Bathtub Resurfacing: Doing It Yourself

One of the most frequently used, but often most overlooked items in your home is definitely your bathtub. Thanks to this, your bathtub may start to look old and less than sparkling after many years of use, leaving you with 2 choices: replace it, or resurfacing your tub.

The challenge with the first option is that you'll need to find one that matches the color of your bathroom (or you'll be painting your bathroom - never a fun task). Second, you'll spend hours looking for a better looking model. Third, installing a new bathtub can be very expensive. However, a more cost effective option is to reglaze your bathtub. You may end up saving hundreds of dollars, and countless hours pulling your hair out.

Its surprisingly easy to do. With a little bit of patience, and taking some time to make the necessary preparations, you will have your old tub looking new once again. Here are preparations you'll need to take before you begin and a step by step process to help you resurface your bathtub to its old brilliance.

The first thing you have to consider is that you will be working with different kinds of chemicals. The chemicals involved in tub resurfacing can be harmful to you. So, it is important to remember that you have to protect yourself in order for you to avoid any serious injuries. It is important that you should work in a well-ventilated are as the fumes that some of these chemicals emit are toxic and can be harmful if inhaled. The chemicals and the fumes it emits can also be harmful to the eyes and skin. Because of this, it is also important that you should wear protective clothing that covers every part of your body and also wear protective goggles to protect your eyes.

Okay, so now you are fully protected from head to toe. Sure, you may look ridiculous, but you're safe! Lets start the next step.

Give your tub a good cleaning by removing loose caulking as well as the gaskets. Usually, the bathtub refinishing kit that you purchased will have several chemicals that you will need to effectively resurface your tub.

The first two chemicals will act as a cleaning solution that can effectively remove any oils and soaps from the surface of the tub. These chemicals will prepare the bathtubfor the primer. You will be required to thoroughly scrub the tubsurface with sandpaper (220 to 240 grit). After you scrubbed the bathtub, the next step is to rinse away the residue with water. After rinsing, you need to get the tub to thoroughly dry to prepare it for the second cleaning solution.

The next chemical is still a cleaning solution that will be able to remove any oil and soap residue. After applying and scrubbing the bathtub, you will again rinse it thoroughly with water and dry it with an old towel or paper towels.

The primer reducer is next. Apply this solution to your tub, which will prepare it for applying the primer. Using paper towels, carefully apply the primer reducer. The deep scratches and other damages to your tub will become quite apparent after applying it. Repair the bathtub surface as well as the area around the drain, which can be accomplished simply by applying some putty to the area. Remember to let the putty dry for at least 45 minutes. The repaired area will have rough edges, so be sure to use a fine sandpaper. Apply the primer reducer a second time.

You're almost ready for the resurfacing stage. However, you'll need to apply paper and tape to the areas that you don't need to resurface. This will protect those areas from being damaged by the chemicals you are using.

Now you are ready to apply the base coat. A handy tip is to use a respirator to protect your lungs from the fumes of the base coat. The fumes that are emitted are toxic, so be safe. Following the manufacturer's instructions to mix the primers components exactly as directed, use a spray gun to apply an even finish.

After about 30 minutes you can now apply the top coat. You also need to use the spray gun properly by applying it with even strokes in order to have a great looking finish. As you can see, bathtub resurfacing can be quite simple. It is a cost effective solution than purchasing a new bathtub. By resurfacing your bathtub, you will be able to have a brand new looking bathtub at a very affordable cost.