Steel vs Acrylic baths

jackieblack

Hello all
We're planning on replacing our bathroom (the original from when our house was built in 1964) a friend will be fitting it for us while we are away on holiday . We currently have a cast iron bath, but all the baths I've seen are either acrylic/fibreglass or steel.

I understand there are pros and cons for both types and that both come in different thicknesses, the acrylic baths I've seen are 6mm or 8mm, the steel baths are 2.5mm or 3.5mm thick. The thicker steel bath is twice the cost of the thicker acrylic bath, which is half as much again as the thinner steel bath.

I don't mind paying more for a better quality bath, but don't want to spend more unneccessarily.

I'm just going around in circles, getting more confused the more I look!

Can anyone give any advice on this please?

phill99

I have fitted dozens of bathrooms over the years. I always encourage people to go for a steel bath. The primary reason is that because they are rigid, you don't get movement which in the longer term will pull the mastic away from the joint between the bath and the tiles. This is always a weak point and often results in damage to downstairs ceilings etc.

The downside is that the water in the bath can cool quicker, but this can be overcome by insualting the bath before putting the side panel on.

Ionkontrol

Steel every time.

jackieblack

My inclination has always been to go for steel, but I've been told if something (eg a showerhead) gets dropped in it the coating will chip.

How would you go about insulating a bath?

phill99

jackieblack wrote: »

My inclination has always been to go for steel, but I've been told if something (eg a showerhead) gets dropped in it the coating will chip.

How would you go about insulating a bath?

How often have you actually dropped something in the bath that can actually cause dmagae to it?

But then its easy for acrylic baths to crack - especially around the plug hole.

You insulate siimply by wrapping the bath with insulation before you put the bath panel on.

I have attended dozens of properties where acrylic baths have flexed and pulled the mastic away resulting in water dripping through the ceiling below. I know that I would much prefer a bath where there is an outside chance of the enamal being chipped off as opposed to one where the potential for flexing and thus leaking is significant.

Hintza

This might be a good compromise (we have bought one the Libra for the new build):-

http://www.villeroy-boch.com/add_on2/en/whirlpool-systems/all-about-whirlpools/quaryl-unique.html

jackieblack

phill99 wrote: »

How often have you actually dropped something in the bath that can actually cause dmagae to it?

Excellent point.

phill99 wrote: »

But then its easy for acrylic baths to crack - especially around the plug hole.

Ok, I didn't think of that. I have been told they can be scratched.

phill99 wrote: »

You insulate siimply by wrapping the bath with insulation before you put the bath panel on.

Ok, thanks, I wouldn't have thought of that. Do you just use the stuff you put in the loft, that comes in a roll?

phill99 wrote: »

I have attended dozens of properties where acrylic baths have flexed and pulled the mastic away resulting in water dripping through the ceiling below. I know that I would much prefer a bath where there is an outside chance of the enamal being chipped off as opposed to one where the potential for flexing and thus leaking is significant.

Agreed, especially as our kitchen ceiling, directly below the bathroom, has spotlights and all the wiring is in the space between the bathroom floorboards and the plasterboard ceiling.

Meatballs

If the sealant comes away from the tile perhaps the fitter didn't fill the bath with water before applying it. The weight of water pushes the bath/flooring down.

daveyjp

If you are on a budget, steel every time. To get a strong acrylic bath you need to be spending many hundreds of £s. Cheap acrylic baths are thin and flex when you put water in them, stand in them etc etc, this pulls away the sealant.

No need to fill a steel bath before applying sealant as they don't flex.

diable

Do you shower or do you bathe? I had this dilemma and opted for an acrylic shower bath but it did come in at £460 delivered it you do like a soak it will hold the heat better and it was a thicker bath then the cheap o ones.

cddc

Steel for me too, and Phil, as usual, makes some good points.

If you do choose to go down the acrylic route, choose a thicker double sprayed one. These are decent, dont tend to flex half as much and the problems with cracking round plugholes dont tend to happen. The cheap ones are basically that. Cheap for a reason.