Can You Repaint a Bathtub White?

You can paint your bathtub to make it look new and clean.

You can not just paint your bathtub with any random paint you find in the clearance section of your local home improvement warehouse. Painting a bathtub is entirely possible, but to get long-lasting, quality results, you need the right paint and must properly prepare the tub for painting.

Reasons to Paint a Bathtub

Stains and rust can discolor your bathtub over time. While getting a brand new bathtub is a guaranteed way to fix an ugly tub, new bathtubs can be expensive and difficult to install in your home. Furthermore, time and hard water can eventually have your new tub looking just as bad as the old one did before you replaced it. Fortunately, you can paint an ugly but functional bathtub a nice, clean shade of white to improve its aesthetics and avoid costly replacement.

Selecting the Right Paint

Selecting the right product to use to paint your bathtub is important. You will need to select a paint kit that is designed to work for your bathtub. Bathtubs can be made out of a wide assortment of different materials, and a paint that works on fiberglass may not work on concrete or porcelain. Select a kit that is designed to remove existing coatings from your tub, then prime, paint and seal the new white paint so that it provides a neat, clean and waterproof surface.

Painting Your Tub

The first thing you need to do when you are preparing to paint your bathtub is to completely and totally clean the bathtub. You need to remove old sealants, paints, cleaning products, mineral deposits and other miscellaneous substances that could prevent your paint from going on smoothly or sealing properly. The Bathtub Paint website recommends using muriatic acid to clean mineral deposits and built-up scum out of your tub prior to painting. Once you have the tub clean, it will need to dry thoroughly before you can apply primer, some form of white acrylic paint and then take the time to allow the paint to cure before sealing it. You can't use your tub for several days during this process, so plan accordingly.

Other Aspects

You can prepare the rest of the bathroom for painting by taping off and protecting areas you do not want painted. Wear safety gear, including eye protectors and breathing masks to avoid being unintentionally exposed to harmful paint or fumes. Acrylic paint is also highly toxic, so keep small children and pets far away from the bathtub painting project.

References

• Bathtub Paint
• Housepainting Guru: Do-It-Yourself Bathtub Refinishing
• Renovation Headquarters: Guide to Bathtub Materials