How to Refinish Acrylic Bathtubs
Keeping your bathtub clean is an incredibly important part of keeping the entire bathroom clean. Other than simply looking bad, a dirty or dingy bathtub can actually make you feel dirty while you are in it. Many people will just replace their bathtub when it gets to this point, but that can be very costly. A cheaper way to get your bathtub looking like new is to refinish it. This will not only clean your tub, but make it look like you got a brand new one. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Palm sander and sand paper
- Putty knife
- Face mask
- Chemical cleaners
- Paint sprayer (possibly 2)
- Primer
- Acrylic polymer paint
- Caulk gun and caulk
- masking tape, paper and/or drop cloth
Instructions
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1
Remove the old caulk from around the bathtub. This can be done by using your putty knife and simply scraping away the caulk from all of the corners.
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2
Clean the area. This it not only the area where you just removed caulk from (which will need an extra good cleaning) but also the entire tub. Ensure that you dry the tub completely when you are finished, or give it plenty of time to completely air dry.
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3
Put on your mask and begin to sand the entire tub surface using the palm sander. There will be a lot of dust from this step which is why the mask is so important. Be sure to work evenly across the entire area. This step will not only remove more of the stains and give you an opportunity to sand out any chips in the tub, but will give the new coating a more abrasive surface to stick to.
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4
Mask off any areas in the tub that you do not want to refinish, including the walls, faucets and rods. You will want to use a drop cloth on the floor and masking tape and newspaper to cover anything else in the bathroom that you don't want to get finish on. Because you will be using a sprayer, the primer and finish could get on anything, so be safe and cover everything.
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5
Clean the tub again ensuring that you have gotten rid of all dust. Again let the tub completely dry.
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6
Pour some of the primer into the paint sprayer and begin to apply an even coat of primer across the entire tub. You will want to work carefully and use smooth passes.
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Allow the primer to dry completely. Check the directions for your particular drying time, but waiting several hours is ideal. Apply a second coat of primer, following the same instructions as listed before. Again, allow it to fully dry
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Pour some of your acrylic polymer paint into the paint sprayer and begin to apply an even coating of paint to your tub. Use the same smooth passes as you did with the primer. Allow this to dry and then apply 2 more coats of paint to the tub. You should allow at least 30 minutes between paint applications.
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Allow the paint to dry for 48 hours and then re-caulk the areas where you removed the caulk at the start of the project. Make sure that you keep a small, even bead of caulk running all the way down each corner. Allow the caulk to cure for several days.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a respirator or ensure that you are working in a well ventilated area while you are priming and painting.
Make sure that you have an alternative way of showering during the time that you are working on your tub because this project can not be interrupted. This is mostly because the caulking is removed from the shower walls and tub.
