Ran a search but no results……tell me everything I need to know about have a old CI tub reglazed.
Not lined or DIY, but reglazed!!!
Ran a search but no results……tell me everything I need to know about have a old CI tub reglazed.
Not lined or DIY, but reglazed!!!
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Replies
http://www.servicemagic.com/tloc/Detroit-MI/Bathtub-or-Other-Bath-or-Kitchen-Surface-Resurface-or-Reface/
http://www.drexelco.com/
http://www.uniquerefinishers.com/
http://www.refinishingonline.com/michigan.htm
Googled and came up with most of those sites.
Just woundering if it as good as they advertize.
Have a company a few miles away and I will ask for some references and follow up with them.
Thanks.
We had our pink tub epoxyed white about 4 years ago. It cost about $350 including a sand texture safety coating. It still looks good for the price. If you really look you can see the imperfections, many of which were there on day one. We aren't too careful when we clean it and it looks much nicer than many original finishes with rust stains or chips.Two things to watch out for:minor - if the coating is not sprayed evenly or sprayed too thick you will get areas of the tub that puddle ever-so-slightly when the water drains. These areas will start to wear first and somehow get small amounts of midlew underneath that requires extra scrubbing to get clean.major - make sure the whole area is taped off and there is some kind of air filtering mechanism used. The guy who did ours is probably dead if the condition of our house was anything like his lungs. EVERYTHING was covered with overspray and an epoxy mist. HVAC contractors working at the time called me at work to complain about the conditions-- not about the 150 degree heat in the attic but they couldn't breath because of the guy spraying paint. You couldn't see out the screen in the bathroom it was that bad. I asked the guy if he reglazed the mirror for free and he had some stupid laugh. Luckily we were getting new windows and weren't living in the house at the time or I would have flipped.Like any other work, make sure you're there when it's being done.
Personally, i think it is a wate of money, unless you only have $500-$700 and you don't need any other updating like tile, fixtures.
The origional tub may have lasted 20-50 years, but the reglazing(not real reglazing but a form of "paint") will not last nearly that long. The local shops around here only warranty for 1-3 years and only one for 7 years. That doesn't cover abuse, and improper cleaning solvents/agents.
One large franchise is bathtub miracle method.
This is the kind of input I am looking for.
I realize it's only a tought paint. But woundering how long it last.
I plan on retiling the surrounds and fixtures.
Tub is old and big deep CI. I am dreading the slege hammer and hauling it down the steps.
I'll take a photo tonight and post it, get opinions.
I had mine done about 4 yrs ago. Cost about $300 IIRC. Still looks like new. I opted to have it done for the same reasons you mentioned.
A few things though. The guy left some literature on how to care for it,and basically any kind of mat you would normally put in the tub to keep from slipping is a no-no. Took a while to get used to having nothing there.
Also,the tub needs to be recaulked and I'm worried about removing the old caulk without scratching or scraping the coating.
Look the tub over real good before the guy leaves. A day or two later I found a couple of runs and noticed when he masked off the edge of the tub,he didn't follow the curve of the edge on one side.The edge rounds over and he just made a 90 degree corner with the masking resulting in a small triangle of coating being painted on the tile. ( the tub and the tile are both white,so you have to look to be able to see it ,but once you do its fairly noticable)It didnt bother me enough to call him back,but I wish I had noticed it when he was still here.
Edited 8/25/2009 8:35 pm ET by jimk
This Monday I demo'd the tile bed around our old CI and it took two burly plumbers to wrestle it out the door.Asked why they didn't just break it up with a sledge, and Don said that he's been cut pretty badly by the slivered enamel edge doing it that way.We bought an American Standard Americast Princeton as a decent replacement, as we put that one in our other bathroom last year.
If I don't reglaze, the AS Ameriacast tub is my choice too.
I also have the tile set into the old mudbase, thick stuff.
I am leaning towards the sledge hammer way, then I will have a clean start.
The tub is not really made for showering and the way the tub is made and set, it's just more water problem than I want on the 2nd floor.
But smashing up a CI tub can be dangerous!!! Have your eye protection & bandaids ready!!!
I've heard it's possible to cut them into chunks with a Sawzall (and a LOT of blades) I'd be concerned about the amount of Silica dust created by this technique.
Where did you purchase you tub?? Plumbing wholesaler or big box??
The AS website showes the Princeton @ 17 1/2" deep and Lowes showes the same @ 14" deep.
The big box stores will speck out to the manufactor a different, cheaper, product, to make it appear that they sell the same for less.
Generally, you pay less, you get less.
Hmmmm...
Got ours at Blowes for $300, then saw it at HD for $20 less.
