An acrylic bathtub can not only be a salvation,but also pose a danger. In this article, we publish the sad story of the architect Ruslan Kirnichansky - When I bought a bathtub last year, I was sure that I see a light from a tunnel called "repair", but how cruelly I was wrong - it was not the light of the final, but of the next repair, the reason which will become the same bath. But first things first. As a specialist in the field of renovation, I prepared myself for the transformation of my new apartment and took into account all the risks: the construction team of professionals performed all the work in accordance with the standards and used high-quality materials. There are no complaints about the builders, just as there are no questions about the quality of the materials: six months later, my parquet was flooded with boiling water from the apartment located above, but not a single plank was damaged and the floors did not go in waves - the parquet was of high quality, it was installed by professionals. But one unpleasant surprise awaited me, which I myself bought and brought to the apartment - this is an acrylic bathtub. 
I have a nice steel bath in the old apartmentbut I decided to install acrylic in the new one, because it is lighter and more convenient in it - it is warm, while the metal bath is cold and the water quickly cools down in it. Also, the manufacturer convinced me of the correct choice, which guaranteed the service life for 30 years. And I made this mistake. The bath cost me a small amount - just over six thousand rubles (I got a good discount). The builders carried out the installation, sealed the gaps of the bath and porcelain stoneware - the repair of the entire bathroom was completed, which made me happy. Knowing that acrylic is a special material, I found special alkaline-free products for cleaning the bathtub, so as not to spoil the coating, not to burn it with chemicals during cleaning. But after six months, the funds stopped working: it became more difficult to clean the bath. Do not think, I didn’t walk in the bathtub with shoes and didn’t cook soups in it, but dirty spots appeared, and it became more and more difficult to remove them. In this bath, I only took a shower and occasionally washed the cat. 
When 8 months have passed since the bath was installed,I began to notice other changes: the bottom of the bathtub sagged slightly and permanent gray spots appeared. A year later, the bottom of the bath sagged even more, water collected there, which could not overcome the laws of physics and rise to drain. The stains took on a more contrasting hue, and I stopped calling guests, as they might notice a dirty bath and think I was sloppy. I desperately wiped away the gray streaks, but in vain. After another couple of months, I began to notice that the grout of porcelain stoneware on the floor is wet, and there are traces of water on it. But it all became apparent last week: where there were stains, cracks formed, and the acrylic bathtub turned into a "leaky trough". And I went to the nearest building hypermarket. 
In the store, I immediately went to the metal baths:they are made from steel and cast iron. I gave up the idea of purchasing a cast-iron bathtub due to its heavy weight, and considering that the size of my bathtub should have a length of at least 170 cm, the cast-iron bathtub could not pass through the narrow corridors of the front door with the help of two loaders - in such conditions, in order to lift her to my floor, it will take four people (there is no freight elevator in the house). I decided to choose a tub made of steel. I checked the parameters and weight of the product for a long time. I even tried on samples to understand how comfortable the bath is. Among the consultants of the store, I found the specialist I needed - he explained everything to me and helped me choose a reliable steel bathtub, and also explained the possible cause of the cracks in my acrylic bathtub by a violation of technology during its production - in other words, it turned out to be a factory defect. A new steel bathtub cost me only 5,400 rubles, and I also bought legs - 500 rubles for two pairs. The day after delivery, my builders came to replace the bath. What I saw under the bathroom cannot be described in literary language, so I just show the photo. 
Yes, the bath has cracked, but if the cracks on the side of the cup are small and invisible, then this crack is ugly. 
There was water under the bathroom. By the way, that's what makes a high-quality waterproofing - the water did not go to the neighbors, but remained in the space, which is closed with foam blocks, and there it was already evaporating. 
The builders dismantled a number of foam blocks and beganinstall a new bath. The replacement process itself took about five hours, since it was necessary to carry out the work without large losses and not to disturb the finish coating of the walls. The builders completed the work and restored the foam block and porcelain stoneware. Now I have a steel bathtub, which makes me incredibly happy. 
From this situation one can conclude thatThe acrylic bath is an unreliable element in the house, but I can not confirm this with a 100% guarantee, because I suspect that I got a defective product, but on the other hand nobody is insured from purchasing a factory marriage.
Acrylic bathroom: what you and your neighbors face factory marriage
