How to Fix a Nicked Bathtub

Save yourself the expense of refinishing or replacing your tub by using a bathtub repair kit.

Bathroom renovations are one of the most expensive home-improvement projects homeowners are likely to face. If you can make simple repairs, such as repairing nicks in your bathtub before they become deep scratches, you may be able to avoid costly, large-scale renovations. Repairing nicks in a bathtub can be as easy as purchasing a bathtub repair kit that matches the color of your tub. After preparing the surface and applying the paint, your bathtub could look as good as new.

Things You'll Need

• Bathtub repair kit
• Soap and water
• Rough sponge
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Cotton ball
• Rubbing alcohol
• Hair dryer
• Polishing cloth

Instructions

1. Evaluate the severity and quantity of the nicks in your bathtub. If there are only a few small nicks, you should be able to repair them fairly easily. If you have deep scratches or the majority of the bathtub is covered in scratches, you may need to replace or resurface the bathtub entirely.

2. Select a bathtub repair kit that matches the color of your bathtub as closely as possible. These kits are typically available at home improvement and hardware stores but they can also be purchased online.

3. Clean the nicked areas well with soap and water, scrubbing it with a rough sponge to remove any soap scum or mildew.

4. Gently sand the nicked areas with 100-grit sandpaper. In doing so, you may make the nick deeper but the purpose of this step is to create a smooth surface on which to apply the filler.

5. Go over the surface of the nicked areas with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. Ltet the area dry completely. The rubbing alcohol helps to remove any dust leftover from the sandpaper.

6. Fill the nicked area with the filler included in your bathtub repair kit, following the manufacturer's instructions. Allow the filler to set for about 10 minutes.

7. Go over the surface of the filled nick with the 100-grit sandpaper until it is level with the rest of the sink. Sand the surface with sandpaper of progressively finer grains until the area is completely smooth.

8. Dry the filler completely using a hair dryer. This helps remove any moisture from the filled area in order to prepare it for painting.

9. Apply the finishing paint to the prepared area, following the instructions included with the bathtub repair kit.

10. Allow the paint to dry for a full 24 hours then buff it to a shine using a polishing cloth, which may or may not be included in your bathtub repair kit.

Tips & Warnings

• Some of the chemicals in bathtub repair kits can be toxic, so wear protective gear, such as rubber gloves and eyeglasses, when using these kits.