Refinishing the bathtub? Need some tips

[asha]

We are currently remodeling the bathrooms We have a bathtub in the bathroom. None of use the bathtub. The bathtub is in good condition with one exception.

This is a kohler bathtub with some treads in it. The treads have lost the lustre, they just look dull. It might be the hardwater, but I am too scared to use a razor blade and try scraping it. It just looks like it could use a face lift. One of the plumbers that came home a while ago for something else told me that this is a really good bathtub and we should just refinish it when we remodel.

Now, I have no clue how one would do that. My contractor was not much help. He suggests that we either keep it or replace.

Does anyone know anything about this? How do I find out more about this?

Thanks

[DebbieJ]

You can have your tub reglazed, even in a different color if you'd like.

But be forewarned--IT SMELLS! You should probably plan to stay somewhere else for a night or two is you want to do this.

I have no idea how or where to find someone, but I know it can be done because I've known people who have done it.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[asha]

Thanks so much Deb.

Do you know if they have to take special care of the tub after reglazing? I read somewhere that the tub starts chipping soon and is very hard to care for after reglazing.

[mommy_someday]

We had our tub reglazed a few years ago when we first bought this house. The original glaze was coming off in huge chunks. It took the better part of a day, smelled pretty bad, but was useable in 24 hours. As far as cleaning goes, the instructions I got were: don't use abrasive cleaners (Comet, etc.) as it will mar the finish and clean once a week with a mild cleanser. Oh and he advised not to leave things sitting on the tub, but I think it's mainly because of the yucky rings that are created by soap scum. I don't always manage to clean it weekly (shhh!), but 2.5 years later, it still looks good. I have used scrub brushes, which may or may not be considered 'abrasive'. We use a vinegar/peppermint oil spray to keep scum and mildew at a minimum.

The only thing I didn't care for is while the surface is drying, specs of dust in the air ended up adhearing to the glaze. It isn't visible really, but certain spots in the tub are a little scratchy. Grain of salt: My house was super dusty at this point because we had just refinished all of the hardwood floors on the main level.

GL/HTH!

ETA: We had someone do this, rather than doing it ourselves because it requires some pretty nasty chemicals. I think it ran us $250 or so.

[stella]

very good info! We need to have this done!

[asha]

Thanks Erica, Good to hear from some one that is happy with it. We barely use that bathroom. DS likes to use the master bathroom too. So, that bathroom gets used only when we have guests that stay over. Not too often in our case. So, we dont even have to clean it all the time, so the "care" part would not be a problem for us.

I called a few people around here. They all seem to charge around 500$ for a standard size white tub. Wonder why they are so expensive here. I should probably call more people.

Another thought is that this can be done anytime, does not have to be done during remodeling. We have never used the bathtub for "baths". The tub looks great, so why bother doing all that now. I can use the same 500$ for something else that I have to do as part of the remodeling.

Will have to talk to DH and check what he thinks.

[mommy_someday]

Not sure what part of the country you're in, but I'm in the midwest where the cost of living is a bit lower. If you're in a more expensive part of the country, that could explain the cost difference. You might check a local hardware store (Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and ask the bathroom dept. if they know anyone who can reglaze a tub. They might be able to give you a reference of someone who wouldn't charge so much. Just a thought.

Good luck!

[mommy_someday]

Not sure what part of the country you're in, but I'm in the midwest where the cost of living is a bit lower. If you're in a more expensive part of the country, that could explain the cost difference. You might check a local hardware store (Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and ask the bathroom dept. if they know anyone who can reglaze a tub. They might be able to give you a reference of someone who wouldn't charge so much. Just a thought.

Good luck!

[asha]

Well, I am in the SF bay area. SO, yeah standard of living is pretty high here. Guess that is the reason.

Thanks again Erica

[asha]

Well, I am in the SF bay area. SO, yeah standard of living is pretty high here. Guess that is the reason.

Thanks again Erica