Full and careful dismantling of the bathroom - video and detailed instructions. Dismantling and removal of a cast-iron bath

Cast iron bath, according to masters involved in repair work professionally, is the most durable accessory. However, there comes a time when it needs to be replaced. Many owners of old baths try to delay this moment as long as possible, covering the product with new layers of enamel for this. Some people approach this issue radically. This category prefers to completely remove old bath from home, not her place to install a new one. It can be dismantled with or without preservation. Having tried to take out this accessory whole, beginners face difficulties and wonder if it is possible to break cast iron bath. Or do you have to take it out whole? In this case, you have to hire a brigade or call someone to help.

How to break cast iron This question becomes very relevant for those who decide not to use the old accessory anywhere else. This task will be easy to deal with. For information on how to quickly break a cast-iron bath, you will find in this article.

About dismantling methods

There are two ways to replace an old bath:

With preservation. The bathtub is carefully disconnected from the rest of the communication in the house and taken out. It can be used later. Judging by the reviews, this method is complex and laborious.
Without saving. In this case, you can both break the cast-iron bath and cut it with an angle grinder. Pieces of the tub are then taken out. Due to the fact that the product now weighs much less, one person can cope with this work. According to experienced craftsmen, if necessary, they mainly resort to this method. The disadvantage of this method is that the procedure is accompanied by a very large roar.

What is the peculiarity of the method?

According to reviews, it can be concluded that the procedure for breaking a bathtub with a sledgehammer is the most proven method of dismantling in practice. However, it requires a lot of physical effort. To destroy the bath into several parts is not available to everyone. The work must be done by a physically fit person. In addition, the procedure itself should be done during the day. Otherwise, a scandal with neighbors is inevitable.

Training

Before proceeding with the dismantling, you need to prepare the room in which the work will be carried out. It is desirable that there is nothing superfluous in the bathroom, namely various cabinets and bedside tables. In order not to damage the toilet, if the bathroom is combined, it is better to remove it from the room as well. The floor must be covered with a rubber mat. Otherwise, the cast-iron product laid on the tiled surface will slip.

Tools

Since the bath will first of all need to be disconnected from the pipes, the master needs to acquire the following:

Adjustable and regular wrenches.
Screwdrivers.
Pliers.
Hacksaw for metal and grinder.
Crowbar.
Sledgehammer.

In view of the fact that rough physical work will be carried out, the master should take care of the means of protection. It is necessary to prepare special gloves and goggles.

Where to start?

Before you break the cast-iron bath, it must first be disconnected from all communications. The first step is to disconnect the overflow. According to experts, cast-iron pipes were installed in many old houses. Therefore, after many years they rust heavily, become covered with scale, and the master may have difficulty dismantling cast-iron plumbing. The situation is better if communications are represented by metal-plastic components. In this case, they simply unscrew. It is enough for the master to prepare only pliers. It is not uncommon for the overflow grate to stick strongly.

Before you break a cast-iron bath, you need an element. Many craftsmen clamp it with pliers and scroll counterclockwise. If it is not possible to dismantle the overflow in this way, it is cut off with a grinder. Judging by the reviews, fasteners often have heavily rusted threads, which can be dealt with only after they are cut. First, several cuts are made on the grate, and then the overflow is knocked down with a chisel. Then a cross is knocked out under the grate. As a result, the siphon should hang freely, connected to the rest of the sewer communication. To remove it, the master needs to get rid of the coupling. Some beginners are wondering if it is possible to break a cast-iron bath with a sledgehammer. According to experts, it is quite possible to do this. It is only necessary to adhere to a clear sequence of actions.

About the weak point of the bath

For those who have never done anything like this before and do not know how to break a cast-iron bath with a sledgehammer, experts recommend finding its most vulnerable spot in this plumbing product. Judging by the numerous reviews, it is located at the bottom, namely near the drain hole. That is where you should hit with a sledgehammer.

