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Replacing a worn-out bathtub may be expensive, however, you can re-glaze the old tub that you have and it will look like new. This is also known as resurfacing the bathtub and can be done as a weekend project. The longest part of the re-glazing would be letting it dry after you paint it.

The easiest way to do the refinishing of the bathtub would be to buy a kit to refinish the tub and make it look new. This is an easy do it yourself weekend project. Before you start the project you will want to make sure that you read the instructions and you understand it. You don’t want to be in the middle of the project and you have a question or a problem with what the next step is. Some of the steps you won’t be able to stop in the middle to restart.

When you buy a kit you will receive professional-grade, high gloss porcelain-like finish. Many kits will give you a spray-on application, and you probably will have epoxy in the box. Some of the products will work on fiberglass, but some won’t so if you have a fiberglass tub you need to read the instructions to make sure that the kit you are purchasing does work on fiberglass. When you buy a kit, you will also want to read about cleaning up after you have refinished your tub or sink if you are doing a sink. Some will clean up better than others.

Before you start the project you will have to clean the tub, this usually isn’t included in the kit. So before you leave the store you may want to ask about purchasing cleaners for the tub. You will want to get a cleaner that will remove grease and soap buildup to make sure that you have a really clean surface to start from. One thing that some kits won’t give you but is a time saver would be a tack rag, which will remove the dust from sanding more efficiently. You can always pick one of these up at an auto parts store.

There are videos online that will show you how to resurface your old tub, we would suggest you watch one or several of them so that you know what to expect before you start the project. Researching before starting will be the best way to prevent problems in the middle of the project.

The kits will give you the step by step, and many offer technical assistance lines that you can call in if you have any questions about their products. With a little work, you will have a tub looking like new in no time. However, if you don’t have time or the patience to reglaze your bathtub, we suggest contacting the Chicago Bathtub refinishing pros for a free quote.

There are kits on the market that you can purchase and it will include all the items that you need so that you can make this project a do it yourself weekend project. This used to be something that was very expensive and only left to professionals, but now it is easy to do yourself.

There are a few steps to do this. You will first want to prepare the tub; you will want to get off any slip-strips that may be attached to the bottom of the tub. Then you will need to degrease and clean the tub with abrasive cleaners. You need to use a degreaser because of all the oils from the soaps and shampoos that have been used over the years will leave a film of soap scum on the tub.

Once the tub is cleaned, you will want to sand the tub and this will remove the glass and get it ready for the epoxy coating that you will have to put on the tub as the first step in the refinishing process. If you sand the tub while the water is running, like a wet sanding it will be easier to clean the grit from the sanding will be washed down the drain.

Once you have it sanded, and dried, you will want to tape off and protect the things you won’t want to paint, like the faucets, and maybe the railings from the sliding glass doors if you have sliding glass doors on your shower and tub. Using plastic bags will help cover the faucets.

After that is done you will want to follow the instructions that you got with your kit. Usually, the next step is to apply the epoxy and then the paint using a brush and a roller. To get a more professional finish you will want to brush everything in the same direction. It is better to put on 2 light coats than one thick coat. You will want to wear gloves and have the windows open and maybe a fan to move the air so you are not breathing in all the fumes.

Now you just let it dry, usually, 24-48 hours you will be able to clean up by caulking the corners and around the tub to finish the project.

With the bathtub refinishing kits it’s now easier to do this yourself as a weekend project.

What are your options when your bathtub looks old and dingy? You have several, one would be to replace the entire tub with a new one, but that would be expensive. Another option that you would have would be to hire a professional to come in and refinish your bathtub again that will cost a lot of money. The last option would be you could purchase a bathtub refinishing kit that you will refinish your bathtub yourself. This is the one we will be talking about.

When you decide to refinish and not replace you will not only be saving yourself a lot of work, you will also be saving money. There are kits out on the marketplace now that will give you total instructions on how to do it step by step so you can easily do the task yourself in a weekend.

Preparing the Tub

To start you will need to have a clean tub, you will want to use non-abrasive cleaners to do this. You will need to remove all the dirt, oils, rust from the surface before you start the refinishing process. Once the tub is scrubbed make sure that you rinse it very well.

The next step may be to sand the surface with wet sandpaper. Each kit would be different, and this may not be part of your process, but usually, it is. Wet sand the entire surface then rinse once again, after you did that you will want to let the tub dry before moving on to the next step.

After you finished the previous steps usually you will have to apply primer reducer, this will remove any traces of the cleaners and allows the new primer surface to bond for a watertight seal. This step is easy and can be applied with a paper towel.

Taping off the surfaces that will be painted will be the final step before painting. You will want to make sure that you have everything taped off that will not be getting a new coating of paint. You can use plastic bags for areas that need taping off and are hard to reach with regular tape. Apply the primer to the tub per the directions and let it dry.

Painting

You can either use a paint roller or paint sprayer, either one will give you the desired results. When painting or applying the primer, make sure you have good ventilation. Open the windows, turn on the fan, or bring in a small fan to circulate the air.

Each manufacturer’s instruction may vary, but the usual time for the topcoat of the bathtub paint will be about 48 hours before you can get in and use water in the bathtub.

The bathtub refinishes kits make it easy to do it yourself and look like a professional did it while you know you did it yourself and saved money.  However, if you reside in Harris County TX, and need bathtub refinishing in Houston, then make sure to contact the Pros.