Bathtub Resurfacing: Doing It Yourself

Bathtubs are one of the most used parts of the house. Because of this, bathtubs may look old after long years of using it and you may need to replace it for a better looking one and one with a color that can match the paint in your bathroom. However, purchasing a new bathtub and getting it installed in your home can prove to be very costly. For a more cost effective solution, you can consider resurfacing your bathtub yourself instead of purchasing a new one. By resurfacing it, you will be able to save hundreds of dollars for a bathtub.

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 bathtub 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 bath tub to its old brilliance.

Safety first.  Remember, you will be working with various types of chemicals. The chemicals involved with resurfacing a bathtub can be very harmful to you.  Its key to remember that you should protect yourself in order for you to avoid injuries from inhalation.   Keeping a well ventilated workspace is a key consideration since the fumes from these chemicals are toxic.  Exposure to these may cause skin and eye irritation. Not a fun experience.  Wear protective clothing that covers all parts of your body, and of course, wear goggles. Protect your eyes: you only have 2 of them for life.

Now that you are well-protected, the next step is by giving your bath tub a preliminary cleaning. It is important that you should remove the gaskets as well as any caulking that are loose. There are bathtub refinishing kits that include several chemicals that you need for effectively cleaning and refinishing your bath tub.

As a cleaning solution, the first two chemicals will effectively remove soaps and oils from the bath tub surface.  Also, they will get your bathtub ready for the primer.   Using sandpaper with 220 - 240 grit, thoroughly scrub the bath tub surface. Once you have finished scrubbing the bathtub, your next step will be to rinse away the residue with water.  Let your bathtub dry out thoroughly to prepare it for the second cleaning solution.

Your next step is to use the second chemical as a cleaning solution to remove any soap and oil residue. Rinse it again thoroughly with water, and using an old towel or paper towels, dry your bathtub.

After this, you will now apply the next solution, which is that primer reducer. This particular solution will prepare the bath tub for applying the primer. To apply the primer reducer, you will need to carefully apply it using paper towels. You will see that there will be damages to the bathtub and will be quite obvious after applying the primer reducer. You have to repair the tub surface as well as the drain area. To do this, you can apply some putty. It is important to let the putty dry for about 30 to 45 minutes. The repaired areas will usually have rough areas. To fix this, you should use fine sandpaper. After repairing and smoothing out the bath tubsurface, the next step is to apply the primer reducer again.

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.