Progress

After the product has found its most vulnerable point, the following steps must be performed:

First of all, the bath should be slightly moved away from the wall. To complete this task, you will need a chisel and a hammer, with which the plumbing product is relieved of cement mortar along the perimeter. The optimal distance of the bath to the wall will be from 100 to 150 mm.
With the help of an angle grinder equipped with cutting wheels, several cuts should be made on the bath. The task of the master is to deprive the product of strength. The places of cutting on the bath should be its curved edges on both sides. They are used as If the job is done correctly, then from strong blows on the bottom of the cast iron product, it will develop.
Break the drain hole. At this stage, the bath does not need to be turned over. The master only inflicts very strong blows with a sledgehammer on the drain from inside baths. Judging by the reviews, after these actions, the bath is divided into two separate halves. If this did not happen, then it will happen to deal with its sides.
Turn the tub on its side and cover with old rags. Burlap is also fine. Blows are applied to the outer part of the cast iron product. As a result, the previously broken drain hole in the bathroom should turn out to be even more expanded. After several blows in the tub, a long strip forms along its entire bottom.

Completion

At the very end, the cast-iron bath must be completely turned over. The bottom of the sanitary ware should be directed upwards. At this stage, the sides are processed with a sledgehammer. As a result, the bath is broken into several pieces, which will then be convenient to take out. In addition, the bath can be divided into smaller pieces. To do this, you have to work as a grinder. The method is considered to be quite effective. gas cutting.

For those who do not know how to break a cast-iron bath, professionals recommend adhering to safety precautions. Mostly this work is done by two people. Since the procedure involves a grinder and a sledgehammer, you can protect yourself from injury if all actions are coordinated.

Due to the fact that particles of broken cast iron can get into the face from strong blows of a sledgehammer, the plumbing product should first be covered with burlap. This will also protect the bathroom itself. The speed of dismantling and safety directly depend on the correct organization of work.

The need to cut the cast-iron structure arises when dismantling communications. You will learn about how to cut cast iron and structures from it from the material.

Most often, the need to cut the cast-iron structure arises when dismantling outdated communications. Hope for a speedy completion of the work collapses immediately - in the Soviet Union, pipes were connected with cement, sulfur and aluminum, so it is incredibly difficult to cut them. But a couple of working methods are known. You will learn about how to cut cast iron and structures from it from the material below.

As with any metal, cast iron cutting methods are divided into thermal and mechanical. The choice of a particular tool depends on the design features. The following is the equipment that saws (or cuts) cast iron:

pipe cutter;
angle grinder;
chisel;
hacksaw for metal;
jigsaw
plasma installation;
gas cutters.

Now it is worth evaluating cutting with the help of these tools with cast iron objects.

pipe cutter

This is a special device for cutting pipes from different materials. There are manual (mechanical) and electric tools. Both types are suitable for diameters 15-360 mm.

First, a carbide disc is mounted on the apparatus. The removable element has a number of advantages over classic abrasive ones. For example, 4 times faster cutting speed, no sparks and no need to add any substances to the cutting zone. A diamond coating is applied over the cutting edge, which prolongs the service life of the products. Examples of pipe cutters for cast iron pipes are portable Exact Pipecut products for diameters less than 360 mm.

Alas, rarely a home pipeline can be easily cut with a pipe cutter. It may be difficult to access the tool or the cutting point is bent so that the device cannot be captured. Therefore, it is worth considering other options.

Angle grinder

Working with a grinder is quick and convenient, but not without drawbacks. For example, it cuts only in a straight line. An attempt to make a figured cut will lead to “biting” of the disk, its breakage, and possible injury to the user. Therefore, the machine is used for cutting in a straight line. Another disadvantage is the fire hazard of the method (abrasive disc + metal = sparking). Before work, you will have to wear goggles, face protection and hands.

Cutting around is more efficient than with a jigsaw, so more often users choose a noisy grinder. When buying a cutting wheel, prefer products on a bakelite bond, because they are an order of magnitude stronger than their ceramic counterparts.

