Can I save on an acrylic bath frame?

Hello! We looked at a new acrylic bathtub. The seller recommends purchasing a special frame with it, which costs about 2,000 rubles. I really do not want to overpay. Tell me, is this frame really necessary? Maybe you can somehow do without it?

Which frames are better - manufacturers recommendations

Acrylic bathtubs are very attractive to buyers, but they have a number of features. In the production process of such equipment, an acrylic mold is initially made. It has a very high ductility and bends even at normal temperature from the slightest effort applied to it. Therefore, fiberglass layers are applied to the outside of the product. Their quantity and quality of application determine the strength of the future bath. In any case, it is difficult to expect special strength from equipment manufactured in this way.

Manufacturers recommend the use of special frame frames on which acrylic bathtubs are installed. The design is designed to optimally distribute the load across the bowl and prevent deflection and breakage of the equipment case. Only serial frames are available that are designed for specific bath models. There are no universal options. The frame is a construction of steel profiled square tube coated with powder anti-corrosion paint. The frame includes supports for the bowl in each corner of the bath, intermediate stiffeners, as well as legs adjustable in height.

Thus, it will be impossible to use an acrylic bathtub without a supporting frame. Despite the fact that it is made of high-strength fibers, the design is not capable of deforming to withstand severe loads that add up to the pressure on its walls of water and the weight of the human body. And do not think that acrylic equipment will have enough legs for installation. In this case, they will be needed only to level it above the floor.

When buying, experts recommend paying attention to the frame, which the seller offers to purchase with the bathroom. The more points such a frame will have on the floor, the less durable the acrylic bath itself will be. The ideal option is to support only the corners of the structure. If an all-welded frame is included with the selected equipment, this is a signal of low product strength. In any case, it will not be possible to do without installing the supporting frame frame. If desired, it can be made independently.

Mounting options

There may be two options. The first - brick mountingrepeating the contours of the bowl. This is a very difficult job that only professionals can do, especially if the bathtub is asymmetric.But the second option, installation on a frame of plywood and timber, is quite amenable to self-production. You will need waterproof plywood of the FSK or FC brand of 20 mm thickness, a bar with a section of 100x50 mm, self-tapping screws for concrete and wood, drying oil.

The work is carried out as follows. On the floor around the entire perimeter of the bowl of timber, a base is laid out, which is fastened with screws to the floor. At the right points, vertical racks are exposed and fixed. Their height is determined as follows. The bowl is mounted on a flat surface and its height is measured from the bottom of the side to the floor. From the obtained value we subtract the width of the beam, which makes up the upper and lower bases, and the thickness of the plywood sheet. We add to it the height of the brick pillow and the width of the layer of mounting foam or mortar necessary for the proper fit of the equipment on the pillow.

Racks are installed in the corners of the bowl, as well as along its sides at a distance of no more than 50 cm from each other. A bar of the upper base is fixed to the racks. The structure is covered with a sheet of plywood, which is securely screwed to the base. It cuts a hole for the installation of the bath. Wooden parts should be soaked with drying oil and allowed to dry well for at least a day and a half. A special pillow is laid out for the bottom of the bath. Its height is two widths of a standard brick.

The construction of a brick structure is necessary, since a bath resting only on the sides can break under the weight of a washable person. The pillow is laid only on the concrete base, but not on the tile. During its construction, it is important not to make a mistake and not to lay a brick in the area intended for the installation of the equipment. The bathtub is mounted on a pillow using cement mortar or polyurethane foam. Such a design will support an acrylic bath no worse than a standard factory-made frame.