Are you looking for Kitchen Refinishing in La Mesa? SB Refinishers is your local solution Call us today for a FREE consultation (619) 781-8949
You could probably say this about a lot of matters, but bathtubs–they only don’t make ‘em like they used to. Toilets were built around them. These tubs were considerably deeper and therefore more inviting than the baths you had see today. The dominant colour for baths is white and it is nearly the only solution to really go.
With the 60s and 70s arrived the exploration of bathroom fixtures in beige, browns, pastels, and so on. Despite these poor options, bathtubs in this age were still really well made. While construction shifted to include lightweights like acrylic, tubs in steel appeared, and in design, these steel bathtubs were even sometimes sculptural and refined like the casting irons.
Cast iron is generally heralded for its indestructibility, even when rust might set in. It’s a close relative in steel, in fact one would turn into the other. Cast iron is more heavy, while steel is heavy, and tubs made of these alloys finally last well beyond their finish.
Learn more about:refinishing services in San Diego – we cover your needs in La Mesa.
For just these reasons, you might decide to refinish a tub. While those with a classic clawfoot refinish hope to attain a vintage feel, any kind of tub can be refinished. This article with focus on the redo of an alcove bath, undoubtedly the most frequently installed bathtub.
Tools Substances Ability Level Estimated Time
• Utility knife • Acid-Established commercial cleaner Advanced
Acid etching paste
• Straight razor • Baking soda
• Shop Vac • Plastic sheeting
• Stiff bristle brush • Builders paper
• Wire brush • Masking tape
• Auto polisher/buffer •
• Buffing and polish pads • Sandpaper
Sailcloth drop cloth
• Rubber gloves • Porcelain repair epoxy or polyester glazing putty
Towels and • Rags • Two-Component fiberglass repair putty
• Paper or store towels • Tack cloth
• Little mixing trough • Porcelain bonding agent
Specialty acrylic urethane OR acrylic aliphatic polyurethane OR high gloss polyurethane and white paint
• Electrical paint sprayer • Denatured alcohol
• Caulk gun • Silicone caulk
• Plumbing tools
Bathtub Refinishing Factors
Off Site or In Place?
Cast iron and steel tubs are very heavy, as mentioned above, and you’ll need at least three, a hand, to remove and deliver them to a refinishing works. In the event of an alcove tub, one that is “built in,” it’s typically best to approach it while it is still in position.
A refinishing works may commonly start with a procedure called “dipping” or stripping the original finish. Once stripped, your bathtub may have a porcelain enamel employed before it is ultimately re-fired in a kiln. Similar coatings can be used onsite; stripping, however, is replaced with other means of homework.
Are You Going To Replace Hardware?
Working under the premise that once (re)finished, you’ll have a brand new appearance bath. It might be rewarding to plan for an update of the bathtub’s present drain hardware.
It should be pointed out, also, the borders are typically the “poorest” part of any finish. In a place constantly subjected to water, prior to applying your new tub finish, it makes sense at minimum to eliminate the drain.
Note: When upgrading a bathtub’s drain assembly, accessibility to the lower wall cavity supporting the bathtub drain is necessary at a minimum.
Need help with Kitchen Refinishing? SB Refinishers provides you with the highest quality services for your needs.
Because, usually, you’ll be working with airborne paints and caustic materials, ensure that you have adequate venting as you work. Along with running a built-in bathroom fan, it may also make sense to open a window and use cross-ventilation by placing a fan in an opposing doorway. If added concerns persist around your skill to work or apply paint efficiently, ventilation equipment may also be leased at rental centres or home improvement stores.
Prepare the Occupation
There are numerous approaches available for essentially preparing a tub refinish. Regardless of the approach you choose, take great care during this phase. The measures below are common to any occupation preparation strategy you might pick:
1) Remove Present Caulk: Remove caulk that should be contacting the tub surface. Begin by cutting the top and bottom edges of the caulk bead with a utility knife. Follow with a stiff putty knife and finish with a straight razor blade. Completely remove all existing caulk. Sweep out or vacuum up any debris which will make its way to the bottom of the bathtub.
2) Remove OR Hide the Overflow Plate: Plan to replace existing tub hardware. The bathtub’s drain continues to be in good working order, and if this really isn’t feasible, remove the bathtub’s overflow plate. Baths fitted with interconnected stoppers can be disconnected or disassembled, but because of uniquenesses in moving parts (notably with antique bathtubs), it may be better to simply mask overflow plates away. Be aware not to let linkages to fall back into the overflow should you opt to remove a lever that is linked or drain.
3) Remove Drain Pop-Up, Strainer Assembly, OR Mask: Remove as many of the exposed finished drain parts as possible. Mask any finished surface that you select not to remove. Poke holes or make an X in masking tape as it will be {used later.
4) Give the Bathtub an Industrial Cleaning: Using an acid-based cleanser, spray down the whole bath surface. Let the merchandise sit for five minutes and utilize a stiff-bristled brush to scrub blots away. Because these cleaners are caustic, wear rubber gloves (or better) and a properly rated respirator. Then allow the bath dry.
