The main defects in the coating of the bath include cracks, scratches and chips. Damage occurs after inaccurate installation of furniture, plumbing and falling into the bowl for bathing heavy objects. Calling a wizard to fix problems will be expensive, so it would be nice to learn how to repair a cast-iron bath with your own hands, right?
We will help you in solving this issue. The article provides detailed instructions for removing chips, small and deep scratches, and also describes effective methods for the restoration of cracks. Having studied the material, you can restore the attractiveness of the cast-iron bowl and extend the life of the bath.
Shallow Scratch Repair
The use of multicomponent cleaning agents, cleaning a contaminated surface with a hard brush, and inaccurate handling of metal objects during repair - all this leads to the formation of shallow scratches.
Such scratches should be immediately eliminated, since the ingress of moisture, caustic chemicals into the resulting gap leads to rust formation, multiplication of moisture-loving microorganisms and an increase in the size of the scratch. Which will lead to further destruction of the surface of the bath.
Shallow scratches include damage that does not expose the metal. These minor damages can be repaired even without a primer.
Factory enamel on the bowl of a cast-iron bathtub is very durable, therefore a screwdriver is needed to remove shallow scratches. If it has already been restored with acrylic or epoxy enamel, a sandpaper is suitable for treating micro-scratches.
In addition, for the treatment of microdamage, you will need:
- fine sandpaper markings Р1200, Р1500 or a screwdriver with a nozzle for attaching an abrasive wheel;
- fine abrasive car polish - economical polishes for single use are pastes from WILLSON and RUNWAY;
- non-abrasive wax polishe.g. Golden Wax.
At the first stage, it is necessary to wash the surface with Pemolux, Comet, Sort or baking soda for degreasing. After removing the product, you need to dry the bath.
Next, the surface is polished with a fine-grained sandpaper or a screwdriver with an abrasive wheel - zero, until leveling. When processing scratches with a screwdriver, the minimum speed is set.
The treatment area must be constantly moist to prevent cracking during heating. Therefore, at the entire stage of primary polishing for damage, it is necessary to pour a thin stream of water.
After the treated surface becomes smooth and matte, a granular polish must be applied to it. Processing with a non-abrasive composition is carried out vertically, then horizontally, until a smooth, uniform surface is obtained.
The final step in eliminating minor scratches is finishing the coating with a car polish with wax. Wax polishes are water repellent and give a sparkling sheen to any coating.
The polishing cloth should be soft, without lint. Therefore, it is better to use flannel, calico, felt or microfiber cloths
After obtaining a shiny surface, it must be washed with soapy water or a non-aggressive liquid cleaning agent: Tercy, Oda, Sarma. You can use the bath immediately afterwards.
Methods for removing chips and deep scratches
The enamel coating is subjected to mechanical stress, chips and deep scratches appear on the bowl, which expose the cast-iron base.
Then the time comes to think about the repair, but not every owner knows how to restore the coating of the cast-iron bath with his own hands. A call of specialists will be expensive.
In fact, it’s not difficult at all - you just need patience and perseverance. Next, we will consider options for resolving the problem and the order of the work.
Chips are repaired in several ways:
- applying a porcelain patch;
- applying glue BF-2 and a pigment filler;
- using automotive putty and enamel;
- spot filling of the cleavage site.
Each method of restoration of coverage is within the power of any home craftsman. The durability of the patch depends on compliance with the instructions on the packaging of the installation material and on the quality of the preparatory work.
If a chip or scratch formed a long time ago and the bare metal had time to rust, the rust coating is removed. To do this, a powdery cleaning agent Chistin Sanitary or Surzh is suitable. With deep penetration of rust, oxalic acid can be used.
A significant layer of powder is applied to the cleavage site, which is moistened with a small amount of water until gruel is formed. The latter is rubbed into a chip or scratch with a foam sponge.
The composition must be left for 15 minutes. Abrasive substances damage and weaken the enamel, so they are applied directly to the damaged area. After time, the bowl is washed with plenty of running water.
The instructions for any product indicate the time of complete drying. So, a thin layer of epoxy dries in 10 hours, and automotive sealant needs 24 hours to cure
After treatment with an anticorrosive substance and in the case of fresh chips, they begin to prepare the bath.
