Cast iron bathtub, porcelain, acrylic or ceramic – for a long time, buyers were faced with exactly this choice.
One was distinguished by its unbearable weight, the other by its fragility, the third by its limited model range. Today on the market you can find a fundamentally new, innovative offer - a bathtub made of quaril . What kind of material is this, what advantages and disadvantages it has - everything is in this article.
What it is?
Quaril is a modern material that contains acrylic and quartz sand . The mineral powder is sealed into a kind of capsules, connected by the same acrylic. Characterized by increased strength and wear resistance. The big advantage is that a product made from quaril does not require reinforcement or the use of any frame at all; it is completely self-sufficient.
The material has thermal conductivity properties that are comfortable for everyday life - the water in such a bath will not cool down for a long time. It suppresses noise. Increased impact resistance and wear resistance are associated with manufacturing technology. Quaril takes any shape and maintains the parameters specified in production.
Main differences
Kvaril can be considered a highly specialized material , purposefully designed for specific types of products - bathtubs and shower trays. Acrylic, which started in the 30s of the last century with solving problems of replacing inorganic window glass and creating lightweight aircraft canopies (the transparent part of the cockpit), began to be used in a variety of areas:
- For the manufacture of automotive optics (external and internal).
- In the production of aquariums from small, home formats to giant aquariums in water parks.
- In the windows of airplanes, bathyscaphes and submarines.
- For the production of transparent fencing at hockey matches.
- Acrylic is used to make lenses for marine lighthouses.
- Drinking utensils for water and soft drinks are made from acrylic in huge quantities.
- Acrylic is the number one material in the manufacture of advertising products (dimensional letters, light boxes, souvenirs, stands, price tags, etc.).
- The full compatibility of acrylic with human tissues has made it possible to establish mass production of intraocular and contact lenses. Lenses for ordinary glasses are also a field of application for acrylic.
- Applications of PMMA in dentistry include artificial teeth, dentures, and parts of orthodontic appliances.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any material, quaril has its positive and negative sides.
Therefore, before choosing models made from this material, you need to weigh the pros and cons . And find out what operational features you will have to face. This is what we will do below.
pros
Strength. The material, thanks to quartz, has increased impact resistance.
Manufacturers claim that in domestic conditions the bathtub is almost impossible to damage, split, and even quite difficult to scratch.
Special surface. Quaril can look as smooth and shiny as traditional acrylic products, but it also has a pleasant roughness. Therefore, the surface of the bathtub is non-slippery, which prevents falls.
Maintainability. The leading manufacturer of quarryl bathtubs, Villeroy&Boch, gives customers a ten-year guarantee, thereby emphasizing its durability. However, if the bathtub splits for some reason, the quaril can be restored.
For the restoration of the font, there are specialized workshops and even pastes that can be used to restore light damage to the font at home.
Beautiful appearance. The bathtub can be painted in various rich colors and shades. The classic white model has a special brightness. The color does not fade or change over time, and UV rays are not dangerous either. Easy to clean with household detergents.
Plastic. The ability to create various models with both right angles and amazing bends, which do not require additional supports.
Those who value style and modern design will be pleasantly surprised by the ductility and durability of quaril.
The manufacturer can make a bathtub with a wall thickness of only 8 mm, give it the actual rectangular or angular shape, and do not use any frames for weighting.
Noise insulation. Quaril absorbs noise. Thus, an open tap will not create virtually any inconvenience: it will not disturb neighbors at night and will not interfere with listening to the radio.
Thermal conductivity. It retains heat perfectly and helps maintain the required water temperature for a long time.
Hygiene. During the manufacturing process of the material, the manufacturer can add various impurities and chemical compounds that will help the coating become antibacterial and dust-repellent.
Minuses
High cost of restoration. If a crack or chip appears, repairs will require large financial investments. Of course, it is better to have the defects eliminated by professionals, but this will increase costs even more.
In the Russian Federation, the material remains quite new, few craftsmen will undertake such repairs, so specialists set high prices due to the absence of any competition.
