How To Clean A Refinished Tub
How to Refinish a Bathtub
In a few brusk days, DIYers with the skills and time to devote to bathtub refinishing tin transform a stained erstwhile bathtub into a new version of itself.
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Want to supervene upon your vintage cast iron bathtub? You may exist surprised that a comparable antique tub, or even a period-style reproduction, can easily toll thousands of dollars. A better, more economic selection to getting a fresh-looking bathtub is to refinish it yourself.
Refinishing kits price about $30 at the local home improvement center, which may sound like also good a deal too good to pass up. However, bathtub refinishing is no pocket-size undertaking. Before jumping into the project with both anxiety, it's important that you're ready for the tasks involved in refinishing, feel comfortable working with chemicals, and commit to the time information technology takes to complete the projection. DIYers with the skills and time to devote can transform an old stained bathtub into a new version of itself over the course of a weekend. Nosotros'll walk you through how to refinish a bathtub, and when it's done yous can soak in the glory of a task well done.
Before You Begin Your Bathtub Refinishing DIY
Information technology's important to read all of the instructions involved with this DIY project before you begin. Yous'll also want to make sure the work area is well ventilated, and review what's included in the bathtub refinishing kit before heading out to purchase other tools and materials.
Be Ready for Surprises
You never know when a straightforward bathtub refinishing job tin turn into an elaborate bathroom overhaul. When caulking is removed from effectually the edges of an old tub, y'all may discover subconscious areas of damp in the walls, prompting you lot to supercede the h2o-damaged fabric. Indeed, older homes are full of surprises, and so be ready for annihilation.
RELATED: How Much Does it Cost to Supervene upon a Bathtub?
Gear up Up a Condom Workspace
When you take on any home DIY project, it's important to brainwash yourself on the risks involved so you lot can take necessary steps to stay prophylactic while you piece of work. Refinishing a bathtub will typically involve using paint, primer, and sometimes paint stripper. Using these materials in an enclosed infinite is dangerous and has been known to pb to death on several occasions, co-ordinate to the CDC.
While most DIY refinishing kits exercise not contain powerful stripping agents, it is all the same of the utmost importance that you ventilate the bathroom you're working in by opening the windows, turning on the exhaust fan, and setting up at least one additional fan that tin can blow air directly out of the window or door. Keep in mind that some chemicals are heavier than the air, and then they can really sink into the tub and get trapped instead of rising upward to the height of a window.
It's also recommended that DIYers wear protective gloves, safety glasses, a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, airtight-toe shoes, and a total-confront respirator. Avoid leaning directly into the bathtub, as low-lying gas could put you at risk.
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Inventory Your Bathtub Refinishing Kit
Side by side, unpack your refinishing kit and see which tools and materials are included. If the kit comes with pigment and only pigment, you will have to purchase other essential project materials yourself. These include simply are not limited to painting tools, protective gear, and cleaning supplies.
While it's possible to reach a satisfying finish with a brush and roller, a paint sprayer will provide the most professional-looking consequence. The following are the tools and materials needed for this projection.
- Screwdriver
- Putty knife
- Utility knife
- Abrasive pad
- Bleach
- Sponge
- See full listing «
- Material
- Gloves
- Respirator
- Safety glasses
- Painter's record
- Driblet textile
- Box fan
- Bathtub refinishing kit
- Tub repair putty
- #400 to #600 wet/dry sandpaper
- Paper towels
- Paint roller and tray prepare
- Paintbrush
- Pigment sprayer
- Caulk gun
- Shower caulk
eleven Steps to Refinishing a Bathtub
Once y'all have a clear understanding of the projection's steps and risks, and your tools and materials are within piece of cake achieve, you're ready to start the bathtub refinishing process.
Pace i: Remove the tub hardware and caulking.
The first step is to remove any tub hardware and scrape off the caulking surrounding the edges of the tub. Use a screwdriver to loosen the bleed cover, lever plate, spout, and handles. Many bathtubs are combined with showers, so the spout and handles may be protruding from the shower wall instead of attached straight to the tub.
Use a putty knife to scrape abroad the caulking from the edges of the tub. All of the caulk needs to be removed before the bathtub can exist refinished, so while most of the caulk will come off with a putty knife or a utility knife, y'all may also demand to utilise an abrasive pad to scrub away any remaining caulking.