Hacksaw for metal

A device similar to a grinder by the principle of operation. You will have to mess with it for more than one hour, especially if you cut a large-diameter cast-iron pipe. The disadvantages of the method are time costs, physical effort, the inability to work in a limited area. But the method is safe.

Working with a chisel and hammer

This pair of products will help separate cast iron in a hard-to-reach place. Dismantling work begins with pipes remote from the riser in places where a grinder or a hacksaw cannot be inserted. Since cast iron is a brittle material, it is easily destroyed after point dynamic loads.

A good percussion instrument has a rubber or polymer tip to soften the impact slightly. This is necessary so that the pieces of cast iron do not scatter around, do not fall into the riser and do not create a blockage.

A chisel and hammer work great with Soviet-era cast iron, that is, combined with sulfur, aluminum and cement. As you move towards the riser, there is usually more free space to work, so further cast iron can be cut off with a more efficient device. As with a grinder, when working with a chisel, it is recommended to cover areas of the body into which a cast-iron fragment can fly off.

The productivity of work is extremely small, but sometimes you can’t do without them.

Electric hacksaw

It is much more convenient for the user to work with an electric saw than with a grinder, although the principle of operation is not much different. A lightweight device with smaller dimensions than an angle grinder, the web is consumed more slowly than the disk, if it is correctly selected (marking HSS or BIM, and the length is also taken into account).

Less injury risk, the speed of the process is something between a grinder and hand saw, low cost of consumables and their availability are the advantages of cutting cast iron with an electric saw.

Plasma cutting

The method relates more to industrial than to household, so it will not be considered in detail. If the goal is the minimum consumption of material, speed of work, noiselessness, the best equipment not for cutting cast iron. The plasma will make cuts in workpieces with a thickness of more than 200 mm, and the sawn material will hardly have to be processed at the end of the work.

The method is used by large enterprises of metallurgy, industry, where there is a need for cutting and transporting scrap iron. Plasma installations are indispensable for volumetric work.

gas cutting

There are two methods of gas cutting of cast iron:

gas-oxygen;
oxygen spear.

In the first case, the workpiece is affected by the thinnest jet of flame supplied under high pressure. The product of combustion is usually a mixture of oxygen with kerosene or diesel fuel. By the way, effective method during the elimination of man-made accidents.

The second method resembles oxy-fuel, only a thin tube of hardened steel acts as a cutting element. Its tip is heated to almost 1500 degrees (welding / soldering iron / lamp), then oxygen is supplied through it, ignited at the outlet and heated to 2000 degrees. The resulting burning mixture easily copes with thick cast iron.

Both methods are good, but there are disadvantages - it is important to have experience with gas equipment. Responsible and precise cutting should only be done by a professional. The second drawback is the release of gas that is harmful to health during the operation of the torch.

The method is suitable for outdoor work or in the garage. For example, the need to eliminate a cast-iron castle with swing gate. The cutter works quietly, you will not disturb anyone.

Conclusion

Based on the opinion of experienced builders and repairers, in the best possible way cast iron cutting stand out:

for home - grinder, hacksaw;
in the garage - gas cutter;
in production - plasma installations.

Experienced people advise taking several tools into service when working at home, starting with a chisel and ending with a jigsaw.

Do you know how to quickly saw off a cast-iron lock or pipe? Share your experience with readers in the comments.

As a rule, a cast-iron bathtub is the most durable piece of every apartment. But sometimes in the process of repair it is required to replace it. Some try to endure it entirely, although this is a very difficult task, due to its enormous weight. Very often in our apartments there are such narrow passages that it is simply impossible to take out a bath because of its bulkiness. And after a little thought, you decide to break the tub and take it out piece by piece. Here the question arises: how to break a cast-iron bath? This article will give you the answer.

Start dismantling the cast-iron bathtub by removing the fasteners.

