Articles

Why NOT Refinish That Old Bathtub?

One cheap alternative to a traditional bathroom remodel is bathtub refinishing or re-glazing. In the industry we refer to this as “painting your tub”. Many people do this instead of replacing a bathtub because the process is cheaper than a full tub replacement. However, like most everything in life, you get what you pay for. Refinished tubs crack, peel, and never last for much longer than one year. Many companies will offer warranties for this process but neglect to state that using common soaps or shampoos voids the warranty. Ever hang a towel over your tub or set a shampoo bottle on the side? Guess what – that can void your warranty!

The process of applying the original porcelain coating to a bathtub in the factory involves many power coats and temperatures exceeding 1000°F. There is absolutely no way of replicating this process in one’s home. Refinishing a tub involves using toxic and harsh chemicals that will quickly send you to open the nearest window!

Pros:
•Cheaper
•Quick turn around
•Can change the color

Cons:
•not durable
•stains
•chips
•short term solution

Re-glazing never makes sense. Many house flippers use refinishing as a quick and cheap disguise for a problem tub, only to pass the problem on to the next homeowner. Resurfacing your old tub might give you short term, superficial improvement, but will come back to haunt you in the end.

If you would like a tub replacement or any other type of bathroom remodel, call us here at ReBath of Houston, we remodel bathrooms everyday. We will design a beautiful bathroom and install the best products for you! We’ve done the research so you don’t have to.