What is bathtub refinishing

The predominant bathtub styles have changed quite a bit over the years. They’ve gone from everything from bright colors to dark earthen tones to the brightest whites you can imagine. In the past you were pretty much stuck with what you had, you maybe could have painted over it but if you actually used your tub at all, that wouldn’t last very long before it started to ware away. Luckily, modern day technology has given us the amazing technology/process that we refer to as refinishing. Refinishing is completely different than painting, rather than simply covering up it works to bond directly to the surface of your tub and create a tight bong that’s extremely hard to break. It’s the only way to go, by far the best option out there.

DIY vs professional refinishing

Reglazing your tub yourself at home with a DIY kit will generally use lower quality materials than professional will. Professionals are able to source and use the top of the line materials and process, they know from experience what is going to work best. You on the other hand, are only able to use whatever you can get your hands on, and chances are good that you have no or very little actually applicable experience. Not to say DIY kits are completely useless, but they just aren’t near the quality of what professionals are going to give you. The small parts of refinishing are what determine if the job is going to last for a long time or wash your money down the drain. Things like having proper ventilation while you’re working, getting the surface of your tub perfectly ready to take the refinishing, and other small things. One small missed spot during the refinishing can quickly turn into a large foot wide spot of missing coating, and that’s the last thing anyone wants to happen.

Refinishing process

Reglazing a bathtub first requires stripping off the old glaze before you can do anything else. Professionals typically use hydrofluoric acid to do this, and then they rinse and sand the tub to get a nice rough surface that the refinishing can really hang on to. It’s important that before anything else happen, all cracks are repaired and any other damage is fixed up. It’s good to double check, but after this your tub should be ready to move onto refinishing. Professional refinishers typically apply two coats of fast-drying epoxy to ensure the finish coat adheres properly, and finish the process with a polyurethane topcoat to seal it all in there. Instead of painting with brushes or rollers, a professional will spray finish your tub usually, this just offers a smoother finish and more glazed clean appearance. You’ll get that nice glossy clean appearance that everyone loves and wants for their tubs.

Caring for your refinish

Don’t start assuming that refinishing is going to act as an impermeable barrier for your bathtub, protecting it from everything that could happen to it. You need to care for your refinish/tub to keep it pristine for as long as possible. It’s really not too hard, you just need to stay on top of it. Most importantly, avoid using any abrasive cleaners or materials on your tub at all costs, the small abrasions that result leave spots for water to seep under and cause the refinish to start coming up! You’ll want to use non-abrasive things like washcloths and non-bleach cleaning solutions, anything that won’t cause any damage to the surface of your tub. We also suggest avoiding any suction-cup bath mats, these can actually tear the refinishing layer right up! As long as you clean often and are relatively careful, the refinish should last you for a good 10-15 years! That’s a fantastic investment. Check out bathtub repair Raleigh for more information.

Refinishing as investment

Bathtub refinished gives you an ROI that not many other home-improvement related things can match up to. For a few hundred dollars, you give your tub another good 15 years of life and the unknowing visitor will never be able to tell that it was refinished. In the past full on replacement was the only good option for a damaged or ugly tub, but no longer! Bathtub refinishing truly is a great service, and something that everyone should look into. Get the tub that you’ve always wanted!