The look like the same thing, tho.Ours is 13.75" deep.17" seems more like the depth of a whirlpool tub.
There are two Princeton models. Big boxes carry the shorter of the two. We used to install the shorter unit if someone took showers or they were a senior that needed a lower step but still wanted a tub.
We had a few that we had to warranty because the finish chipped away around the drain. It was difficult to get warranty from the manufacture going through a BB store.
Another option that we liked and stocked was the American Standard Solar model tub. It is a steel tub with a porcelin finish. You can buy a knock off at the BB for $100 but the finish is thin as well as the steel.
We ordered ours through a wholesaler for around $200 but I believe the BB list was only $300 or so. These tubs have a nice finish, durable, you can get them in colors and we never had a complaint or call back on one. Probably have installed around 50. They are value priced (in my opinion) and yet a durable product as we have removed many steel tubs over the years that were 20+ years old. We always set ours in a bed of mortar. DanT
What's the advantage to setting it in mortar? (not a mud person)Princeton comes with a lifetime warranty, doesn't mean much if you have to demo the tile to get the tub out and send it back.Many (rich) people here decide to completely remodel their bathrooms every 7 or 8 years, redo the tile and everything.
We found that if you put a large person, lets say 250lbs in a bath tub with say 30 gallons of water which would weigh another 240lbs that even if the tub didn't flex it would move up and down some and slowly work the caulk joints loose.
Since the steel tub, fiberglass tubs etc. don't have the structural strength of a cast iron we would mix up a half a bag of premixed mortar and lay it under the tub to fill in the gap between the floor and the tub which really firms them up. Cheap, simple and a much better product in my opinion.
Americast directions say not to do this so we didn't on those but after the warranty deal on 3 of them and we also found they chip easy we stopped installing them on all but the need for a low sided tub for seniors.
We tried the warranty thing. It is trying and taxing when the tub was purchased through a big box store and when in business quickly becomes not worth the time. I think they figure no need to be helpful since you probably as a retail customer won't be buying another soon. And it only covers the tub, not the install which is really the whole cost on a tub. DanT
Thank you...that makes a lot of sense!
Where I live most of the plumbing supply houses carry a product called
Structolite. Silimiar, but stronger than plaster-of-paris (spelling).
Sets up in minutes, the tub will not move. Basically a better in-
stallation. Always pre-moisten the sub flooring.
Thanks...
I'll ask the plumber if they can use that for a little extra support.
The old cast iron tub weighed about 300 lbs and was 1/4 to 3/8 thick.
No worry about that flexing!
Like Migraine said -- an in-place "reglazing" is actually nothing more than a thick coat of epoxy paint.
Done right, it will look terrific -- for a year or so. In three years, you'll be disappointed, and in five you'll probably be upset.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
We have a rental with a really nice mud-bed tile job over a cast iron tub. Probably done in the 20's or 30's. Rather than re-do the whole bath, we have the tub 'refinished' (epoxy paint, really) every three or four years when we change tenants.
Well worth it (around $300). If no scouring powder is used, lasts 3-4 years, if damaged, tenant pays. I figure we can do this around 10 times before it costs more than the alternative.
Bill
$300 for a coating, not a bad price. I have been quoted $500+ and that is for a vergin tub. Recoating a previously coated one has an additional charge.
I have used it for several of my clients but especially for tubs that have a finished end. I tell clients upfront that it will last at best 5 years and the only cleanser to use is Bon Ami. Have not had a single complaint! And by not replacing the tub the client generally used the money saved to upgrade fixtures or tile in the "new" bathroom.
It definitly has its place.
Bing
We had a very heavy cast iron tub that I did not want to break up and haul out so I had it coated about 8 years ago. The guy was in there for about 3 hours, and did a beautiful job. I've got one small chip where my kids dropped a bath toy or something. Other than that it still looks great. I cost me about $250 or so. If you like the design of the tub I would get a coat of expoxy on it and save your self alot of trouble.
Dave
I've had great results using a local vendor here in West. Cty. NY.
He does a clean job and provides a lifetime warranty. Been using him
for years, maybe one/two jobs per year. Approx $400.00 for a std. tub.
We have a guy in our area that does the reglaze thing. He uses car paint basiclly. The prep is where it is at. Good prep and the finish lasts 5-7 years. Bad prep and it last 5-7 months.
I have seen these tubs go as long as 10 years but most are in the 5-7 year window and then some of the finish around the drains, overflows etc. start lifting.
The guy that I know is really sharp at it, does nice work and is honest about its ability to last. It is all he does and he is almost always busy and busy enough to be glad when he is not. He charges $3-400 for a tub and a little more for extended travel. DanT