Reglaze Bathtub: A Step By Step Guide

Few experiences in life are more relaxing than taking a nice bath, but nobody wants to bathe in a rusty, dirty, or otherwise unattractive tub. When this happens, it's time to consider whether you want to reglaze your bath tub. Damage does not have to last forever. If you know how to reglaze a bath tub, you can easily make it as good as new.

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Before you reglaze your bathtub, there are a few precautions you should take. Cover everything in the bathroom including sinks, cabinets, and drawers with drop cloths, tape, or similar items. You do not want to accidentally get any of your materials outside of the bathtub, and it is easier to do this than you might think. Remove all decorations, especially valuable ones, and make sure the bathroom is well ventilated. These are just basic safety tips before you begin.

Once you actually start the reglazing process, the first thing you should do is remove the caulking and clean the bathtub with industrial cleaner, and then grit or sand. After this, wash the tub with acid, usually hydrofluoric acid, and let it sit. After you're finished, rinse with cold water and more grit. You may also vacuum the tub at this point.

After you finish this, fill the tub and any chipped or worn spots with body filler and let it dry. When the body filler is completely dry, sand it until it is smooth, and apply tack cloth. Prime the tub, let this dry, use more tack cloth, and then apply the glaze with a spray gun. Glazes come in several different colors - pick your favorite. Once the glaze is dry, which should be after at least 48 hours, you may replace the caulking and use your bathtub again.

If you don't think you are quite up to the task or do not want to take the time to reglaze bathtub yourself, there are professionals who will do so for a fee. This will, of course, cost you more money than reglazing a tub yourself would; however, you are almost guaranteed to get a good, lasting result for those who don't quite trust themselves.

Reglazing bathtubs does not have to be a job solely for the professionals. Once you know how to reglaze a bath tub, you too can get the job done, often more cheaply. If in doubt, call an expert, but doing it yourself is a viable option as well, provided you have the right materials and take the appropriate precautions.