Work Technology:
- At the first stage, cleaning and degreasing is carried out with baking soda or Pemolux. In a place where the enamel is damaged, more thorough processing is carried out.
- After degreasing, the area is treated with a drill using a grinding stone or abrasive end nozzles. Grinding chips with an abrasive makes the inner surface of the damage rough, which improves the adhesion of materials.
- After abrasive treatment, the bowl must be washed and dried. To do this, it is better to use a building hair dryer, as forced drying ensures complete evaporation of moisture from the treated coating.
- When the surface of the cast-iron bath is dry, you need to degrease the place of cleavage and enamel around. For this purpose, thinner 646 or acetone is suitable. Now you can begin to primer and restore the surface.
Grinding deep scratches helps align the edges, expand the grooves, and create a microrelief for better adhesion. Good adhesion to materials can be achieved with a scratch width of at least 1 cm.
Before applying a primer to improve the adhesion of materials, the bath bowl must be warmed up. You can draw hot water into it, but much faster you can warm it with a building hair dryer
Method No. 1 - Epoxy and Porcelain
To repair the cast-iron bowl, you will need epoxy and porcelain. Any broken cup, mug is suitable, the main thing is that the color of the dishes match the enamel color, then the masked chip will not be evident. Before filling the chips, the pieces of porcelain are ground into a fine powder.
First, a layer of epoxy is applied to the cleaved surface; porcelain chips are poured onto it. If this is not enough to equalize the damage with the surface, then after 2.5 hours, another layer of epoxy and porcelain powder is applied.
At the end of the time specified in the instructions, the surface is polished with fine-grained sandpaper.
Method No. 2 - BF-2 glue
Rigid, heat-resistant, elastic, durable surface instead of chip on the cast-iron bath is formed by the polymer in the glue Bf-2. To obtain white mounting material, dry whitewash, chalk, and tooth powder are added to the transparent BF glue.
After preparing the two components, the glue and filler are thoroughly mixed and applied to a chip or scratch. This mixture dries within 24 hours, the finished surface can be polished.
If one layer of glue is not enough to fill the chip, the next layer is applied after the previous one has completely dried, after 24 hours. When applying such a multi-level patch, polishing and using the bath is possible no earlier than after 72 hours.
It is important that the filler contains fine particles of one fraction, otherwise the porous structure of the composition will let moisture through, which will lead to destruction
Method number 3 - car putty
Reliable repair of a cast-iron bathtub with your own hands is possible if you choose a high-quality water-repellent, heat-insulating primer, putty and enamel.
Such materials include automotive putty and enamel. In a normal environment, materials experience significant loads, operate at high temperatures, with humidity and vibration.
Therefore, a gentle climate in the bathroom will provide materials with minimal wear. Subject to surface preparation technology and application technology, damage will be almost imperceptible.
For the repair of chips and scratches, automotive waterproof putty is suitableNOVOL Fiber, Body soft. The material is applied to the prepared surface with a plastic or rubber spatula.
When filling in damaged areas, make sure that no voids remain under the putty layer. The surface of the patch should be flat, without recesses.
If cavities have formed, then after the first layer has dried, it is necessary to put the putty on the second. If the coating is uneven, it should be leveled with fine-grained sandpaper.
The treated surface can be painted with automotive or two-component acrylic enamel, then the coating will be glossy and shiny.
Water-resistant automotive putty will protect the cast iron base from water and rust, even without the use of additional coatings. For reliability, it can be coated with car paint.
Method №4 - enamel restoration
Shallow fresh chips and scratches can be removed with enamel for restoration. This method is the simplest, but does not provide perfect alignment of the surface. If grinding is carried out with an emery cloth and degreasing immediately after the formation of the defect, then the enamel will last a long time.
Enamel restorer is sold in any plumbing store and is a tube or bottle with a brush filled with synthetic resin enamel.
Enamel for repairing scratches and chips is applied to the damaged surface with a thin layer. 4 hours after drying of the first layer, the paint is applied a second time. You can use the bathroom after 24 hours.
