Steel or Acrylic bath

catwoman

can someone please advise me on which type of bath is best, steel or acrylic? we have always had a problem with the seals around the top of our baths and the tiles coming away when the bath is filled, will a steel bath be stronger and not move? please advise

Canucklehead

Good afternoon: Take look at this recent thread..
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=497041&highlight=baths+steel

HTH

Canucklehead

suniil

Shame! i should have read this thread before replacing my steel bath with acrylic bath

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good afternoon: Take look at this recent thread..
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=497041&highlight=baths+steel

HTH

Canucklehead

iamcornholio

Both types of bath should not move or leak if properly installed. And contrary to popular belief, plastic will not keep the water warmer for longer.

The main issues are that plastic tends to come in a wider range of designs and colours, but steel will be more resilient to damage - like when the shower rose falls off, or when the shampoo bottle gets dropped.
Steel+kids=:dance:

The slashback tiles when properly fitted and sealed, should not be an issue with either type of bath

Canucklehead

iamcornholio wrote: »

And contrary to popular belief, plastic will not keep the water warmer for longer.

Good evening: The Bathroom Manufacturers Association disagree with you;)
Their bath training guide suggests acrylic has better insulating properties etc ...see pages 5 and 14 of the training guide.

http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/pdf/Baths.pdf

HTH

Canucklehead

barrymung

When the bath is installed, fill it with water, THEN seal round the edges. Allow the sealant to set, then drain the bath.

Also, it helps if you screw a supporting batten along the wall to support the edge of the bath and also place bits of sturdy wood (Plank offcuts) under the feet to spread the load and reduce the "springiness".

Some baths come with metal wall brackets that can/should be used instead/in addition to a wall batten.

barrymung

IMHO, acrylic does insulate better, but as most of the heat is lost upwards, the effect is less than might be expected.

Acrylic scratches easily and will become "matt" in a shortish period of time. I have also heard of people dropping aerosols into plastic baths and it going clean through the bottom!

Enamelled steel has a much more resiliant finish but can chip. certain cleaners can damage the surface of enamel so it's important to only use cleaners recommended for use on enamel.

If you are worried about the insulating properties of a steel bath, simply place some insulating foam around the sides before fitting the bath panel.

iamcornholio

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: The Bathroom Manufacturers Association disagree with you;)
Their bath training guide suggests acrylic has better insulating properties etc ...see pages 5 and 14 of the training guide.

http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/pdf/Baths.pdf

HTH

Canucklehead

LOL. Dare I say it, that that association is talking nonsense? :rolleyes:

Can a bath, by its nature with a big open area to let the heat out, really be kept warmer by a peice of plastic under it rather than a piece of steel?

For the science, heatloss will be determined by the air temperature and whilst plastic as a material is a better insulator than steel, the difference in the two materials is going to be insignificant in the context of a bath

In any case, the hot tap is normally in easy reach of the big toe

Canucklehead

Good morning: Thermal comfort 'that condition of the mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment' (BS EN ISO 7730) would be an appropriate concept to illustrate the situation i.e. acrylic bath surfaces feeling warmer than steel. I know my big toes (and the rest of my 2 tootsies) prefer the warmer embrace of acrylic when I step into the bath for a shower. For those who are interested in the science :idea: ... http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/Courseware/Class-16293/6-Comfort.pdf

HTH

Canucklehead