Can I use polyurethane to finish the acrylic bath inside?
Hello! I have been incredibly tormented by one question lately: is it possible to finish the bath from the inside with polyurethane, used when pouring a three-dimensional floor? The fact is that my beautiful, semicircular acrylic bathtub was hopelessly ruined, now I have to process it with acrylic, but I want to make it beautiful, so I decided to create a mini three-dimensional composition inside it. Is it possible? And if so, what material should I apply? Thank you so much in advance.
Anna
Expert Answer
Hello Anna!
Despite the fact that the polyurethane compositions are similar in appearance to the acrylic coating, it is not worth finishing the bathtub with material intended for bulk floors. The fact is that this material was developed for application to rigid, monolithic reinforced concrete substrates - there they provide high strength, wear resistance and hardness of the surface layer.
As for the acrylic bath, it is subjected to both thermal stresses and mechanical deformations. That is why the requirements of plastic elasticity are also put forward to its coating, which does not allow the surface layer to crack under thermal expansions and physical loads. In addition, there is no certainty that when heated and in contact with a liquid and various detergents, the polyurethane compound will not release harmful substances into the water. Nobody has ever conducted such studies - there simply was no need for this.
The difficulty lies in the fact that bulk floors are a more fluid substance than acrylic - who knows how polyurethane will behave on the smooth vertical surfaces of the walls of your bath? Of course, with your plumbing, you have the right to do whatever you want, but is there a beautiful picture that will not be visible in the foamy water, of the risk to which you expose not only your property, but also your own health.
