Steel vs Plastic Bath - a swap that made sense
There are few pleasures more enjoyable in life than a good soak in the bath. For most of our customers a bath tub will be the focal point of the bathroom space. From design perspective a bath tub is a large item and it's placement will often dictate the layout of the whole bathroom space - toilet, basin, bidet, towel rails etc.
Fortunately when it comes to bathroom retrofits a popular choice is to keep the bath tub in the same location removing the requirement for any extensive re-plumbing. In fact when this is the case the bath tub often maintains it's shape and dimension when being replaced with new. There are still a few options left however that can make all the difference to your bathing experience in the long run! Chief among these options is the material of the bath tub.
For most people this is a choice between steel and acrylic "plastic" baths. The decision between steel and acrylic can be quite important and in the long term potentially save having to replace the bath again prematurely. We recently carried out a bath replacement for one of our Bromley landlord customers. Swapping from steel to acrylic made sense, a well installed acrylic bath is near bulletproof which reassured our landlord customer who was worried out tenants chipping a steel tub.
Lets look at some important parameters and see how these common bath materials stack up against each other.
Looks
Steel baths have a typicall "rolled edge" look, their matte enamel finish is also quite distinctive. However their forms and shapes are very limited. Steel baths looks quite similar to cast iron baths, both used to me much more common in the old days therefore the rolled edge standard steel bath can give a bathroom an unwanted dated look.
Acrylic baths can take on a much more varied form. They can come in P and L shapes, jacuzzi style with a build in seating. The standard rectangle shape can have a blocky design with straight defined lines or rounded similar to a steel bath with crisp perfectly flat edges at the top that define the modern style bath.
Winner : Acrylic (unless you are after a "classic" look).
Durability
Steel baths are very rigid and do not warp. This means if one side of the bath tub is secured if you sit on the edge of the opposite side there should be no movement. This is advantageous when it comes to longevity of your bath panel, tiles, sealant and bath screen. Steel baths however are covered in enamel. It is quite tough however if you drop a heavy blunt object on a steel bath it will chip off a piece of the enamel revealing stainless material underneath. This revealed steel will corrode and leave the unmistakable rusty dot marks on the bath. The enamel does offer a scratch resistant hygienic finish.
Acrylic baths are light and flexible. They require 360 degree support to avoid warping. This unfortunately is overlooked by many installers resulting in unwanted movement in the bath tub and leaks through tiles, sealant and bath screen. Acrylic baths however do not have enamel. They are made from a durable acrylic sheet, same material used in shatter proof windows. It can be scratched much easier than steel enameled bath however as acrylic sheet is quite thick and homogenous it will merely reveal same white material underneath. Scratched do create points for bacterial growth, scale and other residue however.
Winner: Tie. Steel if you can be certain not to chip the enamel. Acrylic when properly supported throughout the bath tub.
Sustainability
Essentially both steel and acrylic baths are made from a sheet material. Steel baths undergo enamelling process while acrylic baths are covered with fiberglass to increase their strength. Both mother materials can be made from recycled material however once fiberglass is applied to acrylic it can no longer be recycled again. Enamelled steel baths however can be melted down again making them fully recyclable.
Winner: Steel
Mythbusters
Radiator under your bath. Acrylic baths not as cold to get into. Radiators have hot water inside to heat them up. To heat up your bath run some hot water into the bath. To maintain temperature in your bath every not and again let the plug out and add more hot water.
Steel baths stay hotter for longer.
Metal is much more conductive than plastic. This is why radiators are made of steel and not acrylic. Your acrylic bath will lose slightly less heat than a steel bath however this is marginal as almost all of the heat is lost at the top of the water not in contract with the bath.
Gordon is our chief bathroom specialist, coming up to 20 years of experience in bathroom renovation projects. We've never meet a more meticulous, willing to please tradesman who is unphased by challenges of bathroom renovations in multitude of settings from newbuild homes to tired and neglected old Victorian conversions. Now he is part of FITnFIX team and all our customers can benefit from top notch workmanship combined with organisation and communication delivered from our office team. Get in touch today and find out how we can help you update your bathroom.
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