How to choose the right small corner bath?

Owners of apartments with a small bathroom often refuse to install a traditional bathtub, opting for showers. However, even the most modern shower boxes are not able to fully replace the bathtub. It allows you to wash, relax, relax. Elderly people are often unable to use the shower, they are much more accustomed to washing in the bath. Families with small children also recognize the need for a bath. Today, manufacturers offer the optimal solution - corner baths, which seem to be created for small bathrooms.

The main feature of this design is the location of its installation in the corner (along two adjacent walls). This location allows you to free up room space, to increase the usable area. At the same time, the bowl itself retains its functionality and spaciousness. Depending on the model, an adult can comfortably fit in it in a half-sitting or lying position.

Due to its ergonomics, the corner bath is ideal for a small room, including Khrushchev's bathrooms. It allows you to transform the interior, make it stylish and original. It is not easy to achieve this or that stylistic effect in a small room. However, using a corner design is possible. This is due to the fact that the installation of such a bowl frees up space (an additional field for the embodiment of design ideas), the room visually seems larger.

In addition, the bowl itself may have an original appearance (unusual shape, built-in translucent inserts, unusual colors). The corner bath is easy to install. Its installation and connection are not much different from the installation of other types of fonts. The only thing is that before installing a symmetrical bath, you need to make sure that the angle where the device is placed is straight. If this is not the case, you cannot do without the alignment procedure.

The downside of the design is the high price of corner bowls. However, according to users, this disadvantage is forgotten after a few weeks of using the bathroom. The advantages and disadvantages of the design depend on the material from which it is made, as well as the version.

Corner bathtub can be made of different materials.

The most common type of corner structures, due to the reliability, high thermal insulation properties and affordability of the material. At the same time, the surface of the bath is smooth and pleasant to the touch. Water, getting into it, does not rattle, it cools down slowly (in half an hour at 1C). Acrylic bathtubs are light enough, so they can be used in old-style buildings with dilapidated floors. Their service life is 10-15 years.

Metal baths usually come in steel and cast iron options. Both models are gradually leaving the plumbing market. Iron bathtubs are durable, retain heat, but at the same time they rumble when water falls, they are cold to the touch. The cast iron version is heavy and expensive. Their service life is on average 30 years.

Stone products are understood as bowls made of artificial stone.In contrast to the analogue made of natural stone, such devices are lighter and safer. They have antibacterial properties and have no background radiation. They keep water temperature well, are pleasant to use. Modern products made of stone chips are stronger than marble, while imitating the surface of natural stone as closely as possible. Among the advantages of such a product are the variety of shapes and colors, durability.

Plastic structures can be used in small spaces, but only if the bowl is rarely used. Such restrictions are associated with the low strength of the material, its tendency to deformation, cracking at negative temperatures. In this regard, plastic bowls are rarely installed in city apartments.

A corner bath can have various shapes, but the whole variety comes down to 2 types:

• symmetrical;
• asymmetrical.

The first has 2 identical sides, usually it is represented by a triangular or trapezoidal shape, as well as a quarter-circle design. This option is preferable for small-sized premises. An asymmetrical bathtub has different side sizes and usually means plenty of space. It looks interesting, but it is not always possible to fit it into the standard bathrooms of typical apartment buildings. If the bathroom has a complex configuration (for example, niches), you can try to find a suitable model.

An asymmetric bathtub can be right-sided or left-sided. This is due to the presence of shelves and recesses for more convenient placement in the bowl from one side or the other. The corners of the bowl can be sharp or rounded. The second type is preferable due to its safety. Today, even miniature models can be equipped with a hydro and air massage system, have a shower panel, a glass door or a vinyl curtain.

When installing a corner bath in a small room, it is important to fit it into the available space, to choose a design that is convenient for use. The optimal size of a corner bowl is considered to be 150x150 cm.However, small bathrooms rarely allow such a product to be placed. In this case, you have to be content with a bowl, the dimensions of which are 120x120 cm.

The smallest symmetrical corner bathtub has dimensions of 100x100 cm. If the length of the walls decreases to 80-90 cm, then it is rather a shower tray. For Khrushchev, the optimal size of the bowls is 115 by 72 cm, while the long side of the structure occupies almost the entire wall of the room. If it is necessary to install not only plumbing in the bathroom, but also a pencil case, a washing machine and accessories, the size of the bowl can be reduced to 100x70 cm.In the process of using a mini-bathroom, the difference with the previous model will be subtle, however, with regard to the freed up space, the difference will be noticeable.

