Corner bath - choose quality, durability and beauty

The bathroom is not an easy place for taking water procedures, the room that all family members manage to visit several times a day is a space for relaxation, peace, purification of the body and mind. It is difficult to imagine the relaxing environment of a room for water and sanitary procedures without a comfortable and roomy bath. Despite the active use of showers, modern homeowners are trying to keep the possibility of taking water procedures in a horizontal position, the possibility of real relaxation. In this publication, we will consider the choice of a plumbing device such as a corner bath. The active demand for bathtubs of exactly the angular modification pushed us to create an extensive selection of modern design projects for bathrooms in which these models of sanitary devices were successfully integrated. If you are planning to repair a utility room or are just ready to replace the old bathtub with a new model, then we hope the following information will be useful to you.

To date, the most popular materials for the manufacture of bathtubs of various modifications are cast iron, steel and acrylic. But it is also possible to use materials that are more original for the Russian buyer - glass, wood, liquid marble, and kvar. We will understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of raw material for the production of angular modification bathtubs.

One of the oldest and most traditional bath materials is cast iron. Some twenty or thirty years ago, in any apartment in our country, you could find cast-iron plumbing in the bathroom. Minor differences in dimension and design made all the bathtubs of Russia almost twins. And nowadays, the popularity of this strong and durable material allows it to remain on the top lines of the list of best-selling products.

The advantages of bathtubs made of cast iron include the following:

• strength and durability - with proper operation and lack of marriage during production, a cast iron bathtub can be used for more than 30 years;
• all cast-iron bathtubs have an enamel coating, which is easy to care for;
• the enamel surface is much more resistant to scratches and cracks than acrylic products;
• cast iron is able to withstand very high temperatures without consequences for the technological properties of the material;
• Cast iron models have high thermal conductivity.

But, like any medal has a downside, cast iron products have their drawbacks:

• cast iron bathtubs are very heavy (about 80 kg) - the complexity of transportation and installation contributes to the cost of replacing the old bathtub with a new one and does not give a chance for independent performance of all actions;
• the cast iron product itself is difficult to damage, but the enamel coating is very vulnerable to mechanical stress, chip formation and cracks when heavy objects fall;
• if the enamel coating was applied with violations of the technological process, the bathroom will lose its appearance in the first year of operation (but this disadvantage can be eliminated by applying a new “shell” for the cast-iron product);
• Features of manufacturing plumbing made of cast iron significantly limits the size and model range of products (mainly traditional design bathtubs are on sale).

When choosing a cast-iron bathtub of an angular type, it is important to pay attention to the surface of the product - if it is bumpy, then the product was produced with violations of the production process technology, voids and pores formed in the cast iron.You must refuse to purchase such a product, even at a low cost.

Among Russian buyers, acrylic products are very popular. This is due to the relatively low cost (in comparison with cast-iron products and bathtubs made of artificial marble) and a wide range of size and model range.

The advantages of acrylic products include the following:

• acrylic bathtubs are lightweight (from 15 to 30 kg), they are easy to transport and can be installed independently;
• it is from acrylic that products of complex and original form are made (there are practically no barriers to design ideas);
• thermal insulation performance of acrylic models is much higher than that of steel and cast iron;
• The acrylic surface is prone to scratching, but can be sanded as it wears.

Among the minuses of acrylic products, the following can be distinguished:

• weight restrictions - thin walls of acrylic products can bend and deform under the action of large masses;
• acrylic can not withstand high temperatures - experts do not recommend pouring boiling water into such a bath;
• the acrylic bathtub cannot be cleaned with abrasive products; surfaces are also “afraid” of falling heavy objects;
• small of all products acts both as an advantage and a disadvantage - lightweight designs of acrylic bathtubs need support of a metal frame;
• over time, the bath may lose its luster and the snow-white color will change to yellowish, the service life with careful use is no more than 15 years.

When choosing a corner acrylic bathtub, it is important to pay close attention to the manufacturer and give preference only to well-known companies with a longstanding reputation, otherwise you can purchase a plastic product coated with acrylic, which will become unusable during the first two years of operation.

An improved version of acrylic is kvaril material. This is the same acrylic, but hardened with finely divided quartz chips. Products from such raw materials are more durable and resistant to various types of impact than acrylic models, but the cost of such plumbing is in a higher price range.

The use of steel baths has a long history. Almost all the technological properties of steel products are between the indicators of cast iron and acrylic models. The advantages of steel products include:

• relatively low weight (about 30 kg), ease of transportation and installation;
• strength characteristics are higher than that of acrylic products, but lower than cast iron;
• affordable cost acts as the main criterion for many buyers (among the corner models, it is the steel bath that will be the cheapest on the modern market).

There are few drawbacks of steel products, but they can become decisive when choosing a bathtub of angular modification:

• a loud sound with which jets of water fall to the surface of the bath when the tank is being filled;
• much lower thermal insulation performance compared to cast iron and acrylic models;
• high-quality soundproofing and heat-insulating coating is necessary for a steel product.

The enamel, which is most often covered with steel models, can darken over time and even crack if misused. But this is quite simply corrected by applying a new coating of the bowl. Against the background of low cost, the disadvantages of steel models can be omitted.

