How to Resurface a Bathtub

Bathtub surfaces need occasional refinishing to maintain their best looks.

Although it is often overlooked in the home, the bathtub can be the location of many significant events in life, from quiet evenings alone with a relaxing book to watching your children splash around for the first time. With wear and tear, the bathtub's surface will begin to fade, featuring small cracks, chips and discolorations that can ruin an otherwise beautiful surface. Resurfacing or refinishing the bathtub can save you some money from replacing the whole fixture, but requires specialized cleaners and equipment that you likely don't have just sitting around the house.

Things You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Masking tape or plastic
• Razor scraper
• Rags
• Floor stripper
• Acid cleaner
• Denatured alcohol
• Fiberglass filler putty
• Trowel
• Wet/dry sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Bonding agent
• Respirator and protective clothing
• Paint sprayer
• Acrylic urethane enamel
• Power buffer with foam pad
• Automotive filler compound
• Polishing cloth
• Car wax
• Silicone caulk

Instructions

1. Carve out all old caulk that connects the bathtub to the surrounding walls and fixtures with a sharp utility knife. You will need to replace the old caulk to complement the new look of your tub.

2. Mask off the holes for the caulk, as well as the faucets and drains of the tub with masking tape or protective plastic. This protects these areas from damage or staining from the cleaning and refinishing products.

3. Scrape out the tub with the flat edge of a razor scraper. This removes the fine layer of soap scum gathered on the surface of the tub. Make sure you use only the flat edge; the sharp corners of the razor will scratch the tub's surface.

4. Dampen a rag in alkaline emulsifier, commonly used to strip old finish off of floors and wipe down the whole tub. This strips away any wax or remaining scum buildup on the surface.

5. Follow the chemical stripper with a washing of citrus-based acid cleaner, which nullifies the effects of the alkaline stripper. Then rinse out the entire tub with clean, cool water to remove any residual from the cleaners.

6. Clean the surface with denatured alcohol and rinse once more. This final cleaning removes any remaining surface dirt, dust and residual cleaners.

7. Inspect the surface for any scratches or chips. If you find them, use a small, pointed trowel to fill them in with fiberglass filler putty, found at automotive repair stores. Fill in the damaged areas with the putty until they are flush with the surrounding tub area. Allow the filler putty to dry completely before continuing.

8. Sand the dried filler putty with 36-grit sandpaper to remove any rough spots or areas that are filled higher than the surrounding tub. Follow it up with 80-grit sandpaper to feather the repair work into the surrounding tub surface. When finished, wipe down the tub surface with a tack cloth to remove residual sanding dust.

9. Coat the tub surface with an acrylic bonding agent, which will help the new surface material bond to the old, slick porcelain or acrylic coating on the tub. Allow this to set up while you prepare for surface application.

10. Don a respirator and old clothes or a protective suit; you will be using a paint gun to apply the new surface, and the spray will make a mess. You cannot breathe in the vapors from the spray without injuring yourself.

11. Spray on a thin coat of acrylic urethane enamel, working in smooth, even strokes across the surface with the paint gun. Allow the first coat to dry for 15 minutes and apply a second. Allow that to dry and apply a third coat for full coverage. Allow the final coat to dry fully (about one hour under a heat lamp; four to five hours or overnight without the aid of a heat lamp) before continuing.

12. Wet sand the entire tub surface with 1,000-grit sandpaper to remove any rough spots. Dry the area with a clean towel or paper towels.

13. Buff the tub's surface with automotive filler compound and a foam buffing pad on a power buffer to remove small scratches from the sandpaper.

14. Polish the surface with a handheld polishing cloth and glazed car wax to restore the shine of the tub. Allow the wax to dry before continuing.

15. Remove the masking tape and fill in the joints between the tub and the walls with silicone caulk. Allow the caulk to dry overnight before using the tub.

Tips & Warnings

• If your entire tub surface is etched or marred by scratches and chips, you can coat the entire surface in a thin layer of fiberglass filler putty to cover all damage.

References

• "This Old House"; Refinish Your Cast-Iron Tub; Richard Weir
• Victoriana Magazine: Vintage Clawfoot Tub Repair