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I am going to help a friend remodel his bathroom and he is reluctant to tear out and replace his old cast iron bathtub. He told me he was considering having it re finished and I told him I did not know of anyone who had done this. I have always replaced them with either new cast iron or acrylic units during remodels. Can anyone out there tell me how they hold up over time as far as scratching and wear are concerned, and wether it is even economically feasible to have this done to an old tub? Thanks Jim
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Hi, Jim,
The process is relatively simple. Sherwin-Williams has a series of products that accomplish this (first an "etcher," that will give the new coating "tooth," and then a two-part resin, which I presume is epoxy paint, available in a variety of colors). It is scratchable, just like fiberglass, and will separate from the etched, baked-on enamel underneath if the etching was not well done. So care must be taken in installation and in later use.
The coating can be sprayed on, or brushed on. Spraying yields a better finish, but brushing is quite successful, since epoxy paints have good flow, and cover well.
Why not try a pilot project on an old sink first, and see what you think? It wouldn't take long, and would give you a bit of confidence to try the real thing.
Good luck.
Dan Phillips
*This is quite common in Oz, mainly to change the color scheme in a bathroom. I had one that had been re-coated and had had about 7 years' use without noticeable wear. It was a little chipped around the grout line, that's how I could tell, and to forestall any Pommy/hygiene jokes from Mark (how do you tell the age of a Pom? Count the rings round his bath,--- etc) I did use it regularly.
*I have done and had done both tubs and sinks, although not a kitchen sink because they get too abused for this technique. They have lasted just fine, one in a rental for over a decade, but you shouldn't use harsh cleansers, only Soft Scrub or something similar. One of the things you need to be especially careful of with a tub or sink is to remove the drain, clean extremely well including hard water deposits and finish comletely to the edges of the drain hole. If you just mask, it's almost a guarantee that water will work under the edge and start to lift the coating. You must also be sure to get any silicone completely off the surface first or the paint will fish-eye.In addition to Dan's suggestion with the epoxy paint, automotive paint works very well, but it must be sprayed. Mask off the entire room except for the tub if you spray. Wear a mask yourself!If you want to have it done commercially, check out a company called "Miracle Method" on the Web. They have a proprietary primer (not the same as an etcher) that a refinisher i know swears is the very best. This is not cheap however, but will run ~$3-400 in place.See the "Appliance Painting" thread for more help.
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I am going to help a friend remodel his bathroom and he is reluctant to tear out and replace his old cast iron bathtub. He told me he was considering having it re finished and I told him I did not know of anyone who had done this. I have always replaced them with either new cast iron or acrylic units during remodels. Can anyone out there tell me how they hold up over time as far as scratching and wear are concerned, and wether it is even economically feasible to have this done to an old tub? Thanks Jim