Fierce debate is about whether to buy a bathtub made of steel or acrylic, made of cast iron or wood. Against this background, the proposal to use the "bathing platform" made of concrete looks somewhat unexpected. Although it deserves more attention than is usually believed. And there are many reasons for this.
Features
It is possible to use concrete bathtubs in an apartment not only in ultra-modern high-tech style interiors. The advantage of this design is that it can be either bought ready-made or made independently. In this case, strictly individual characteristics are achieved. If there is at least minimal experience working with building mixtures, no problems will arise.
But before you make a monolithic concrete structure or find out where it can be ordered, you first need to figure out whether this makes sense.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is quite obvious that even rather weak concrete is very strong and not too inferior in this parameter to steel or cast iron. More often, only the easily repairing external coating of the sanitary ware will be damaged. The design itself is practically invulnerable, especially if you do not break it on purpose. The second advantage is logically connected with the first: a concrete bath can be operated for a very long time. Manufacturers of even old panel constructions guaranteed the life of the houses not less than 50 years.
There is no reason the bath would work less. Moreover, the full service life of structures made of artificial stone may well be hundreds of years. However, this solution has a number of negative aspects that cannot be ignored:
- the difficulty of forming formwork;
- significant mass;
- the inability to access the water discharge points, therefore you have to spend a lot of money on the most reliable pipes, siphons, which are possible.
Shapes and sizes
When choosing the size of a concrete bath, you need to consider how spacious the bathroom will be. After installing the bathing tank, there should be enough space so that you can move freely. If the product is intended for children, the required depth is 0.5-0.6 m. The width of the bathtub is such that at least a few centimeters remain from the shoulders of the placed in it to the walls.
It will be quite good if this product turns out to be a little wider, then comfort is provided.
When determining the dimensions of a concrete bath, they also pay attention to the following points:
- sink parameters;
- armrests;
- angles of inclination of the sides;
- nearby shelves, niches, various furniture and plumbing (so that they do not interfere with each other).
Traditionally, the most sought-after option is rectangular bathtub. It can have a variety of sizes, and such products will equally suit both children and adults. The angular configuration is mainly chosen if there is not enough space. But this form may also be associated with the desire to emphasize the unusual design of the bathroom. Dimensions of angular structures vary flexibly, and the only general requirement here is to maintain symmetry.
An oval bathtub made of concrete is valued, first of all, for its unusual appearance and maximum originality.. Such constructions can not be moved close to the wall - moreover, in the middle of the room their aesthetics are revealed as fully as possible. The oval softens the external severity of the concrete. However, it should be borne in mind that this form does not allow the use of:
- head restraints;
- armrests;
- seats.
The shape of the circle attracts the attention of those who want to not only stand out, but to shock others. A round tub of concrete is usually performed in a double or multi-seat version. Of course, if free space allows. The diameter of the product more than 2.1 m is impractical - already and with such a size it weighs very significantly.
Another option for creating a custom environment is the use of square bathtubs. This form organically fits into any layout. Usually it is used so that the font is the dominant of the room.
To emphasize the unusual layouts are good asymmetric bathtubs. They also allow you to get away from strict and unambiguous lines. But for obvious reasons, the creation of such a concrete structure is very difficult, and only very experienced people will be able to fulfill this plan.
Returning to the dimensions, we can point to such a universal selection of sizes, suitable for almost all people:
- length - 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 or 1.8 m;
- width - 0.7, 0.8, 0.85 m;
- height - 0.65 m.
Facing materials
The strength of concrete does not justify its important drawback: this material looks quite boring. Touching a clean cement surface is not very pleasant, and direct exposure to water can greatly reduce the life of the structure. It turns out surface coating with various materials. The easiest option to do this is the use of ceramic tiles.
Such work can be done quickly, but if there is at least one indirect line or a curved surface, you will have to refuse this option.
Therefore, the owners of round, oval baths on the tiles need to be forgotten right away. If there is no problem with the form, you will have to primer the surface before gluing the tiles and then tile on the tile adhesive. Grout is selected with extreme hydrophobic properties. Mosaic bathing is acceptable even in cases when the tile is categorically not suitable. The work itself is carried out approximately on the same principles.
Another option - pouring liquid acrylic. It is produced after plastering with a hydrophobic putty.And this putty is applied strictly after the installation of the reinforcing mesh. Then high mechanical strength of the structure is guaranteed.
Acrylic is mixed with the hardener strictly in a certain proportion, which is determined by the instructions from the manufacturer.
Beautiful examples in the interior
This photo clearly shows how unreasonably the conventional wisdom about the rudeness and mediocrity of a concrete bath. If you place such a product in the atmosphere of a loft, a peculiar charm will appear. Discreet gray and black components only reinforce this impression. A suitable solution is the use of local lighting from the ceiling to separate parts of the room.
The sharp “chopped” faces of all objects, including the bath itself, are quite logical.
And here is another version of concrete bathtubs. A rectangular product slanted on one side adjoins the wall tightly. The color of the wall itself is fully consistent with the color of the bath. The contrast is noticeably lighter and more elegant floor. An unexpected design note in the form of accessories "starfish" looks quite appropriate,
And here is a round concrete bath. It is relatively low. The font color and the floor color are almost the same. An expressive contrast is observed with the light wall. A decorative plant helps to dilute the excessive rigidity of the interior.
How to choose a bath is described in the next video.