When choosing a corner bath, sellers most often offer products made in the form of a circle sector. But you can integrate into the corner of the room a rectangular, square and a bath in the form of a polyhedron. And even in these several types of forms of sanitary products there are variations in execution - clear geometry or smooth lines, bends, additional elements (sides, small areas).

Corner baths are actively advertised by manufacturers. And the main argument in their companies - the angular model of sanitary ware can significantly save the usable space of the bathroom, because the angle is the least used place of a utility room. This thesis can only be considered partially true. The corner model is really able to fit compactly into the corner of even a small room. But if we compare the amount of space occupied by a rectangular bathtub and a corner bath, then the advantage in saving is not on the side of the latter.

Corner baths, which are sold in the compact and standard categories, as a rule, have a "lag" in size from rectangular models by about 20 cm. If you get a bathtub 170 cm long, then you get a tank, the useful space of which is no more than one and a half meters.

You can also compare the occupied area of ​​a rectangular and corner bath:

• rectangular - we multiply the standard length by a width of 1.5x0.7 = 1.05 m2;
• angular - we perform the same manipulations, but we use the coefficient responsible for half the triangle (the shape of the bath is then in the form of a sector) - 1.7x1.2 / 1.4 = 1.45 m2.

It can be seen from the results that the corner-modification bathtub nevertheless occupies more than the useful space of the utility room. If your bathroom has a very modest size, and you want to use a bath rather than a shower, then it will be more appropriate to purchase a rectangular model. But if there are medium and large sizes of the room for water procedures, the angular model can not only satisfy all the needs of the owners in relaxation and bathing, but also become a key element of the interior, its decoration.

One of the main advantages of the corner bath is the variety of models - each homeowner will be able to find his best option. Smooth bends, original design solutions - the corner bathtub ceases to be just a plumbing device and becomes the focal point of the room, on which the selection of all other interior elements depends.

One of the most popular types of corner bath models is plumbing in the shape of a circle sector - two equal sides are connected by an arc. The smoothness of forms brings harmony to the interior of the bathroom, and gives the owners a quite capacious tank for taking water procedures in a sitting and reclining position.

One of the variations on the theme of the sector in the spectrum of corner baths is a product in which one of the sides is much longer than the other. The bath would have the shape of a right-angled triangle, if not for the smooth connection of the two sides in an arc. For some rooms (it all depends on the size and layout of the rest of the plumbing and storage systems) it is these models that help to use the usable space most effectively. In such a tank, it is easy to accommodate, fully stretched out legs and take water procedures with comfort.

For medium and large bathrooms, a corner bath in the form of a polyhedron (usually five such faces) with sharp or rounded corners can be a successful acquisition. Bathtubs of this shape are spacious enough to be able to take water procedures, even together. The original form and design will decorate the interior of a modern utilitarian space.

Rectangular sanitary ware with one rounded corner is effectively integrated into the corner of the bathroom. Such a font provides a little less useful capacity than a standard rectangular bath, but it looks original and does not give rise to bruises on the sharp edges of the product.

No less effective when integrated into the corner of the room are square models. In this case, only the frame of the structure can have the shape of a quadrangle, while the bowl itself is presented in a round shape. A similar situation exists with rectangular frames and oval fonts inscribed in them.

A bowl of a round or oval shape may also be inscribed in the tub frame in the form of a polyhedron.The useful capacity of the tank is reduced, but the ease of use and attractive appearance erase this disadvantage.

Paradoxically, a round or oval bathtub can be built into the corner of the room. The font itself can have any form, only the feature of arranging the frame of the structure is important. For example, for bathrooms with a bay window (in private homes and this is possible), such a model can be a godsend.

Of course, the shape of the corner bath should be consistent with other elements of the interior. Plumbing and storage systems with smooth lines will be the perfect complement to the bath in the form of a sector, oval or circle, a tank with rounded corners. For a rectangular or square bath, plumbing devices and storage systems with the same clear lines and shapes are suitable.

The acrylic corner bathtub itself has beautiful shapes, bends and smooth lines, often the designs are accompanied by various sides, recesses and indentations. It makes no sense to hide such a cup from the eyes with screens or cladding with ceramic tiles. In any case, the space under the tank cannot be used in any way, unless its interiors contain equipment for creating hydromassage, backlighting and other additional options.

The facade of the corner bath is often closed by designers and their customers with the help of cladding. As a rule, a small area (usually made of the same material as the countertop of the sinks) is carried out, into which a mixer and other plumbing accessories can be integrated. When facing the facade of the bath, experts recommend leaving a viewing window or opening the door. During the repair, you can be sure that all communications are in good working order, but over time, engineering systems can fail and it is better to be able to access them without destroying the facade.

Facing the corner of the corner bathtub can be done not only with ceramic tiles or mosaics, but also using the material from which the storage systems of your bathroom are made. The result is an incredibly harmonious image of the entire room, in which the elements of the environment are perfectly combined with each other.

Depending on the depth of the corner bath and on whether there are elderly people among the owners who find it difficult to step over the high side of the plumbing installations, the font facade can be equipped with a step. But it is important to understand that in this case you will no longer be able to check the serviceability of internal communications.

Here is an example of how to facade a corner bathtub with mosaic tiles with very small elements. The advantage of ceramic mosaics is that it is able to repeat all the smooth bends of structures and create a reliable and externally attractive cladding that protects surfaces from moisture and various types of influences.