STEP ii: Clean the bathtub thoroughly.
Afterwards the tub hardware and caulking have been removed, the bathtub will need to exist thoroughly cleaned with a chemical bathroom cleaner and a cloth or sponge. This will ensure that soap scum and congenital-up crud are removed, and then that the refinishing agent can bail directly to the surface of the bathtub.
Dry out the tub with a clean cloth and inspect for any leftover caulking, lather scum, grime, or any other debris. Clean away any debris still found in the tub, then dry out the bathtub and prepare your personal protective equipment (PPE).
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STEP 3: Don protective clothing and gear.
The chemicals that are used to etch the bathtub's surface, prime the tub, and reglaze the bathtub are hazardous. While DIY bathtub refinishing kits typically use low-odor products, experts still advise wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while working on this project.
According to the CDC, DIYers should wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, protective gloves, and breathing protection, like a total-face respirator. Safety glasses or goggles are also useful for protecting your eyes while you piece of work. Practise non undertake this project without using advisable PPE.
Pace 4: Record off areas around the bathtub.
Similar to painting a room, when yous are refinishing a bathtub, tape off the edges of the wall surrounding the bathtub with painter'southward tape. This will preclude the walls from being splashed or sprayed with primer or reglazer. If the bathtub is freestanding, y'all will just need to slide a drop cloth nether and around the base of operations of the bathtub to protect the floor.
Any fitting, shelves, or whatever other parts of the shower that are in shut proximity to the tub should exist wrapped in plastic and secured with painter's tape to avert accidentally spraying these items. If you aren't confident about your paint-spraying skills, consider taping loose plastic or masking paper to the shower walls for more adequate protection.
STEP 5: Ventilate the bathroom.
Compared to other rooms in the firm a bathroom is a relatively modest space, which is why it'southward important to ventilate the space properly earlier carving, priming, or glazing the bathtub. Some people believe that only turning on the exhaust fan and opening the door and window is sufficient, but nosotros recommend taking further precautions. Heavy gasses may sit deep in the bathtub instead of escaping through a ceiling exhaust fan or rise to the superlative of the window.
To properly ventilate the space, fix at least one box fan in the window or door of the bathroom, so that the air in the room is being actively exchanged during the entirety of the project. E'er follow the exact directions provided in the bathtub refinishing kit and don't cutting corners on safety.
Pace half dozen: Etch the tub's surface.
Etching the tub's surface involves applying an carving powder to the bathtub that will dull the finish on the existing coating, so that it's easier for a new coating to bail to the bathtub. Not all refinishing kits come with an etching powder because this isn't a mandatory step in the process, though it will improve the results.
If the kit yous bought comes with etching pulverisation, apply the pulverization to the surface of the bathtub and use an abrasive pad to scrub the tub and dull the end. During this process, y'all may detect some chipped or pitted areas in the tub. Fill the chips and pits with putty and allow it to dry. When the putty is dry and the tub'southward surface is etched, rinse the tub with water to remove the etching pulverisation.
RELATED: The Pros and Cons of Freestanding Bathtubs
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STEP 7: Scrub the tub down with sandpaper.
The surface of the bathtub will need to be sanded to scuff the finish and allow the glaze to bond properly. This step is crucial if yous didn't use an etching pulverisation.
If you did use an carving powder to chemically ready the surface of the bathtub, then focus on sanding the putty used to fill any chips or pits constitute in the bathtub. Sand the putty until it is affluent with the surrounding bathtub surface, then rinse the tub and let information technology to dry out.
Afterwards the bathtub dries, wipe it down with paper towels to ensure any moisture or droppings is removed earlier proceeding.
Step 8: Prime number the tub.
With the surface adequately scuffed and prepared, most kits require applying a primer or bonding agent. If the kit does include a primer, and so use a small-scale roller, paintbrush, or a paint sprayer to apply the primer to the surface of the bathtub. Bathtubs that are made of iron volition typically require a bonding agent unless otherwise specified by the refinishing kit instructions. Apply the bonding agent to the surface of the iron tub to help the glazer stick and bond to the bathtub.
