Bathroom Resurfacing

The Tub Guy's process for bathroom resurfacing/recoloring, of bathtubs, shower stalls and/or sinks, is a very cost effective alternative to replacement.

The National Remodelers Association estimates that the average cost of replacing a bathtub, is $2,500-$3,000. Over the years, the size of tubs have changed and often a wall will have to be move and plumbing with need to be brought to up to code! That can be an expensive ordeal all by its self! Even if you do choose to pay the money to replace the old bathtub or sink with new, the chances are pretty good that the new tub or sink, is not going to have as much character, be as deep or of the same quality, as the old fixture. So, why pay more, to get a lesser product?

WHY SHOULD YOU REFINISH YOUR BATHTUB?

The majority of our customers engage our services for bathroom resurfacing in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, because their tub has lost the original shine and luster... They often simply describe them as "Gross". You can not feel relaxed, in a soothing bath, if the tub you’re sitting in, feels dirty and unclean!

SO, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT?

The "Gross" that most people are describing, is typically the result, of years of hard water stains and use. This results in a brown ugly build up and/or lackluster appearance. As a result of that, people tend to clean the tub with Ajax, Comet or some other abrasive, just like they saw their mother or even grandmother doing, to scrub away that build up... and it works. The problem is, that the abrasive does its own damage! It is an ABRASIVE and leaves behind small scratches. The calcium, iron and the "other" partials in water, soap scum, and petroleum in shampoos and conditioners, use these small scratches to cling to the your bathtub. It becomes a vicious cycle. The result is a bathtub, that has become dull from all the little scratches and difficult to keep clean. Bathroom surface refinishing will seal up these little scratches, making the unit easier to clean and returns the beautiful white luster! Frequently, customers also resurface their bathtubs to change or update the color. We are not sure, who ever thought that a Pink bathtub and wall tile was a great idea... but they were wrong!

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WHAT IS THE NEW COATING?

The finish that we apply is called an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane enamel.

This is a 2-part urethane that was invented by NASA. It is now used anywhere that a hard, long lasting, durable finish is needed. It is basically the same coating applied to commercial aircraft without the added UV inhibitor to protect an aircraft from the sunsrays. Since your tub is not going to be flying around in the sun, this is not an issue!

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

As is the key to any job, the preparation work is the key.

After making sure that the bathtub is completely clean and the old caulk is removed, we apply a chemical etch to the bathtub. This chemical etch makes the surface more porous than the original finish. This will allow the new base coating to penetrate into the old surface and create an outstanding bonded base coating to apply the finish coatings to. This is a very important and necessary step! Other refinishers might tell you that their product does not need a porous surface. This is not exactly true. They just don't want to spend the money or deal with the chemical etch. After years in the bathroom surface refinishing industry, we can tell you that it IS necessary to ensure a long lasting and durable bond for the coatings applied. Chemical etching is expensive, and we don't like doing it, but it is the right way to do this job. You should be sure that anyone who resurfaces your bathtub chemically etches it first.

We then use a "micro filler" to fill in any significant chips or holes. We then hand and machine sand the entire surface of the tub. Then, once again, we thoroughly clean and dry the bathtub and/or surround. We mask off the surfaces around the tub and all of the fixtures after verifying that there are no water leaks.

The process then requires the technician to mix the two part base coat and apply it in three full coatings to the tub. We are looking to get three millimeters of thickness out of the three coatings to the tubs surface. It is this specially designed base coat that is one of the keys to our process. This coating is possibly more important then the colored top coating, as this is what adheres the top coating to the tub.

The following step requires the combination of one of the hundreds of colored resins we have available to use through our relationships with outstanding manufacturers such as Behr, Sherwin Williams, Bemis, Ralph Lauren, Kohler and American Standard with a catalyst. A chemical reaction takes place and the new finish begins to harden. We have a short time to apply this mixed coating to the tub. This final coating is then applied to the bathtub using an HVLP application system in four full coats. The aim here is to achieve four millimeters of coating, for a total of seven millimeters of coating thickness. Because the new finish is applied as a liquid, it flows smoothly over the old surface to achieve a beautiful, high gloss finish.

The result is a beautiful new bathtub that looks better and cleans easier without the mess, expense and hassle of replacement.