Why it matters
The material decides how a chip or crack is repaired. Enamelled steel and cast iron chip and can rust where the metal shows. Acrylic doesn’t rust but can crack or be holed, and cracks need support from underneath. Knowing the material helps us give you an accurate quote from a photo.
The magnet test
Hold a fridge magnet against the side or rim of the bath. If it sticks, the bath is metal: pressed steel or cast iron. If it doesn’t stick, it is almost certainly acrylic or another plastic, such as a composite.
The tap test
Knock gently on the side with your knuckle. Acrylic sounds hollow and feels slightly warm. Pressed steel sounds tinny and can ring. Cast iron sounds dull and solid because the metal is so thick.
Look at the shape and age
Freestanding roll-top baths on feet are usually cast iron, especially in period homes. Most baths fitted since the 1990s are acrylic. Pressed steel baths are thin, rigid and cold to the touch, and were common in new-build and social housing.
Other bath materials you might have
- Steel and acrylic hybrids, which have a steel core with an acrylic or enamel surface. A magnet may stick weakly.
- Composite or cast mineral baths, such as solid surface and stone resin freestanding baths. These are heavy, warm-feeling and don’t attract a magnet.
- Copper and stone baths, which are rare in UK homes and need specialist care.
- Resin-coated or previously resurfaced baths, where an older bath has been coated. Look for peeling around the waste or a slightly soft feel compared with enamel.
Clues from the bathroom itself
The house can tell you a lot. Victorian and Edwardian homes often still have cast iron baths, sometimes boxed in behind a panel. Homes built or refitted from the 1960s to the 1980s often had pressed steel or early acrylic baths, sometimes in colours such as avocado, pampas, pink or peach. Most baths fitted since the 1990s are acrylic. If the bath is very hard to move and the floor under it has been strengthened, it’s likely cast iron.
Checking the rim and underside safely
If you remove the bath panel, use a torch rather than reaching in blindly, and watch for pipework and sharp edges. Acrylic baths show a rough fibreglass layer, a painted coating or a board underneath. Steel baths show smooth or painted thin metal and sometimes a sound-deadening pad. Cast iron shows thick, rough-cast metal, often painted on the outside of roll-top baths.
How each material is repaired
| Material | Common damage | Usual repair |
|---|---|---|
| Cast iron | Chips, rust spots, worn enamel | Chip and rust repair, or full re-enamelling in place |
| Pressed steel | Chips that rust quickly, especially around the waste | Chip and rust repair, or re-enamelling |
| Acrylic | Scratches, cracks, holes, crazing | Scratch polishing, crack and hole repairs reinforced from behind, or resurfacing |
| Composite / stone resin | Chips, scratches, dullness | Fill and colour-match, or refinish |
Why we ask before quoting
A chip on acrylic and a chip on steel look similar in a photo, but they’re repaired differently and take different amounts of time. Rust only happens on metal baths, and cracks that need support from behind only happen on acrylic. Knowing the material means we can give you a fixed price from your photos, without having to visit first.
Sending us photos
The most useful photos are a close-up of each area of damage, one of the whole bath, and, if you can, one of the underside with the panel off. Tell us the result of the magnet test and your postcode. Use our quote form, or email the photos to us.
Why the material matters when you buy a house
If you’re buying or renovating an older home, it’s worth knowing what the bath is before planning a new bathroom. A cast iron bath is expensive to replace with a similar one and heavy to remove, but re-enamelling can make it look new. A pressed steel bath with a few rust spots may only need repairs. An acrylic bath with a crack may be repairable if it can be reached from behind. Knowing which you have helps you budget properly.
What different materials feel like to use
Acrylic warms up quickly and keeps bath water warm well, and it’s light, which suits upstairs bathrooms and older floors. Steel feels cold at first and can sound hollow and noisy when filling, but its enamel surface is hard and resists scratches. Cast iron takes a while to warm up but then holds the heat well, and its weight makes it very solid. Each can be repaired, and each needs a slightly different approach.
Still not sure?
Take the bath panel off if you can and look underneath. Acrylic shows a reinforced, fibrous or painted underside. Steel shows thin metal, and cast iron shows thick, rough metal. Or just send us photos and we’ll tell you.
Quick answers
Can an acrylic bath be re-enamelled?
Yes. Acrylic baths can be resurfaced with a coating made for them, though most acrylic damage is repaired rather than resurfaced.
Is cast iron always worth keeping?
Usually. Cast iron baths last a very long time, and re-enamelling gives them a new surface without moving them.
Does the material change the price?
It can. Prices start from £95 for repairs and £350 for resurfacing, and the material is one of the things that decides where a job sits.
Every job is different. Send us a photo and we’ll tell you what we’d recommend for your bath, sink or surface.