Mask both the inside of the bathtub in addition to the face (or apron) of the bath as it intersects with toilet walls. Do the same with the tub as it meets the floor. Cut holes in places where bathtub spouts or faucet handles may seem. Before spraying, apply masking tape.
6) Mask Tub Spout and Faucet Handles: While you might need to time this with the other steps beneath, wrap bath spouts and faucets with builder’s paper or added plastic (cling wrap will work just as well). Instead, it may make sense merely to remove them.
Prepare the Surface and Also Make Small Repairs
Use a stiff-bristled four inch stain brush or a scrub brush to use an acid etch designed specifically for porcelain. Cover the face of the tub fully and let about 15 minutes for this merchandise to do its thing. Wear rubber gloves (or better) and a properly rated respirator. Remove with a (clean) scrub brush and wash down the drain with tub water. Wipe dry with shop towels.
Choices for Acid Etching
Some will forgo acid etching in favor of using a bonding agent just. Others might use mechanical means to rough up the tub surface. This is achieved by way of using sanding (aka flap) disks fitted to an angle grinder. While this process is somewhat aggressive, most completing products are self-leveling to the amount that they’re going to level out fairly over a “ scarified” surface.
Mending Bath Surface Imperfections
Grittiness and spots can appear after decades of improper cleaning on bath surfaces. Abrasive and bleach cleaners could be harmful to bath surfaces, themselves. Green spots or rust can be addressed using oxalic acid mixed in hot water with talc to form a whiting paste.
Prior to applying a finish, dings or processors must additionally be addressed. Mix a small batch of two -part fiberglass repair putty and apply to the affected region by means of a plastic spreader. Allow to dry based on the product’s directions and sand first with 36-grit sandpaper (the kind used for sanding floors) and then follow with an 80-grit paper to feather out the repair.
Follow with porcelain or polyester glazing to fill in modest pockets which could appear in the repaired region, if needed.
Wipe Down
Wipe down the tub with paper towels and follow with a tack cloth.
Elective: For a more extensive cleaning, give the bathtub one final wipe with accelerated-evaporating denatured alcohol.
Caution: Simply use if acids either were not used or have been effectively neutralized.
Applying Finishes: DIY Strategy
Refinishing Kits
There is a seemingly innumerable array of refinishing kits accessible from reputable manufacturers. The products vary widely from epoxies to acrylics, spray-on to brush-on and even to roll on options. Generally, you’ll find varying amounts of both quality and dry times with these products. Do your homework before purchasing and understand that effectiveness may be informed by cost over time. Choose a reputable name and follow all directions closely. These kits should afford a finish lasting one to five years with appropriate care.
Assemble Your Own Kit
Brush on a suitable bonding agent,or spray on an appropriate primer using an airless (sub HVLP) paint sprayer (available for lease at local home improvement stores or rental facilities). The topcoat is applied using the same sprayer (make sure to clean it thoroughly between steps). Hold the gun about six inches from the surface, when spraying. Work using long strokes along with a constant motion, overlapping slightly as you move back and forth. Play about with a combination of white paint and high-gloss polyurethane. Alternatively, spray or roll on a two-part marine epoxy. This method should give a finish which will last between 3 and 10 years, in the event that you haven’t skimped on homework.
Implementing Finishes: Professional Approach
Professional refinishers are plentiful, but be warned: the products and techniques used plus their views vary.
Pro Techniques
Acrylic urethane enamel, acrylic aliphatic polyurethane, or an epoxy-based finish is put in multiple layers using a paint sprayer. (There’s much discussion online about the favourite sprayer sort for this particular job.n general, pick airless and HVLP through others.) Depending on the product used, each layer should dry 15 to 20 minutes before the following is implemented. The concluding coat should dry for no significantly less than an hour.
A wet sanding with 600/800/1000-grit paper smooths any imperfections. A car compound buffed into the surface using an auto polisher and circular buffing pads is used by some. Hand frequently does additional buffing. Glazing can also be implemented with a soft cloth to bring up a more dazzling luster.
Once the finish has dried to the touch, per product recommendations or after two hours, whichever comes first remove from the job site. In case some of the just applied finish begins to pull away with masking it’s a good idea to work with a utility knife in hand. Work with care over the just finished surface. Bundle waste into construction bags and dispose of appropriately.
Locate a Bathub Professional near you
It is often better left to a professional while tub refinishing can definitely be a DIY job. SB Refinishers in San Diego bathtub refinishing is simply one of the occupations that are most practically priced. Costs typically range from $400 to $500 and are usually packaged with a warranty that is significant.
In hiring a professional for this job, the most crucial factor is the individual tech scheduled to do the work. That’s appropriate, don’t always hire a professional based on the standing of the business, on their process, or on their system, but rather on the authentic person you would want doing your job. These machinists ought to have the capacity to generate a portfolio of work and references. Request it before making a choice, and review it.
[su_tabs active=”3″][su_tab title=”Refinishing Videos”][su_tabs active=”3″][su_tab title=”Refinishing Videos”][/su_tab] [/su_tabs][/su_tab] [/su_tabs]