List of materials and tools:

Bulgarian;
sledgehammer;
bags for construction debris;
an old blanket or other soft cloth (put under the bathroom);
burlap or other durable fabric (cover the bath to reduce the impact force of flying fragments);
tight clothing, closed shoes, headgear, construction gloves, protective mask (to protect the body from flying fragments);
soundproof headphones (optional).

Technological process

The scheme of the structure of the bathroom on legs and brick

First you need to disconnect the old bathtub from the fastening elements with which the bathtub was attached, and dismantle the drain. If it is not possible to disconnect the drain, it is cut off with a grinder. You should also remove all objects that may interfere with the dismantling of the bath (both under and above the bath), and remove the mixer. To dismantle the bath, the edge of which is embedded in the wall, you need to dismantle the legs of the bath (starting from the far ones) and, after that, pressing on it from above, “drop” it on the floor. Before dismantling an old cast-iron bath in this way, it is required to put some kind of soft material under it in a thick layer to soften the impact of the bath on the floor.

Breaking a cast iron bath will not be easy. This job requires strong man and a sledgehammer. Before proceeding with the demolition, it is necessary to clear the space around the bath, lay a soft cloth on the floor (to protect the floor), put the bath itself on its side so that it has free access from both sides. Scrapping a cast-iron bathtub is a rather dangerous job: there is a big risk of injury from flying fragments of the bathtub. To protect yourself from these fragments, you should wear thick clothing, shoes, a hat, construction gloves and a protective mask. To protect your ears from loud enough noise, you can wear soundproof headphones.

To minimize the risk of injury from bath shards, remove household members from the premises

How to break a cast-iron bathtub without applying extra effort? The weakest point of the bath is near the drain hole. To break through it, a series of blows should be applied from the inside to the bottom near the drain hole.

A cast-iron bathtub, according to professional repairmen, is the most durable accessory. However, there comes a time when it needs to be replaced. Many owners of old baths try to delay this moment as long as possible, covering the product with new layers of enamel for this. Some people approach this issue radically. This category prefers to completely remove the old bath from the house, and not install a new one in its place. It can be dismantled with or without preservation. Having tried to make this accessory whole, beginners face difficulties and wonder if it is possible to break a cast-iron bath. Or do you have to take it out whole? In this case, you have to hire a brigade or call someone to help.

How to break a cast-iron bathtub in the bathroom? This question becomes very relevant for those who decide not to use the old accessory anywhere else. This task will be easy to deal with. For information on how to quickly break a cast-iron bath, you will find in this article.

About dismantling methods

There are two ways to replace an old bath:

With preservation. The bathtub is carefully disconnected from the rest of the communication in the house and taken out. It can be used later. Judging by the reviews, this method is complex and laborious.
Without saving. In this case, you can both break the cast-iron bath and cut it with an angle grinder. Pieces of the tub are then taken out. Due to the fact that the product now weighs much less, one person can cope with this work. According to experienced craftsmen, if it is necessary to dismantle the bath, they mainly resort to this method. The disadvantage of this method is that the procedure is accompanied by a very large roar.

What is the peculiarity of the method?

Training

Tools

Since the bath will first of all need to be disconnected from the pipes, the master needs to acquire the following:

Adjustable and regular wrenches.
Screwdrivers.
Pliers.
Hacksaw for metal and grinder.
Crowbar.
Sledgehammer.

In view of the fact that rough physical work will be carried out, the master should take care of the means of protection. It is necessary to prepare special gloves and goggles.

Where to start?

Before you break the cast-iron bath, you need to dismantle this element. Many craftsmen clamp it with pliers and scroll counterclockwise. If it is not possible to dismantle the overflow in this way, it is cut off by a grinder. Judging by the reviews, fasteners often have heavily rusted threads, which can be dealt with only after they are cut. First, several cuts are made on the grate, and then the overflow is knocked down with a chisel. Then a cross is knocked out under the grate. As a result, the siphon should hang freely, connected to the rest of the sewer communication. To remove it, the master needs to get rid of the coupling. Some beginners are wondering if it is possible to break a cast-iron bath with a sledgehammer. According to experts, it is quite possible to do this. It is only necessary to adhere to a clear sequence of actions.