Non all refinishing kits require a primer or a bonding agent, and then it'due south important to check your refinishing kit to see what it contains. If the kit only comes with a reglazer, then it does not require a primer. Do not use regular paint primer on the bathtub, only employ primer included with a refinishing kit.
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Pace 9: Mix the reglazer.
Depending on the type of refinishing kit you purchased, you may non need to mix the reglazer. Some kits come with a premixed can that can be sprayed onto the surface of the bathtub. If your reglazer does need to be mixed, it's all-time to follow the directions in the refinishing kit regarding the proper manner to mix your kit's detail reglazer.
Annotation: Non every reglazer has the same set of instructions or mixture of components, and so information technology's of import to read the directions advisedly in order to get the best consequence.
RELATED: 9 Types of Bathtubs Every Homeowner Should Know
STEP 10: Apply the epoxy.
Employ a roller, paintbrush, or pigment sprayer to use the epoxy reglazer to the surface of the bathtub. Subsequently applying the first coat, let the reglazer to dry for xxx minutes to 1 hr earlier moving on to the side by side coat. A bathtub can typically be refinished with just two coats, but if you are concerned that the layers are also thin, consider applying a third coat.
Epoxy reglazer usually takes 24 to 48 hours to fully cure, though some products can take more than 3 days, which is why it'due south necessary to check the drying and curing times on the directions included with the refinishing kit. Make certain that the room remains well ventilated while the bathtub cures.
STEP 11: Terminate the job past caulking and installing hardware.
When the reglazer is finished drying and it has fully cured, reinstall the drain cover, lever plate, tub spout, and handles. Remove the tape around the edges of the bathtub and seal the joints with silicone caulking that is rated for utilise in bathrooms. Get slowly to assistance ensure an even application of caulking, then permit the caulk to cure for near 24 hours before using the bathtub.
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Hiring a Professional Bathtub Refinisher
If you exercise not want to have on the chore yourself and the upkeep allows, professional person bathtub refinishing is an option in nigh areas. In your search for a local refinisher, it's of import to discuss your budget and don't forget to inquire whether additional expenses (e.g., travel) are included in the estimate. Expect to pay between $335 and $629 for a pro to refinish a bathtub, according to Home Counselor.
Final Thoughts
Creating refurbished bathtubs is an excellent way to salvage coin and avoid waste material. Instead of only replacing the entire tub when the exterior begins to clothing out, the bathtub tin can be revitalized. With some time and endeavor into cleaning, preparing, and refinishing the bathtub, yous can update the appearance of the entire bathroom. Merely make sure that you are working safely in a well-ventilated space with the advisable personal protective equipment to avoid accidental injury or expiry due to the inhalation of harmful fumes.
FAQs Virtually How to Refinish a Bathtub
Learning how to resurface a bathtub tin seem simple at kickoff glance, but the procedure takes time, patience, and a clear understanding of the desired consequence for the old bathtub. Make certain you know how to reglaze a tub correctly with a bathtub refinishing kit before taking on this project. For more than advice, take a look below to detect the answers to several usually asked questions almost refinishing bathtubs.
Q: Can you paint a plastic bathtub?
Information technology is definitely possible to learn how to paint a bathtub, even if information technology is made of plastic. The key difference when y'all are working with plastic is that it'due south of import to use an acrylic enamel for the tub resurfacing. Otherwise the project is essentially the aforementioned every bit refinishing a porcelain or fiberglass bathtub.
Chemically clean the surface, then fill any cracks or fries, sand the filled spots smooth, and and so apply the acrylic enamel glaze to finish the bathtub DIY projection.
Q: How long does a bathtub refinish final?
It depends on how frequently the bathtub is used and the level of maintenance involved to keep the bathtub clean and rubber from corrosive elements. Ideally, bathtub resurfacing will last for about 10 to 15 years before the glaze begins to vesture and fade.
Q: What is the difference between reglazing and refinishing a bathtub?
The terms "reglazing" and "refinishing" are frequently used interchangeably, but they hateful different things. Bathtub reglazing is the specific step of applying a bathtub paint to the prepared surface of an older bathtub. Tub refinishing is the entire bathtub refinishing procedure including, cleaning, surface preparation, and reglazing.
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Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/bathtub-refinishing/
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