Is your bathtub dull, chipped, rusty or just plain dreary? There are alternatives to hauling out that 800-pound elephant and replacing it. It can be refinished or covered with an insert, and the same things can be done with showers.
One source for finding a local refinisher is the Bathtub Refinishing Referral Network in Medford, Ore., at http://www.refinishingonline.com.
The network's president is Kelly Rountree, a professional bathtub refinisher himself.
After about 10 years of scrubbing and scouring with abrasive cleaners, he said, the bathtub finish starts to wear off, leaving the surface porous, even if the tub is porcelain-coated. "And underneath the porcelain coating is steel, and that steel eventually starts to rust," Rountree said.
Acrylic and fiberglass tubs can develop hairline cracks, he said, particularly on the bottom, which is exposed to the greatest amount of weight.
Rountree recommends using an epoxy for refinishing after a bonding agent has been applied. Because these materials emit hazardous, flammable fumes before they cure, he said, homeowners are generally advised to stay away while the work is in progress.
A professionally applied epoxy coating should last 10 to 20 years and should cost $350 or so, he said.
In addition to referring customers to local refinishers, Rountree's company also sells refinishing products to do-it-yourselfers. The kits, which cost about $65, including shipping, can be used on tubs and sinks, fiberglass, acrylic, tile and countertops.
An alternative to refinishing an old tub or shower is to encase it with an acrylic liner.
Derek Cassoff, the marketing manager for Bath Fitter of St.-Eustache, Quebec, said that his company makes a liner to fit over the existing tub or shower. (The liner is about a quarter inch thick, so the new tub will not be noticeably smaller.
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