About the weak point of the bath

Progress

After the product has found its most vulnerable point, the following steps must be performed:

First of all, the bath should be slightly moved away from the wall. To complete this task, you will need a chisel and a hammer, with which the plumbing product is removed from the cement mortar around the perimeter. The optimal distance of the bath to the wall will be from 100 to 150 mm.
With the help of an angle grinder equipped with cutting wheels, several cuts should be made on the bath. The task of the master is to deprive the product of strength. The places of cutting on the bath should be its curved edges on both sides. They are used as stiffeners. If the work is done correctly, then from strong blows to the bottom of the cast-iron product, it will develop.
Break the drain hole. At this stage, the bath does not need to be turned over. The master only applies very strong blows with a sledgehammer to the drain from the inside of the bath. Judging by the reviews, after these actions, the bath is divided into two separate halves. If this did not happen, then it will happen to deal with its sides.
Turn the tub on its side and cover with old rags. Burlap is also fine. Blows are applied to the outer part of the cast iron product. As a result, the previously broken drain hole in the bathroom should turn out to be even more expanded. After several blows in the tub, a long strip forms along its entire bottom.

Completion

In most cases, bathroom renovations involve replacing an old bathtub with a new one, or even a new one, and in both cases, you will have to go through an operation such as dismantling. In principle, it is not difficult to perform, but if you have to deal with, then you don’t have to look for it here - you’ll have to sweat a lot. In this article from the site, we will talk about how to properly and with the least labor costs to dismantle a cast-iron bath. Moreover, at your choice, we will offer as many as two ways to solve this problem.

Dismantling a cast-iron bath photo

Dismantling a cast-iron bath: a way to keep the bath intact

In fact, such a dismantling of the bath will require you to tear it from its place, install it in a certain position and simply pull it out of the apartment, while spending a huge amount of effort. You can’t do it alone - at least two pairs of strong male hands. The only way to make the job easier is to avoid intermediate inconclusive actions that usually occur when people do not know what they are doing. The principle "maybe it will pass" only leads to unnecessary labor and loss of strength - you can avoid this if you follow a certain sequence. The question of how to dismantle a cast-iron bath is solved as follows.

First you need to make sure that the legs are securely fastened to the bath itself - if one of them falls off during the work, then, to put it mildly, troubles can happen in the form of broken toes or hands, and possibly even more serious injuries. In most cases, the legs are attached with wedges - they must be all in place and tightly packed (adjust them if necessary).
As a rule, almost all cast-iron baths were connected to the sewer, the same cast-iron as the bath itself - from years operation, these cast-iron siphons are so rusty to the bath that it is not possible to unscrew them in a normal way. Therefore, we simply take a grinder, put on goggles, lie down on the floor next to the bathroom and cut off the siphon with a grinder.
Dismantling the bath using a grinder photo
In most cases, the old cast-iron bathtub is lined around the perimeter, which also creates some problems when dismantling it - it makes it immovable. This tile, mortar (or what you have smeared around the edges with) should be removed around the entire perimeter - only after that the bath will gain mobility, and it will be possible to continue dismantling the old bath. Further, as they say, a matter of technology.
Now the bath should be moved away from the wall. All methods are good here, but the most effective is a crowbar or a mount. If you work together, then you can try to simply pull it away from the wall so much that a person can freely pass there - 400-500mm will be enough.
Now we put the bath standing up, for this one will have to climb behind the bath. We take the bath by one of the sides and simply raise it to a standing position - in the process of work it will be possible to intercept the legs. They will play their part and serve as excellent handrails to help you transport the bathtub through the doorway, which is the next step in deciding how to take out the cast-iron bathtub?
The technique of transporting the bathtub is very important here - without observing it, it will not work to take out the bathtub. It must be brought into the opening while standing, in an expanded position at 45˚ - as soon as the legs pass behind the doorway, simultaneously with the removal of the bath, it will need to be slowly turned around the door frame. In this way, you will ensure free passage for the other two legs.
Everything, the main work is done - Entrance door into the apartment has a width of 900mm and does not present any obstacles for taking out the bathtub. The bath can be taken out into the street, loaded into a car and transported to the country, where you will find for it at least a dozen ways to use it, allowing it to extend its life in a different form. For example, an artificial reservoir can be made from it.
How to clean a bath photo

