What You Should Know About Bathtub Refinishing

You might want to know about refinishing tubs. This could be a good idea for your old, tacky tub at home. If you consider the alternative which is tub replacement, you could be looking at a really expensive project. Here's what you should think about when it comes to tub refinishing.

Hire Help or DIY

The first real concern that you would have to settle is who should refinish your tub. More and more people are choosing to do the refinishing themselves. You can simply buy a refinishing kit and follow the instructions to get the bathtub of your dreams. This is definitely the cheapest option.

You should however, only attempt this if you are quite a handyman and if you have had some successful experiences with home improvement. Refinishing a bathtub requires a lot of patience, common sense, skill and attention to detail. You would have to meticulously clean the tub, handle chemicals and spray paint with a steady hand.

If you do not have the traits needed for DIY jobs, then you should just back down and rethink your options. You could ruin a perfectly good tub and bathroom if you aren't up to the task. Get a good professional through referrals if you want to make sure that everything is done close to perfection.

Work Safety

Bathtub refinishing probably won't kill you on the spot. It does have its dangers though. This is especially since you will be handling acids, chemicals and paint. If you want to do the job yourself, make sure you have the right kind of protection. Aside from a ventilator for yourself and the room, you also need a respirator, long gloves, goggles and work clothes.

Instructions

A refinishing kit can help a lot. Most kits carry detailed steps on what to do when you refinish. All you ever have to do is make sure you understand all of the instructions and that you do not miss any of them. As a whole, the basic instructions begin with thorough cleaning of the tub. You then move on to sanding the surface, filling cracks or chips, masking, faucet removal, coating of the base and painting. The last part involves spray painting so you would probably need some practice in that area to ensure successful application.

Liners

It is possible not to get into the nitty-gritty steps of refinishing. You might want to use bathtub liners instead. As the term suggests, liners are placed over the tub surface like a cover or a layer. You might not want this option though if the overall condition of your tub is not good. A liner may not last very long.

Refinishing tubs is not as easy as you think. But it is possible to do it on your own. Go through the specific steps carefully and find out if your skills match what is required of the task.