A bathtub is a mandatory attribute and the main item of plumbing in any bathroom. In this case, often, the bath serves not only as a hygiene item, but also serves to relax and unwind. Just lying in a bowl of soapy water, with a small amount of various additives and oils, allows you to restore overall tone, make your skin smoother or relieve stress after a hard week at work. In addition to the hygienic and health-improving function, the bathroom bowl, due to its large dimensions, certainly participates in shaping the overall interior of the bathroom.
Choosing a bath material
Today you can buy a bath from the following materials:
- cast iron
- Steel
- Acrylic
- Kvaril
- Ceramics
But here we will discuss about cast iron and steel.
Cast iron bathtubs – time-tested plumbing
As far as the name implies, cast iron back to wall bathtub is made from such a type of metal as cast iron, by casting. Cast iron itself is an alloy of iron (Fe) with a high carbon (C) content. To increase certain qualities of the alloy, silicon (SI), manganese (Mn) or sulfur (S) is added to it. In general, cast iron is not ductile, not flexible, a very durable grade of metal.
One problem is that it is fragile, but this does not affect the quality of sanitary ware made of cast iron. For example, for reference, to break a cast-iron bathtub, you will need remarkable male physical strength and a weighty sledgehammer, weighing about 10 kg. In the course of normal household use, the maximum that can happen is a soap dish or a razor dropped into the bathroom bowl.
However, the cast-iron bathtub owes its durability not only to the durable metal alloy, but also the surface coating of the sanitary ware also plays a significant role. A two-layer enamel is used as a coating for a cast-iron bath. Rather, there is only one layer of enamel, but it is applied at the factory in several approaches.
The first layer ensures proper adhesion of the enamel to the metal, and the second layer is the front layer, that is, it provides the necessary smoothness of the surface. The duration of abrasion of the enamel coating of a cast-iron bath is from 10 to 30 years or more, it all depends on the intensity of operation.
If we correlate all the advantages and disadvantages of cast-iron bathtubs, then the conclusion suggests itself that this plumbing is ideal for installation on the ground floor of a country house. For a bathroom in an apartment, which has a relatively small area, this plumbing will be too cumbersome, and its installation will be difficult.
Although at present, cast-iron bathtubs are installed in a large number of Soviet-built apartments. You should also remember such a popular suburban housing, lightweight type. Installing a cast-iron bath on the second floor of a house made of timber or frame housing is not desirable due to the heavy weight of the plumbing.
Steel baths are a cheaper alternative to cast iron
Steel bathtubs are made of two types of steel:
- Structural
- Stainless
Structural steel bathtubs look very similar to cast iron plumbing. Their wall thickness can be from 2.5 to 4.5 mm, and acrylic enamel is used as a coating. On sale there are both classic oval-shaped bathtubs and sanitary ware of the most bizarre configurations: with one or more seats, with various headrests, shelves and bends. This is achieved due to the ductility and malleability of sheet steel, which cannot be said about cast iron.
Stainless steel bathtubs are less common in the domestic plumbing market, although if you search well, you can still buy a stainless-steel bathtub. The low demand is mainly due to the high price. For example, a bathtub made of structural steel costs about 3-4 times cheaper than a cast-iron bathtub.
Whereas a stainless-steel bath can cost the opposite, 2 times more expensive than cast iron plumbing. The thing is that the stainless bath does not have an enamel coating, that is, the surface of the bowl is polished metal and, in order to extend the life of the plumbing and avoid corrosion or oxidation on its walls, manufacturers use food grade stainless steel directly, the price of which leaves much to be desired.
The degree of deflection of the walls of plumbing directly depends on the thickness of the metal and the applied load. When wondering how to choose the right bath, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the complexion of the bodies of family members. For example, if there are members in the family who are overweight, then it is worth considering buying a steel bath, since the weight of the obese person and the weight of the water filled into it will affect the walls of the plumbing.
All this can lead to deformation of the walls of the font. If the weight and build of the household is normal, then buying a steel bath with a wall thickness of 3 mm or more will be an excellent solution for both an apartment and a country house.
