Bathtub refinishing questions, answered plainly

Every tub is a little different, so we quote each job instead of publishing a price list. Text photos to (512) 452-4352 or use the quote form and you’ll usually have the price in writing the same day. If you’d rather we come out and look first, we’re happy to. Either way the quote is free, and refinishing costs a fraction of replacing the tub.

If the tub is sound, refinishing costs a fraction of replacement, takes one visit and doesn’t disturb the tile or plumbing. Replacement makes sense when the tub itself is failing or you’re redoing the whole bathroom. Send us photos and we’ll tell you honestly which one you have.

Three names for the same job. The surface is cleaned, repaired and etched, then a new coating is bonded to it. We say refinishing; you may have heard it called reglazing or resurfacing.

Yes. Most tubs go white or off-white, but any of our ten stocked colors is included, and any Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore or Midwest Chemicals color can be special ordered for $150. Tile, sinks and countertops can be recolored the same way.

All of them. Porcelain over cast iron or steel, fiberglass, acrylic and cultured marble. Fiberglass and gel-coat surfaces need a different preparation, and once finished they hold up like any other tub.

Yes. Tile walls and floors, shower stalls and pans, bathroom and kitchen sinks, and vanity or kitchen countertops, including cultured marble and laminate. Dated tile is one of the most common jobs we do; the grout lines are coated too, so the wall becomes one sealed surface.

Yes. We refinish jetted tubs with the jets kept, and when the jets have stopped working we remove them, fill the holes and refinish the tub as a soaker. More on jetted tubs.

Text photos of the surface to (512) 452-4352, one of the whole thing and one of any damage. We’ll reply with a price in writing, usually the same day. If you’d rather, use the form, call, or ask us to come take a look.

Usually 3 to 5 hours, in one visit. Tile walls, repairs or stripping an old coating add time, and a large fiberglass crack repair can take two days. We tell you up front from your photos.

Clear the tub and the counter, take down the shower curtain and anything hanging near the tub, and leave the room empty. We bring everything else and mask what stays, including the faucet and drain. A window that opens or a working exhaust fan helps with ventilation.

Someone needs to let us in and look the work over when we finish. You don’t need to stay in the room, and most people go about their day.

Keep them out of the bathroom while we work and until the finish is dry to the touch. We ventilate the room while we spray, and if anyone in the house is sensitive to smell, ask for odor reduction when you book.

Some, yes. We ventilate the room while we work and the smell fades as the finish cures. If you’re sensitive to it, ask for odor reduction: an odor-reducing additive, or a HEPA air filter we lend you until the finish cures.

After 24 hours if you need to. 48 hours is better. Don’t set anything in the tub or run water until then.

With normal care, 10 to 15 years. Avoid abrasive cleaners and bath mats with suction cups, and it will keep its shine. The finish is backed by a 5-year adhesion warranty.

A soft cloth or sponge and a non-abrasive bathroom cleaner. Skip scouring powders, abrasive pads, and acidic or bleach-heavy products. Hair dye and bath products rinse off like anything else; just don’t let them sit.

Not one with suction cups. They pull on the finish and will void the warranty. If you want grip, ask for a non-slip surface when we refinish the tub; it’s built into the finish and included on request.

Every refinished surface carries a 5-year adhesion warranty: if the finish peels or lifts, we fix it. Chip, crack and hole repairs carry a 1-year warranty. The terms come in writing with your quote, and a copy of the warranty and the care and use instructions comes with the invoice. Damage from abrasive or acidic cleaners and suction-cup mats isn’t covered.

Almost always because the surface wasn’t prepared properly before the coating went on, or because the product wasn’t made for the job. Preparation is most of the work, and it’s why every refinish we do carries a 5-year adhesion warranty.

Yes. Chips, cracks and rust spots can be repaired and blended on their own. On an older finish the repair may show a little; refinishing the whole surface makes it disappear. We’ll tell you which makes sense from your photos.

Yes. Floors that give underfoot are rebuilt from below with structural foam and fiberglass, then refinished. It’s a common repair in fiberglass tubs and shower pans.

Almost never. Cracks are rebuilt with fiberglass and refinished over. A large repair can take two days instead of one, and it carries the 1-year repair warranty.

Yes. We strip the failed coating back to the original surface, prepare it properly and refinish the tub under our own warranty.

Yes. Mounting holes from grab bars, soap dishes and old fixtures are filled, reinforced where needed and blended into the finish.

Yes, since 1986. Crews sized to the project, scheduling around occupancy, and volume quotes in writing. See commercial refinishing.