An important parameter is the height of the bath. The optimal height is 50-70 cm, while the depth of the bowl will be 10 cm less. If it is assumed that the bathroom will be used by elderly relatives or disabled people, it is better to choose lower structures with a height of 45-50 cm. It is important that the height of the bathroom is proportional to the length and width of the bath. For a bowl measuring 110x110 cm, the height of 70 cm is too large. The design will look cumbersome, unnecessarily massive and visually reduce an already small bathroom. The size of the bathtub should be such that the largest family member can comfortably sit in it. (ideally, stretch your legs and put your head on a special support).

As for the location of the mixer, there are 2 possible installation options:

• put directly on the side of the bath;
• secure to an adjacent wall.

You should decide this right away, since the location of the mixer determines the piping. When choosing an equilateral model, it occupies 2 walls.At the same time, free space remains on each side, as well as in front of the bathroom. The versatile bowl takes up all or most of one of the walls and captures some space on the second wall.

Both options are convenient for small bathrooms. The choice of a specific one is due to the characteristics of the room and the personal preferences of users. When installing the bowl, you must not forget about the regulatory requirements. According to them, the minimum distance from the bath to the door should be 70 cm.

Making the room visually more spacious will allow the use of snow-white plumbing. If this color seems to you a relic of the past, choose colored materials in light pastel shades. The beige palette, shades of water, universal black color look organically. Black and white classics also allow you to expand the room, but only with the right design (dosed use of black).

If a glass door is supposed to be in the bathroom, give preference to transparent models. They do not stand out and merge with the overall interior. If you place mirrors on both walls behind a corner rounded bathtub, you will not only feel that the bathtub is round, but also additional space in the room. Both effects are, of course, visual only.

• The most popular are acrylic corner baths. In order for the product to serve for 10 or more years, to be durable and attractive in appearance, it is necessary to purchase a bowl made of sheet acrylic with a sheet thickness of 5-8 mm. The composition of the product must be represented by 100% injection molded acrylic.
• Bowls made of extruded material, impurities quickly fail. After 1.5-2 years of operation, their surface is covered with cracks. With insufficient quality reinforcement, they cannot withstand heavy weight loads.
• When buying, the surface of the acrylic bowl should be tapped, the audible sound should be muffled. Try to press your hand on the bottom of the tub: it should not vibrate or sag.
• The surface of a high-quality acrylic bowl is glossy, with a barely noticeable glow, it is smooth to the touch.

If funds allow, buyers choose bathtubs made of artificial stone. Pay attention to the surface - there should be no pores, cracks, or damage on it. The presence of microscopic holes indicates a violation of the production technology. Such a bath will absorb impurities and quickly lose its attractive appearance. Its antibacterial capacity will quickly decline.

The composition of the stone bath must contain at least 80% of stone chips, the rest is polyester resins, plasticizers, pigments. Stone chips - small-fraction inclusions of marble, porcelain stoneware, malachite, jasper. A combination of several types of crumb is possible. In order to reduce the cost of the finished product, quartz sand can be used instead of stone chips.

Choosing a colored model of a compact corner stone bowl, pay attention to the drain hole. Looking at it, you will understand whether the bathtub is painted throughout its entire thickness: the colored layer can only be on the surface. The first staining technique is preferable, since the color will be more uniform, it will remain during the entire period of use of the device. If a crack appears, it will not be too noticeable, since it has the same shade as the color of the bowl. Acrylic and ceramic baths must not be cleaned with abrasive products, aggressive liquids, hard brushes and floats should not be used for cleaning. From this, microcracks are formed on their surface, which entails a deterioration in the moisture resistance of the coating, a decrease in its strength.

As for the manufacturer, the most expensive are the corner devices of German, Spanish, Italian, Czech and Austrian brands. Trade marks demonstrate the highest quality, product safety, delight with the variety of the collection. It is important to purchase products in specialized stores, to demand from the seller certificates confirming the originality of the products, since it is imported models that are most often counterfeited. Domestic models (often joint production with a European company) are not inferior in quality and performance to imported ones, but they are cheaper. Their disadvantage is the smaller number of models presented in terms of design variety.

You can learn how to install a corner bath in an unconventional way from the video below.