High cost of the bath itself. Quartz is a natural material. In addition, the creation of quaril takes place using a certain new technology, and is so far only possible in Europe. Due to the lack of competition and exclusivity of the material, the manufacturer sets a high price.
It is difficult to choose the same plumbing ensemble. There is still no large selection of sanitary ware made from Quaril on the Russian market.
You will have to spend time searching for the right toilet or sink to pair with the bathtub.
Owner reviews
Since quaril baths are not a cheap new product, there are not many reviews from owners yet. Most of them are positive; users note that during operation the original shine and gloss have not been lost at all. And cleaning is really not difficult.
Quaril bath with hydromassage
Owners praise the pleasant-to-touch surface that almost instantly heats up to water temperature. Thoughtful European design does not leave indifferent both people who have already purchased quaril bathtubs and those who intend to make such a purchase. What is attractive about the new product is that almost all models can be equipped with hydro and air massage systems.
Owners write that the products not only have an interesting appearance, but are very comfortable to wear. Manufacturers have done everything to make it possible to take water procedures with maximum comfort. The capacity of quaryl bathtubs is higher than their acrylic counterparts; this property encourages some potential buyers to purchase. The range also includes double baths.
It is better to entrust the installation of a quaril bath to professionals
But there are also negative reviews. Some of them are due to installation difficulties. Therefore, we can recommend entrusting this to professionals. Other negative comments about customer support not being good enough. Wanting to get advice from a manufacturer or an official dealer, people do not wait for an answer.
Quaril baths, being a new product, have already occupied a certain niche. The innovative material has a number of unique properties. The variety of ultra-modern solutions from European designers is impressive. Owners of quaril bathtubs receive high quality, comfort and aesthetic pleasure.
Quarryl, acrylic or cast iron, which is better?
Quarril bathtubs are often compared with products made from other materials, so let’s look at the main points and decide which is better, Quarril or acrylic, or maybe the good old cast iron bathtubs?
Strength. Acrylic is an inexpensive material that is familiar to everyone; it is often subject to mechanical scratching of the top layer, and also crumbles and cracks under strong impacts. Quaryl, according to manufacturers, is four times stronger. But the leader here is cast iron ; even with a strong desire, such a font is difficult to split.
Ergonomic surface. As noted above, the manufacturer of quaril, with the help of special impurities, achieves a special surface condition, which is called Soft touch. It is not slippery and pleasant to the touch, which models made of acrylic and cast iron cannot boast of.
Price. Here the leader with a minus sign is quaril. The price of bathtubs made of this material is several times higher than the price of models made of cast iron and acrylic:
- an ordinary acrylic bathtub costs about 10,000 rubles;
- cast iron - 14000;
- and quaryl as much as 50,000.
The noise insulation and thermal conductivity of the materials in question are at a decent level, but quaril still wins the debate .
Care
Quaryl material is resistant to household chemicals. But this does not mean that aggressive agents can be used for cleaning. Creamy cleaners cope with this task without harming the plumbing. For maintenance, you need to rinse the bathtub several times a week using non-abrasive cleaning agents. The resulting plaque and scale are eliminated by using table vinegar or special substances. The range of the latter is rich, and therefore everyone can easily choose the appropriate option.
Regular maintenance of the quarry bathtub is required. After each bath, rinse it with warm water and dry it with a soft material. These procedures significantly extend the life of the bathroom and protect against negative consequences.
Do not use hard brushes. They spoil the top layer of the material and are also useless. On a smooth cooker, dirt does not stick well, and therefore, to remove it, a soft rag or sponge will do.
Leading manufacturer Villeroy Boch
Villeroy Boch is a company established in Germany. It is familiar to many primarily because of the production of first-class tableware. They also produce sanitary ware from various high-quality materials, such as porcelain. It was they who came up with the idea of creating bathtubs from quaril. Accordingly, they have the largest selection of such bathtubs.
The company introduces various nanotechnologies into production. For example, it achieves the formation of a surface on which dust cannot settle. The top layer of some models is enriched with microscopic silver ions, which prevents the formation of a bacterial environment. The photo shows the model that is most popular among consumers, villeroy boch oberon 170×70 . You can purchase it on our partners’ websites at the lowest price.
