomes evenly matte. Rinse the remaining old enamel in the shower and rinse the surface again.

Step 3: The final stage of preparation

At the last stage, remove the siphon and process the overflow and drain holes with fine sandpaper. Rinse the surface again with detergent and wash off any remaining dirt. large quantity water, putting under the drain large capacity. Leave the product for a day so that the surface is completely dry. And finally, once again walk through the bath with acetone to remove residual fat.

In stores today you can buy special bath enamel in aerosol cans. We advise you not to purchase such material - it is not very durable. This coverage will last at least one year. To get a high-quality and durable coating, you need to purchase a two-component polyurethane enamel. We have compiled a list of the three most famous manufacturing companies and their products:

Dulux - a special enamel for updating old bathtubs;
Tikkurila - a set that includes a moisture-resistant primer and paint;
Jobi is a paint that is not afraid of moisture and damage, an updated bathtub can be washed even with a brush.

Enamel for renovation of old bathtubs

You need to paint at least two layers, even better three. In this case, for each new layer, you need to prepare a new portion of paint. Mix the components according to the instructions and get to work. Do not forget that after 1.5-3 hours after mixing, the paint will be unusable. Keep this in mind and prepare the necessary portions in the right amount. Before applying a new layer of enamel, be sure to wait until the previous one dries. In addition, dried enamel must also be degreased.

To prevent dust and small contaminants from getting on fresh paint, close all doors and windows in the apartment tightly before carrying out work - do not open them for at least the next day to avoid paint deformation due to changes in temperature and humidity levels.
To update the bath with paint, use with natural pile. If you can handle the spray gun, you can use it.
It is better to apply paint from the sides to the bottom so that there are no streaks.
After work, leave the bath to dry for 7-10 days.

Not everyone wants to paint an old bathtub with enamel and they choose the restoration method using bulk acrylic. There is nothing complicated here either. First, we carry out the preparatory work, which we described above, and then simply pour the acrylic on the sides of the bath - the liquid, flowing down the surface of the bath, will fill all the flaws in the old cast-iron bath. Everyone can update a bathtub with acrylic, but the method has some drawbacks. For example, acrylic adheres very poorly to old enamel. It is attached to the surface due to its roughness and its one-piece design.

Pouring acrylic on the sides of the bath

As soon as you scratch the new surface, it will begin to break down - gradually the water will begin to wash away the new layer from the bath, tearing off the solidified acrylic in whole pieces.

To minimize such risks, it is worth covering the product with two layers of acrylic, while the thicker the layer, the more difficult it will be to damage the material.

Now you know how you can update the old coating in the bathroom - we showed you step by step the process of preparing and painting with enamel. The update process may seem complicated to some, but if we are talking about a bath that has already become obsolete, then you definitely won’t do worse.