In addition, plumbing stores are filled with ready-made sets for restoration of coverage and spot repair of the surface of the bathtubs. Buyers are increasingly buying crack and scratch repair compounds, chip removal kits, and spray enamels.
After removing and masking defects with the help of such kits and tools, you can forget about where the damaged area was. The main thing is to choose a tool for the restoration of a cast-iron bath
If yellowness is not removed from the surface of the bowl, or a grid of small scratches has formed on the bathroom over time, then it is better to carry out not a local restoration, but to complete the painting.
Crack restoration methods
Cast iron bathing bowls have become popular due to their high wear resistance and durability. But even such durable products have defects in the form of enamel chips, corrosion or cracks.
The occurrence of a crack as a result of plumbing or natural changes in the temperature of water and air becomes one of the reasons for replacing the bath. In some cases, it is possible to repair the defect.
Ways to eliminate cracks in the cast iron base of the bath: using cold welding, by applying epoxy resin, soldering with lead-tin solder.
Option # 1 - Cold Welding
At the first stage, degreasing and cleaning the bath with Pemolux or soda is performed. If there is rust around the edges and inside the crack, you must use a hard abrasive such as Sanox or Chistin Sanitary.
The anticorrosion agent is applied to the surface of the crack with a thick layer, wetted and left on the damage for 20 minutes. After washing off the cleaning agent along the visible edges of the crack on one or both sides, depending on the location, locking micro-holes with a diameter of 3 mm are drilled.
After degreasing, the surface is ground with a grinder, an electric drill with a grinding wheel or abrasive. Not only is the crack cleansed, but also the enamel around it is 1.5-2 cm wide.
The grinding wheel removes the coating up to the metal. At the crack site, a hollow is carved out over the entire length of the fault.
The locking holes are located at the end of the crack, if the end of the groove extends beyond the groove, the crack will continue to grow in length
After grinding, the tank cover is cleaned of saw cuts and dirt. When the bathroom dries, the crack should be degreased with a solvent, alcohol or cologne.
Hot water is poured into the bowl for half an hour, after it is drained, the surface is dried by a hairdryer. Now the treated coating defect can be coated with cold welding.
You can use the bath no earlier than 24 hours. To even out the tone of the coating, the cracked area can be painted with two-component acrylic or epoxy enamel.
Option # 2 - Epoxy
The process of preparing the surface for applying epoxy resin is practically no different from the technology of preparing the bath for applying cold welding.
Scheme of work:
- cleansing and degreasing;
- grinding and grooving;
- additional degreasing.
After completion of the preparatory work, it is necessary to prepare an epoxy resin or putty based on epoxy. A layer of epoxy is applied to the crack, a fiberglass fabric on top and again an adhesive mounting material.
After the structure has dried, it is necessary to repeat the procedure: epoxy - fiberglass - epoxy. The result should be a patch above the enamel level, if not, then the procedure is repeated a third time.
After the patch has dried, 2 days after filling, the surface must be treated with fine-grained sandpaper and enameled with Stakril or other resistant paint.
Epoxy is the best way to eliminate cracks in the bath. The liquid texture of the material allows penetration into each microcrack, provides increased adhesion and metal protection
Option # 3 - soldering cracks
If you have soldering skills, you can solder a small crack in an iron bath. This requires careful cleaning and the release of metal from enamel.
Soldering is carried out with a 100-200-watt soldering iron using lead-tin solder and a special flux for steel and aluminum.
This way of solving the problem takes time and skill. The seam will not last long, but it will do for a temporary fix.
To prolong the attractiveness and service life of the repaired bath, it is necessary to choose the right detergent. Hard brushes that can damage smooth enamel must not be used to clean the surface.
For reliable adhesion of materials and durability of the coating, it is necessary to observe a clear sequence of preparatory and restoration work:
High-quality repair of a cast-iron bath is a careful restoration of the most important sanitary fixture in the apartment.
Restoration of the damaged surface is possible as a result of the "jewelry" work of the master. The result of hard work and many hours of expectations will be a bathtub without visible chips, scratches and cracks, which will last another ten years.
Share with your readers your experience in restoring damaged cast-iron bath enamel and performing restoration work. Please leave comments, ask questions about the topic of the article and participate in discussions - the feedback form is located below.