Understanding bath thicknesses

Common questions about the thickness of your new bath answered

When purchasing a new bath you will find that they come in two thicknesses - 5mmand 8mm, so it makes sense that when your new bath arrives it should measureeither 5mm or 8mm in thickness, right?
Wrong, in fact, you will find that your new bath does not measure either thickness.Confusing we know, but this is not the manufacturer, or indeed supplier misleadingyou, it is a result of the bath manufacturing process, and is one of the most commoncustomer queries dealt with by bathroom supply stores nationwide.

To clear up this common misconception, here's an explanation of whathappens in the making of your new bath.

Firstly, it is important to understand that when measuring the thickness of a bath, youshould not measure the base. On any vacuum-formed product, like a bath, the basewill always be thinner than the top rim. Similar to blowing up a balloon, the more airyou introduce the thinner the rubber will become.

1. A piece of acrylic (5mm and 8mm) is placed in a hot oven for a period of time so itbecomes soft and malleable.
2. When removed from the oven it is clamped on to a frame and an aluminium bathtool is pushed up into it so the acrylic stretches. As the acrylic is pushed the edgesbecome thinner and it is only the section that remains clamped to the frame thatremain 5mm or 8mm in thickness. This section will eventually be the trimmed edgeof the bath, i.e. where your panel will meet the bath edge.
3. A vacuum pump is then turned on and the air is sucked out of the aluminium toolcausing the soft acrylic to be drawn down in the bath shape, and gradually becomethinner as it is pulled into the base.
4. Once the acrylic sheet has cooled and stiffened the vacuum is turned off and theclamping frame removed.
5. The bath will later need to be reinforced so that it is suitable for its intendedpurpose.

So, the important points to remember from this process are:• The acrylic remains 5mm or 8mm where it has been clamped, althoughit will be trimmed slightly to 4 - 4.5mm and 6.5 - 7mm respectively beforepacking• The acrylic is thinner in the section that has been lifted• The acrylic is gradually thinner as it is pulled down into the base - thedeeper the bath the thinner the base and sides will be

Now you know the facts, identifying a 5mm or 8mm bath will be relatively easy.Remember, you cannot measure a bath by the depth of its plughole or the thicknessof its sides or base.