A Small Home Improvement Project: Refinishing Our Original ...

After Photo of our tub refinishing/ reglazing. The 1970s solid surface surround is visible in this photo.? I still like the streamline details on the side of the old tub.? Some of the new bathroom decor items can also be seen in this photo, including the cute little retro chrome and white trash can from Target.

We recently decided to have our old 1944 white bathtub refinished by a professional tub reglazer.? It has been needing it for about five or six years.? However, while having young kids that still liked to use lots of tub toys, it seemed pointless to waste the money any sooner.? When we bought the house fifteen + years ago, the sellers had had the tub refinished just before listing the house.? In so doing, the old enamel was etched so the epoxy could adhere and it permanently damaged the tub.? The tub looked great at the time, and it still did up until we had a toddler using the tub regularly.? With the tub toys, or anything for that matter, like a shampoo bottle being often left in contact with the tub surface, the tiny bit of moisture under the objects, slowly caused deterioration of the epoxy reglazing material.? Eventually it was full of chips in the finish.? It looked absolutely terrible after about five years of kids using it.? This is why all tub re glazing care instructions say to wipe down the tub after use and not to use any kind of non skid mats in tubs.? We lived with the unsightly tub as long as we could, but it got so ugly, even the kids complained about how it needed to be redone.? We didn?t want to go through the headaches and major expenses of redoing another bathroom just yet, at least not until the kids are a bit older, therefore, getting the bathtub reglazed/ refinished again, made the most sense to us, rather than ripping out the tub and starting from scratch.? The stripping of the old epoxy was about $100 and the application of the new finish was about $300.? It was not the cheapest quote we got, but the company had, by far, the best reviews on Yelp and AngiesList.

We tried to plan the refinishing for a time when it wouldn?t impact our lives too drastically.? The stripping of the old chipped glaze and resurfacing took about three hours from start to finish.? The workman was here at 9 o?clock and gone by noon.? He used a big tube that sucked out the fumes to the outside while he worked.? However, it was really toxic smelling and stinky in the rest of house for most of the day, even with the door closed to the bathroom.? The care instructions said to not use the tub for at least 24 ? 48 hours and to make sure all water was cleaned up after bathing or showering for the first month after application.? The tub still had a chemical smell for a few weeks after it was done.? We generally kept the door closed unless we needed to use the bathroom, and we used the other bathroom as much as possible during that first month.? I am pretty sensitive to smells and really hated the off-gassing part. I wish it didn?t involve the nasty chemicals, but there didn?t seem to be a good way to avoid them, other that not doing the project at all or completely replacing the tub.

We aren?t expecting this to be a long term fix, but at least it will get us another three to five years of decent looking use out of the tub, especially now that the kids are teens and not into toys and playing in the bath.? By time it is looking worn out again, we hope we will have forgotten about all the hard work and frustrations that went into our new bathroom and be ready for another big home improvement project. Not long ago, I found a section of the sea foam green tile under the floor transition between the bathroom and the the oak floor in the hall. ? When the time comes, we will likely return it to the original seafoam green and maybe accent it with yellow tile, similar to what was probably in the bathroom before the previous homeowners ripped it all out in the mid 1970s and replaced it with a beige marble looking solid surface tub surround, white counter top, and beige vinyl flooring.?? For now, the tub and looks much better.

Since we were fixing up the tub surface, we also cleaned up the old chrome tub spout with a good soaking in vinegar and put in a new handle, new trim kit on the shower and handle, and new drain cover.? When everything was complete, my daughter, B, and I went shopping and picked out a new soap dispenser, a little retro looking pop up trash can, and towels, a bath mat, a shower curtain to match the soap dispenser.? B was really considerate, and didn?t pick anything too juvenile or girly that her teenage brother would totally hate.?? It isn?t an awesome vintage looking bathroom yet, but since this is my kids bathroom for the next half dozen years, it doesn?t have to be.? For less than $550 dollars, it looks like a nice new contemporary bathroom.? They really aren?t into retro decor, and they are pretty happy with the results of their bathroom.

The ugly, embarrassing BEFORE reglazing Picture of the tub

The Before refinishing of tub photo. This is what years of use did to the previous reglazing job.?? I must be crazy to be showing this ugly looking tub online.

The tub AFTER the glazing was done. My daughter helped pick out a new soap dispenser, new towels, and shower curtain from Target, and a bath mat from Burlington to refresh the bathroom decor.

The new soap dispenser in the bathroom with the towels and shower curtain reflected in the mirror

Aside from the tub and toilet, one of the few retro looking items in the bathroom, the step on pop up lid white and chrome colored trash can from Target

Source: http://hanburyhouse.com/refinishing-our-original-bathrooms-cast-iron-tub/

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