Hi, my new-for me-1924 house has a lovely deep bathtub, that is a bit pitted on the bottom. Not the worst, but it could look better. Has anyone refinished an old tub? A previous thread on the issue mentioned hearing stories of problems. The bathroom does not need much redoing, and is not high priority, But there is an Angie’s List special right now, and my tub could use some help.
Did it and have been very pleased. When the guy came out to do it, I learned that it was his first day working alone!! Our home was built in 1989 and not sure what the kids did to their tub, but the finish was definitely wearing off. No pits though. It would certainly be worth your while to chat with the company about it. Also, summer would be a good time, because it does require ventilation
Likely that is an old, cast iron based tub, and what they basically do is re-enamel it. I have an old kitchen sink I would love to get done, but because we have exotic birds I am afraid of what that might do to hurt them. If done right, the finish they put on is as tough and durable as the original was. As long as others have been happy with these guys work, it definitely is an option for an old tub (and those tubs go for a lot used, you couldn’t replace it all that easily!). The one downside is the stuff they use to refinish it can be very smelly, so make sure you can vent the room properly, and I also recommend making sure the guys are careful to cover the rest of the bathroom, in case dust and such gets around.
We have done this twice in two different homes. One time, couldn’t have been more pleased. The second company - don’t know why I didn’t go with the same firm both times - was fine for a couple years, then began peeling. So my experience, be careful who you hire. The firm we liked advertises a Thermal-Fusion, porcelain refinishing process. I don’t know if this is proprietary, or a widespread technique. As musicprnt says, be sure you can ventilate and the tub will be unavailable for around 2 - 3 days while everything settles. Of course, if you do hire a company whose work lasts only 3 -5 years, there’s no reason not to have them back again!
Have done it twice. As long as you don’t drop sharp items, it lasts. Once it gets a chip, if you don’t repair it, it will peel.
It looks beautifu.
I had this done in my house with a less toxic method and it wasn’t smelly at all. About $400/tub and it takes all day with most of the time being spent masking off everything in the room that is not being refinished. The alternative would be to haul the tub out to be refinished off site.
http://www.divinecoatings.com They use Kott Koatings
I am very pleased with the results! The refinisher gave me a list of dos and don’ts for keeping the finish strong. Don’t use mats with suction cups inside the tub because it wears off the surface. Do use something non scratchy to clean - like Mr. Clean magic erasers which are great on soap scum.
I had a slightly gritty surface put on part of the tub where you stand so it’s less slippery there.
In my previous house I had a shower pan refinished and it was a much more smelly and toxic process.
Thanks for all the enthused responses. An Angie’s list special ends today, so thought I’d buy to have the job done later in the summer. It is a few hundred off the regular price, so well worthwhile, though not the top of my list. I like tubs to look and be clean!
Greenwich, why would the shower pan be more toxic and smelly?
It was a different company and I think they used a different chemical. More like an oil based paint would smell. I’m not sure how many different substances there are out there that you can refinish with.
I had it done to 2 tubs right before selling my house. Liked great, but no idea how well it will hold up.