Acrylic is the most common bath material in UK homes — lightweight, warm to the touch and available in virtually every size and shape. But it’s also more susceptible to damage than cast iron or steel. Cracks, chips and soft spots (areas where the bath has started to flex and may crack underfoot) are all common issues, and most are repairable.
Types of Acrylic Bath Damage
Chips
Small chips from dropped items are common in acrylic baths. The acrylic material breaks cleanly, leaving a void that exposes the white or pigmented material beneath. Chips are repaired with colour-matched acrylic filler compound, built up, sanded and polished flush. Results on white and off-white baths are typically very good.
Cracks
Hairline cracks in the base or sides of an acrylic bath often indicate insufficient support beneath the bath — the acrylic is flexing with body weight, causing it to crack. Repair involves injecting the crack with adhesive from beneath, reinforcing the support, and then finishing the surface crack. Without addressing the underlying support issue, cracks will return.
Soft Spots
A soft spot — an area that gives under foot pressure — indicates that the supporting foam or frame beneath the bath base has deteriorated. Accessing and reinforcing from below (usually through removing a bath panel) is required. This is a plumbing/carpentry job first, followed by surface repair if cracking has occurred.
What Can’t Be Repaired on Acrylic Baths
Large structural cracks through the full thickness of the bath base, or baths where the acrylic has seriously degraded and become brittle over many years, are beyond repair and need replacement.
Get a Free Acrylic Bath Repair Quote
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