Bathtub Resurfacing - Doing It Yourself

Bathtubs are one of the most used parts of the house. Because of this, bathtubs may look old after long years of using it and you may need to replace it for a better looking one and one with a color that can match the paint in your bathroom. However, purchasing a new bathtub and getting it installed in your home can prove to be very costly. For a more cost effective solution, you can consider resurfacing your bathtub yourself instead of purchasing a new one. By resurfacing it, you will be able to save hundreds of dollars for a bathtub.

Resurfacing a bathtub is quite easy to do. With patience and a few preparations, you will be able to make your old bath tub looking like new. So, here are the simple preparations and step-by-step process that you have to remember when you are going to resurface a bathroom tub.

The first thing you have to consider is that you will be working with different kinds of chemicals. The chemicals involved in bathroom tub resurfacing can be harmful to you. So, it is important to remember that you have to protect yourself in order for you to avoid any serious injuries. It is important that you should work in a well-ventilated are as the fumes that some of these chemicals emit are toxic and can be harmful if inhaled. The chemicals and the fumes it emits can also be harmful to the eyes and skin. Because of this, it is also important that you should wear protective clothing that covers every part of your body and also wear protective goggles to protect your eyes.

Okay, so now you are fully protected from head to toe. Sure, you may look ridiculous, but you're safe! Lets start the next step.

Give your tub a good cleaning by removing loose caulking as well as the gaskets. Usually, the bath tub refinishing kit that you purchased will have several chemicals that you will need to effectively resurface your bathroom tub.

The first two chemicals will act as a cleaning solution that can effectively remove any oils and soaps from the surface of the bathroom tub. These chemicals will prepare the bath tubfor the primer. You will be required to thoroughly scrub the bathroom tubsurface with sandpaper (220 to 240 grit). After you scrubbed the bath tub, the next step is to rinse away the residue with water. After rinsing, you need to get the bathroom tub to thoroughly dry to prepare it for the second cleaning solution.

The next chemical is still a cleaning solution that will be able to remove any oil and soap residue. After applying and scrubbing the bath tub, you will again rinse it thoroughly with water and dry it with an old towel or paper towels.

After this, you will now apply the next solution, which is that primer reducer. This particular solution will prepare the bath tub for applying the primer. To apply the primer reducer, you will need to carefully apply it using paper towels. You will see that there will be damages to the bathroom tub and will be quite obvious after applying the primer reducer. You have to repair the tub surface as well as the drain area. To do this, you can apply some putty. It is important to let the putty dry for about 30 to 45 minutes. The repaired areas will usually have rough areas. To fix this, you should use fine sandpaper. After repairing and smoothing out the bath tubsurface, the next step is to apply the primer reducer again.

The next step is by applying paper and tape to the areas that you don't need to refinish or resurface. This will protect these areas from getting damaged by the chemicals that you need to use for resurfacing.

Now you are ready to apply the base coat. A handy tip is to use a respirator to protect your lungs from the fumes of the base coat. The fumes that are emitted are toxic, so be safe. Following the manufacturer's instructions to mix the primers components exactly as directed, use a spray gun to apply an even finish.

After 30 minutes has passed, you're ready for the top coat! You should also use a spray gun to properly apply this layer with even strokes to give it a great finishing look.

As you can see, bathtub resurfacing can be quite simple. It is a cost effective solution than purchasing a new bathtub. By resurfacing your bathtub, you will be able to have a brand new looking bathtub at a very affordable cost.

Learn more about how to improve your bathtub with tips on walk in bathtub, premier bathtub and bath tub refinishing kit at BathTubTherapy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith