The bath tub – reinvented.
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Back in 1994, Albion’s founders had a mission – to create the ultimate bathtubs. After looking at the market it was clear that only two materials were available at the time. Acrylic, which is a soft plastic, become popular in the 1970’s due to ease of manufacture and low cost. Acrylic could also be made in colours – and who can forget those avocado and brown bathroom suites! However, acrylic’s properties fell short of what the customer wanted. It’s flexibility was always an issue. People reported a dread of taking a bath, as they felt the tub might break under their weight. People also said that acrylic was easy to scratch and always had a ‘cheap look about it’. These shortcomings still remain today.
Cast Iron has been used for approximately 120 years. It gained a reputation for being the ‘real-thing’. However, cast iron has many drawbacks, such as excessive weight, incredible heat loss from the bathing water and a proneness to surface chipping. Homeowners also found that liquid cleaners would ruin the white interior surface.
After two years of development, Albion had it sorted. A new material was created from an amalgam of high technology resin and a special reinforced mineral. Manufactured in our own factory, this material was named Iso-Enamel due to its high strength and hard surface. This formulation is cast into moulds and allowed to harden. The result is a strong, durable and luxurious construction that gives years of bathing enjoyment. Also, Albion baths will keep your water hotter as our material insulates rather than conducts heat.
To this day, our patented process is unique and offers benefits that other materials cannot provide. Our range of baths are split into two families: Roll Tops, which have a soft rolled edge, and Bull Nose which are characterised by a continuous form from inside to outside. The exterior of our Roll Top baths can be customised; choose from our selected paint range, one of our three exclusive burnished metallic finishes, or perhaps our new Polished Pewter.
So how do we make them?
The exact way we do things is a bit of a secret! Our materials and processes are unique to us – so we’re keen not to give the game away. What we can say, is that an Albion bath is a multi-layered construction of special resins and stone powders. The surface is a high-gloss, bright white enamel. This is harder than acrylic – and compared to cast iron, our coating is less prone to chipping.
An Albion bath is reinforced internally, this gives our baths greater strength than other ‘cast-resin’ baths on the market. The core of the bath is an amalgam of resin and special stone particles, making it stiff and strong without being too heavy.
An Albion bath is approximately 1/3 the weight of a cast iron bath. This core also insulates your bathing water.
Spend three times longer in an Albion bath compared to cast iron or acrylic!
For more information please get in touch on 01255 831605.
Website: www.albionbathco.com