Types of plumbing range
Quaril baths come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The products also have different colors and textures.
Placement technique
Depending on the location and installation, the bowl can be:
- Wall. Suitable for small rooms.
- Separately standing. The design is appropriate in a spacious room. With this placement, the distance from the wall to the bowl should be at least 50 cm. A model located in the middle of the room looks good.
- Built-in. A bathtub designed in the same style as the walls or floor looks aesthetically pleasing.
The corner model will save free space.
Surface treatment
Villeroy&Boch produces 2 types of bowl surface coatings:
- ActiveCare. Ceramic enamel contains silver ions, due to which it has an antibacterial effect.
- Ceramic Plus. The coating is smooth, resulting in reduced dust and contamination on the surface.
In the store you can choose a design with the required coating.
Photo
Below are photographs of the most interesting models:
Repair
If, for some reason, a crack or scratch appears on the bathtub, or worse, the font breaks, it can be repaired sooner. Although it won't be cheap. There are already workshops in Russia that can work with this material. Professionals can glue parts of the product, repair large gaps, and eliminate serious chips.
Villery Boch provides a ten-year guarantee on its products and repairs its products themselves in case of damage. Interestingly, it was Villery Bosh that used to repair many porcelain and ceramic products with quarry.
It should be noted that paste for correcting defects in quaril products is also sold in construction stores. Repair kits cannot be used for acrylic bathtubs.
It will help, if necessary, to correct a small defect - a scratch or abrasion. Even independent use at home is allowed.
You should not try to fix a serious defect in a quaril bath yourself. Firstly, you can violate the terms of the warranty in this way, and secondly, if the repair is incorrect, the bathtub may leak at the site of the chip.
Parameters of quaril baths
Externally, the dimensions of quaril and acrylic products remain the same, but inside the bowl of a quaril bath is wider, since the durable material allows you to make any shape of the walls and reduce their thickness.
When choosing similar samples of plumbing fixtures, remember: these are relatively new products and they are not yet very well represented on the modern market. This is its advantage. The likelihood of purchasing a low-quality product is reduced to a minimum. Almost all models of quaril bathtubs are made to last. Of course, it is preferable to choose sanitary ware from well-known manufacturers, then the bathtub will certainly serve you for a long time.
Quarril bathtubs are an excellent choice for a bathroom in both a country house and an ordinary apartment. This type of plumbing fits perfectly into any interior style. You can choose from different shapes, colors and sizes of bathtubs. Quaril products are highly durable, reliable and retain heat well.
Appearance of a quaril bath
Original design of a quaril bath
Quarry bath in the interior of the bathroom
Built-in model of a quaril bath
Freestanding clawfoot bathtub
Bathtub overflow treatment
Free standing red quaryl bathtub
Beautiful quaril bath
Quaril bath with mixer
Bathroom design with quarry bathtub
How to install?
The installation of a quaril bathtub itself does not require any specific skills and is quite simple, as mentioned above - bathtubs made of this material do not require a frame, but one problem may arise. Manufacturers often do not make drain and overflow holes so that the user can choose where it is best for them to be when installing the bathtub.
Brief installation instructions:
- the font must be installed on a well-cleaned, level base;
- then, using an adjustable base and a building level, you need to align the edges of the bathtub to a strict horizon;
- drill holes for drainage and overflow and install a special siphon and connect to the sewer;
- if you plan to install the faucet on the bathtub, embed it into the side;
- fill the font with water and check the tightness
The video below shows the complete installation process.
How to determine the category and quality of a cast iron bathtub? Here are some pro tips:
The first thing you should look at is the sides of the bathtub . They must be even, and the dimensions of the bathtub must correspond to the stated +/- 3mm. To check for evenness, you can take a long level and apply it to the side of the bathtub, and there should not be large gaps between the bathtub and the level. I have never seen a perfectly smooth cast iron bathtub, so I consider a gap of no more than 2 mm acceptable. |
Next, you should pay attention to the enamel coating of the bathtub. It should be smooth and without sagging, without dark spots or visible pits. The enamel should be glossy, not matte, which can be checked by running your hand over it. |