This is Bob with Texarkana Bathtub Refinishing and this morning; I would like to talk to you about the trade-offs of DIY bathtub refinishing versus a professional refinishing. First, let's talk about what you're getting with a DIY bathtub  kit. These can commonly be found at Lowe's Home Depot or Sherwin William. They are typically a one part, epoxy kit. So, you get just the  paint itself in a DIY bathtub paint kit. Some other items that you'll need in order to complete this job are typically some drop cloths and acid cleaner, and some scrubbies. If you have chipping or damage to your tub, you will need some polyester fillers to repair those areas. It's also a good idea to have a protective mask because the DIY bathtub paint kits can give off some fumes that are dangerous and not good for people to breathe in. Eye protection is also recommended; you don't want to splash or accidentally get any of this coating into your eyes. . A few other items that are helpful to have around is a sponge, a paint brush to apply the bathtub paint to your tub, and you will need some solvent cleaners, such as a paint thinner or possibly a lacquer thinner in order to clean any spills or any areas that the bathtub paint is accidentally applied to that you do not want it to stay.   Remember, you can always call Texarkana Bathtub Refinishing to handle this project instead!! 870-359-0726!

Once you have all these materials. The first step in a DIY bathtub refinishing (or in ANY refinishing) is to clean the tub extremely well. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get the tub extremely clean.

Any areas where there is oil, soap scum, or dirt that are not removed before the paint is applied are likely to fail fairly quickly. Not only must this area be clean, but with bathtubs made out of baked on enamel or porcelain, the surfaces much also be what is referred to as etched. Etching is getting microscopic pores in the surface that allow whatever kind of paint or coating you apply to get down into the surface and adhere to the tub itself. Okay. This is an area where you use must caution as you will need to use a fairly strong acid to properly etch the tub. People are often tempted to skip this step, but ding so is a huge mistake. Not properly etching and preparing your tub will affect its longevity and will cause early failure of your hard work. Once you have the tub properly cleaned and etched, It's a great idea to take a wet dry sandpaper. Usually an 80 grit will work fine and wet sand your entire tub. This ensures that you've removed any acid, etching, residue, or dust, and any areas where you missed any soap, scum, or anything with your cleaning.

Once this is done, you thoroughly rinse your tub to make sure that it's completely cleaned out of any of the dust residue. And a good solvent wash is recommended before proceeding. And again, you want to use protective gear when using solvents. So, you don't splash them in your eyes or breathe in the fumes that the solvent give off.  Once this is done, make any repairs to your tub, where you have big chips and you can use like a Bondo body filler to do this. Sand any areas where you've applied Bondo to get repairs even and looking good with the rest of the tub before proceeding. Once again, wipe the tub down, particularly in the areas where you made any repairs to ensure you've gotten in that repair dust out of the tub.

At this point, it's a good idea to take a hairdryer or some similar air hose and drive air down around the drain collar to make sure that you've gotten rid of any moisture that settles down by the drain. Any moisture left will cause a premature failure down around your drain. Why have all those hours of hard work you've done getting this refinished tub ready only to get ruined because you've got a little bit of water down around your drain. Take the extra time and make sure you complete this step. Once you're ready to refinish your bathtub and apply your DIY Bathtub Refinishing kit.  See below for tips on masking off to protect walls and floor and how to finish up this home improvement project!  OR...

Call us today at 870-359-0726 or email at salesinfo@texarkanabathtubrefinishing.com.  One of our refinishing experts will guide you thru the process of finding the best refinishing process for you and getting you onto our schedule!