How to Refinish a Claw Foot Bathtub

Refinishing a claw foot bathtub is a great way to add charm to a bathroom. Use of special chemicals, paints and a paint sprayer is needed to refinish a claw foot tub with a professional look. Follow these steps to complete this home project.

Things You'll Need

• Chemical-proof gloves
• Protective eyewear
• Acid Etch cleaner
• Scouring Pad or 240 grit sandpaper
• De-greaser
• Primer
• Paint sprayer
• Finishing paint

Instructions

1. Move the tub to a well ventilated area. Remove any piping or hardware and clean off any debris.

2. Apply the Acid Etch cleaner. With protective gloves and goggles on, apply the cleaner at the top edges of the tub to run down the sides. With the scouring pad or 240 grit sandpaper, scrub in the Acid Etch cleaner. Once you have given the tub a good once over, rinse clean with water.

3. With the tub still wet from rinsing, spray the de-greaser onto the tub. Once the tub is covered with the de-greaser use a new scouring pad or piece of sandpaper to scrub the surface. Once the surface has been thoroughly scrubbed, rinse with water.

4. Cover any areas not intended to be painted to prepare for the adheser. Spray a light coating of the adhesive to all surfaces that will be painted- this is a bonding agent for the paint. Allow the adhesive to set up according to the manufacturer's instructions, in most cases about 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Prepare the primer in the paint sprayer. Some primers come in two parts requiring mixing. If so, mix well before pouring into the paint sprayer. In even strokes, paint the surface of the tub with the primer. Depending upon the type of primer needed, three coats of primer are applied. Between each coat, a wait time of 15 minutes is needed or for the paint to become tacky, then the next coat is applied.

6. Clean the paint sprayer and pour in the finish paint. Make sure to wait 15 minutes for the primer to become tacky before applying the first coat of finish paint. Again, allowing 15 minutes between each coat, apply three to four thin layers of the finish paint.

7. Allow the paint to completely dry. Dry times will vary according to humidity and a general outline of time needed should be present on the manufacturers label. Once the tub is dry, install the refinished tub into the bathroom.

Tips & Warnings

• According to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 24 hours, do not place anything in the tub or turn on the water to allow the paint to be completely dry. Avoid using abrasive cleaners on a refinished tub. Wiping down the tub with a cloth after each use can maintain the finish.

• Always dispose of toxic chemicals.