As you can see, the question of how to dismantle a bathtub made of cast iron is easily solved, but even if you know how to perform these works, you still have to sweat a lot.

How to break an old cast iron bath: dismantling with a sledgehammer

This is the easiest way to resolve the issue of how to clean the bath - and with this approach to business, you will have to strain much less. In fact, you just have to break the old cast-iron bath with a sledgehammer - as they say, break - do not build or even dismantle. But, despite this, such a dismantling of the bath should also be done, as they say, with feeling and arrangement, so that God forbid you do not injure yourself. If we represent point by point this method of removing the old cast-iron bath, then the order of work will be as follows.

As in the first case, to start such a dismantling, the old bathtub must be cut off from the grinder and freed from cement mortar around the entire perimeter. Also, the bath will need to be slightly moved away from the wall - 10-15 centimeters will be enough.
Two cuts with a grinder and a couple of blows with a sledgehammer will allow you to divide the bath into two equal halves. For this to happen, you need to know where and how to make cuts. There is nothing secret here - cuts are made on the curved edges of the bathtub clearly in the middle on its two sides. The wings of the bathtub must be cut through completely - they give the bathtub additional strength. After that, we simply hit the bottom of the bathtub with a sledgehammer, and it kind of folds down.

How to break a cast iron bath photo

In principle, in almost all cases, this is enough to freely take out the old cast-iron bathtub on the street with the efforts of two strong men. But if you decide on your own how to break a cast-iron bath, then to facilitate the task, it is generally better to chop it into pieces, put it in bags and take it to a landfill or scrap metal collection point. For further work, the grinder is no longer needed - the sledgehammer does an excellent job of crushing brittle cast iron into small pieces.

How to dismantle an old cast-iron bath with a grinder, see the video.

How to dismantle an old bath: work safety is paramount

So, we figured out the question of how to cut a cast-iron bath, now it only remains to highlight the topic of work safety. Without this, nowhere - the unorganized work of two people and even simply the wrong use of a grinder or a sledgehammer can lead to serious injuries. So what should you beware of when dismantling a cast-iron bath?

Inconsistent work of two people. Each step or movement must be strictly verified and coordinated. Imagine what happens if someone relaxes at the wrong time and the bath crushes the other person? Quite often, in the process of dismantling cast-iron bathtubs, hands are injured. They are either pressed against the wall or dragged between the bathroom and door frame- the last place is the most traumatic, so here you need to be extremely careful.
Grinders and sledgehammers, which, as a rule, emit a lot of small particles in the process of work that can damage the eyes and skin of a person. This is especially true when working with a bathroom - its enamel is chipped off in large pieces that can cause serious injury. When doing such work, you need to take care not only to protect your eyes, but also your whole body, for example, wear tight pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Let it be a little hot, but your body will not suffer!

How to dismantle a cast-iron bath with your own hands photo

This is how things stand with the answer to the question of how the cast-iron bath is dismantled. It should be understood that despite the seeming ease of the whole procedure, in fact, this work is complex and difficult. In many ways, it depends on the size of the cast-iron bath - if we talk about a small bath 1.5 m long, then it is easy to handle. But with large products of this type (for example, with a bathtub 1.7 m long), things are much more complicated, and their weight, which goes off scale for 100 kg, is to blame.