Acrylic is the most common bath material in UK homes, and the most frequently repaired. It is relatively soft, which makes it prone to chips and scratches from impact — but this same characteristic makes it one of the most straightforward materials to repair professionally.

Why Acrylic Baths Chip and Scratch

Acrylic baths are made from vacuum-formed sheets of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), reinforced with fibreglass. The material is warm to the touch, light and available in a wide range of colours and shapes.

Its relative softness — compared to enamel or stone resin — means that dropped objects cause chips more easily. The surface also scratches more readily than harder materials, particularly if abrasive cleaners have been used.

Repairing Chips in Acrylic Baths

A chip in an acrylic bath exposes the fibreglass reinforcement layer beneath, which appears as a white or off-white patch against the bath colour. The repair process:

1. The chip is cleaned and the edges stabilised
2. A colour-matched acrylic filler is applied in layers
3. Each layer is cured before the next is applied
4. The repair is shaped flush with the surrounding surface
5. The area is polished to restore the original finish

The result on acrylic is typically very good — the material is easy to work with and the polish restores well. Most chip repairs are effectively invisible.

Repairing Scratches in Acrylic Baths

Light surface scratches can often be addressed with plastic polish and a soft cloth. The polish fills the micro-scratches and restores the gloss without professional intervention.

Deeper scratches — those that have broken through the surface layer — require professional attention. The scratched area is abraded with progressive grits, colour filler applied where needed and the area re-polished.

Extensive all-over scratching (often caused by years of cleaning with abrasive products) is best addressed by full resurfacing.

Repairing Cracks in Acrylic Baths

A crack in an acrylic bath needs to be addressed promptly — water getting beneath the crack can worsen it and eventually cause structural issues.

The repair process involves reinforcing the crack from below (through the access panel if one exists) with a fibreglass patch, then filling and finishing the visible surface. Well-executed crack repairs are durable and invisible.

Full Acrylic Bath Resurfacing

Where a bath has extensive surface damage, dullness or discolouration — or simply looks tired — full resurfacing is an option. The entire bath surface is cleaned, abraded, primed and re-coated. The result looks like a new bath.

Resurfacing cost: £250–£450. New bath installation: £500–£1,500.