Do I need to contact the repair of the pallet when you can buy a new one? Perhaps not. However, many Russians are handy people, they don’t throw money down the drain. Yes, and this is not such a difficult thing: repairing shower trays. Read detailed instructions below.
What damage needs to be repaired?
First of all, these are small scratches and scuffs that periodically occur on and acrylic pallets. At first they are not intimidating. But the more of them, the more unsuitable the pallet becomes. Therefore, it is better to deal with them immediately, as they arise.
If the pallet rests on a frame in the form of a hoop with legs, such a crack is very dangerous.
Shower tray repair is required when a crack appears in it (acrylic, plastic, pallets) or a chip (these are more often pallets made of, ceramics,). And it doesn’t matter if they are through or not, on the side where water does not get, or at the bottom. After all, a crack from the side can quickly crawl lower.
It is also impossible to do without repair if the coating at the pallet is already pretty damaged. Of course, on the one hand, it is easier to throw it away. But if there is a desire and enthusiasm, even an old trough can be turned into a quite decent basin.
How to deal with scratches and scuffs?
Practice shows that the appearance of scratches on a pallet or bathtub causes a person at least annoyance. However, dear fellow citizens, a couple of scratches - it's not scary! The case will be corrected by cosmetic repairs of the shower tray.
- acrylic tray
Let's start with instructions on how to repair an acrylic shower tray with shallow scratches up to 1 mm.
First, a three-scratched place with medium (No. 1000), and then fine (No. 2000) sandpaper
The polish can be in a can and have a liquid consistency. And it can be thick like toothpaste
To do this, first rub the scratched area with sandpaper, wetting it in water. Then, remove any cleaning from the acrylic and apply acrylic bath polish or car polish. Motorists have probably heard of her. Buff the surface with a special cloth or microfiber cloth.
If the scratches are deeper than 1 mm, the surface is first treated with fine sandpaper and degreased with white spirit. Then liquid acrylic is applied to the place of the scratch with a rubber spatula or brush 2 times, since acrylic shrinks. The time interval between the application of the first and second layers is at least half an hour.
After the second layer dries, apply another one so that it goes away from the scratch by 3-5 cm. After four days (this is how much acrylic dries), sand it with sandpaper, polish it. And you can use the pallet in a couple of hours.
- metal pan
A small scratch on a metal pallet is not the end of the world
Cosmetic repairs of shower trays made of steel and cast iron are done in the same way. Only instead of acrylic, liquid enamel is used, which is applied in just one layer. It takes a week for it to completely dry. Otherwise, start over.
A crack is not yet a verdict
A through crack in the plastic pan and a few cracks are not right through - this is already serious
Cracks on pallets made of different materials are “treated” according to one recipe. Namely: they are filled with epoxy resin, which is mixed with dye, waterproof glue, silicone sealant or liquid acrylic (acrylic pallets only).
However, before the crack is washed, dried with a hairdryer and degreased. If the pallet is acrylic or plastic, it is better to cut off the washed edges of the cleft with a file. Otherwise, the "patch" will be kept on parole. More specifically, soap.
Read more about how to close through and mini-cracks in our other article:.
If you are interested in how to properly install a tile and brick shower tray, read the instructions at the link:
You can also install a shower cabin without a pallet, see about this.
There is no place for chips on the pallet
If a chip has formed on a metal pallet, it is first cleaned of rust with a knife and sandpaper. And then sprayed with rust remover.
How to repair a shower tray if a chip has formed on it? First, wash it with water and powder or a dish degreaser and dry it with a hair dryer. Then degrease with acetone or alcohol and dry again.
Then apply primer and wait for it to dry. Take a car putty and mix it with a hardener in the proportion indicated on the package. Apply it with a rubber spatula to the chipped area so that it is literally a millimeter below the enamel layer. In order not to smear the entire pallet, stick adhesive tape around the edges of the chip.
Such a putty dries from 5 minutes to a day, depending on the brand. After hardening, level it with fine-grained sanding paper. And then, according to the already known scenario, apply an enamel or acrylic coating and sand.
How to update the pallet cover completely?
Repair of the shower tray in this case consists in applying enamel (metal and ceramic trays) or acrylic (metal, acrylic, ceramic) to the entire area. However, no matter how difficult it may seem, it is not difficult to create this with your own hands. After all, someone repairs entire bathtubs, and nothing.
- applying enamel
Enamel is applied to the bath and to the pallet according to the same principle.
First, degrease the pallet with detergents. First, clean the surface with sandpaper or a drill with a sanding attachment. Then wash it thoroughly, dry it, degrease it with alcohol or acetone. Apply a primer for metals or ceramics (depending on the material of the pan) with a brush or spray can, so that no bubbles remain in it.
After a few hours, as the primer dries, paint the pallet in two layers of enamel. Breaks between applying layers - 15 minutes. Make sure that there are no brush hairs left on it if you paint with it, and no bubbles.
- application of liquid acrylic
Excess liquid acrylic flows into a container under the drain
In this case, the pallet is also degreased and cleaned. After they take liquid acrylic, and slowly pour it over the sides. Brush carefully paint over them and the joints between the pallet, walls and shower. Then they continue to pour liquid acrylic on the sides until the entire surface of the pallet is filled with it.
If your pallet is badly worn, you can insert an acrylic liner into it - a solid form of acrylic that completely follows the contours of the pallet. True, they are more often ordered for expensive bathtubs than for pallets. After all, together with the installation, such an insert costs almost like a new pallet.
Rules for care after repair
Unfortunately, a homemade shower tray cover is not as durable as a factory made one. , for example, becomes thinner after 2-3 years. Acrylic coating, according to manufacturers, lasts 15 years, but this is the case if it is not used at all. And the actual service life is three times less.
Is there any way to slow down wear? Hardly. But you can not let him speed up. To do this, follow a few rules:
Firstly, do not rub the pallet with a hard, and even more so with an iron sponge.
Secondly, wash it with mild substances: soap or dish detergent. If the coating is acrylic, you can use special products for cleaning acrylic bathtubs: Bass, Acrylan, Team-profi, etc.
Any kind of pemolux and toilet products are strictly contraindicated for such pallets.
Thirdly, wipe it dry after each use. This is perhaps the most difficult to accomplish. But, believe me, excess water for restored pallets is no less an enemy than aggressive cleaning products.
Fourth, do not pour too hot or too cold water into it. The enamel from such temperature changes will begin to peel off, while the acrylic will exfoliate or become covered with bubbles.
Fiberboard is placed on such a frame, and a pallet is already placed on top. Its bottom is pre-foamed
And fifthly, if your pallet had a crack, it is better to strengthen it further. To do this, make a fiberboard support under it, for example, which would repeat the shape of its bottom. So, when you stand on the pallet, the load from your weight will be taken over by the support.
