What are baths made of? A brief overview of four popular materials

The main element of any bathroom is almost always a container designed for taking water procedures. Today, stores offer a wide range of such products, which have the shape of an oval, semicircle, circle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, etc. Usually, the length of baths manufactured by well-known manufacturers is 1500, 1700, 1800 millimeters.

The width reaches 700, 800, 850 millimeters. And the height is 650 millimeters. To improve bathing comfort and promote well-being, baths are additionally equipped with massage systems, lighting, comfortable handles, soft headrests, comfortable armrests and other types of accessories.

Bath materials

Cast iron

Modern bathing containers are manufactured by domestic and foreign companies from cast iron sheets with a thickness of 5 millimeters. They stand reliably on a previously prepared basis. Poured water does not make too loud sounds, thick enough walls retain thermal energy for a long time, the enamel coating reliably adheres to the surface. However, cast iron baths weigh about 120–130 kilograms and are usually rectangular in shape. The enameling process is accompanied by heating the cast iron to 1250 degrees, which causes the formation of pores that get dirty.

Steel

The production of bathing baths is accompanied by welding of individual parts or pressing of a solid steel sheet. Thanks to the good plasticity of the material, baths can take on various geometric shapes and sizes. The weight of such products is 4–5 times less than a similar characteristic of a cast iron bath. But the installed products must be securely fixed. The collected water cools quickly, and when poured, it makes loud sounds. The latter problem can be solved by filling the outer surfaces with mounting foam.

Acrylic

The artificial polymer sheets are placed in a vacuum chamber where they are heated and subjected to extrusion, which allows the products to be formed in the required shape. The rigidity of the surfaces is improved by reinforcing the baths with additional layers. The weight of bathing containers reaches about 15–25 kilograms, and their structure, devoid of internal pores, slows down the decrease in water temperature to optimally warm. The flow of collected water falls silently, but heating to 160 degrees is accompanied by melting of the surface. Acrylic baths are also spoiled by solvents, household chemicals and sharp objects.

Quaril

The acrylic component is supplemented with quartz, which increases the strength of the product. Made using casting technology, Villeroy & Boch quaryl baths are devoid of air pores, acquire various geometric shapes and are able to resist the effects of sharp objects. But the structure, which heats up to a temperature of 160 degrees and above, begins to melt, which leads to a change in the initial contours of the bath. Also, products of this type have a high price, which is unavailable to most buyers.