The bathtub refinishing process, start to finish in one visit
Most of refinishing is preparation. Here is what happens between the photos you text us and the first bath in your like-new tub.
How bathtub refinishing works, from quote to cure
Photos and a written quote
Text us photos, one of the whole tub and one of any damage. You get the price in writing, usually the same day. If you’d rather we come out and look first, we will.
Repairs first
Chips, cracks, rust around the drain, old fixture holes and soft fiberglass floors are repaired before anything is coated. A failed coating from another company is stripped back to the original surface.
Mask, clean, etch
The room is masked, ventilation is set up, and the surface is cleaned of soap film and silicone, then etched so the new finish can bond to it. This step is most of the work, and it is the reason the finish stays on.
The coating
A commercial-grade coating is sprayed on in several coats, in the color you chose, with a non-slip surface on the floor if you asked for one. The finish is smooth, glossy and hard once cured.
Cure and care
We clean up and leave you with care instructions and the warranty in writing. Use the tub after 24 hours; 48 is better. Normal care and no suction-cup mats, and it lasts 10 to 15 years.
The refinishing process on real jobs
On the day of the job, and why preparation matters
Who shows up
A technician, often with a helper, in a marked van. They have been with us for years and do this every day. Someone needs to let them in and look the work over at the end; you don’t need to stay in the room.
What you’ll notice
Masking on the walls and floor, a fan in the window or an exhaust set up, and some smell while the coating goes on. It fades as the finish cures. If anyone in the house is sensitive to it, ask for odor reduction when you book: a low-smell additive, or a HEPA air filter we lend you.
Why most of the day is preparation
Refinished tubs almost always peel because the surface underneath wasn’t prepared. Soap film, silicone, old coatings and a glassy-smooth surface all stop a new finish from bonding. Stripping, cleaning and etching is slow, unglamorous work, and it’s what keeps the finish on for the 10 to 15 years it should last.
How we stand behind it
Every refinished surface carries a 5-year adhesion warranty, and repairs carry a year. Both come in writing with your quote, before we start, and a copy of the warranty and the care and use instructions comes with your invoice.
Free bathtub refinishing quote, by text, by phone or in person.
Tell us what needs work and add photos if you have them. We’ll reply with a price and the first open day on the schedule. Rather have us come take a look? Say so in the notes and we’ll set it up.
Faster: text us photos for a quote(512) 452-4352