Does tub resurfacing hold up over time?

Donna M

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
3,650
Do we replace the old tub and tile because of the color or reglaze or whatever it´s called? It is in good condition; it´s just an outdated color. My parents had it done many years ago and it had started to peel. I´m wondering if it is better now.
 
We had it done 10 years ago.
We've have 2 problems. A couple of chips and when we removed the caulk to recaulk the glaze pealed off. After recaulking there was a quarter of an inch of the old color showing around the edge. Otherwise it's been fine.
 
We reglazed a mauve colored tub to white about 17 years ago. It’s held up well, no peeling. The biggest problem we had was DH dropping his drill in the tub while it was drying initially and it left some marks. I never got around to getting those fixed. But I was thinking of having it done again just because it’s dulled a little. It just needs three days to dry and that always seems like forever. We gutted the rest of the bathroom and had new white tile put in to replace the old pink tile.
 
We had it done at our other house and ended up replacing the tub anyway! I would not recommend it.
 

We did it about 10 years ago and within 2 years it started peeling and looked terrible. I had Bathfitter come out and I’ve had no problems since. It was worth paying for Bathfitter.
 
Hopefully we are all taking about the same thing. We had porcelain reglazed over porcelain. It’s a bonding process. The guy who did ours, that’s all he does. He has to prepare the tub before reglazing so it adheres correctly. Was here all day, practically. Maybe something to consider is making sure you get someone who specializes in this. We never had any peeling at all.
 
One of the Condos I owned years ago had a tub reglaze by the prior owner maybe a year before I bought it and it did have some very small areas the old color came through over time. The remodel he did was not cheap for the entire apartment all the doors and trim were stain grade hard wood. I would believe if you are going from a dark color to a light or vice versa the small imperfections will be more noticeable over time where similar colors will not. I would get estimates for both and really think if you did have small imperfections would it bother you enough to replace the tub.
 
I've had it done in two tubs. One was smurf blue originally! No peeling. The key is to use Scrubbing Bubbles foam for cleaning and that's it. Most other bathroom cleaners will wear down the coating. No sprays, no magic erasers, no bleach, no sponges, etc. Just foam and a paper towel or microfiber cloth. People sometimes forget that or think it's OK to "venture out" into different cleaning supplies. If you have a tenant it's something that needs to be told to them explicitly. No one will know to clean with only that product. That's how I've gotten mine to hold up. It was on the written instructions the company gave me for the lifetime care. I also recommend only using a company where this is all that they do and they will give you a warranty. In the second tub - there were scratches. Like a previous poster I stored a broom in there for a moment and it scratched the surface, but never peeled. So do be careful to not use it at all for days until it "cures."
 
I've had it done in two tubs. One was smurf blue originally! No peeling. The key is to use Scrubbing Bubbles foam for cleaning and that's it. Most other bathroom cleaners will wear down the coating. No sprays, no magic erasers, no bleach, no sponges, etc. Just foam and a paper towel or microfiber cloth. People sometimes forget that or think it's OK to "venture out" into different cleaning supplies. If you have a tenant it's something that needs to be told to them explicitly. No one will know to clean with only that product. That's how I've gotten mine to hold up. It was on the written instructions the company gave me for the lifetime care. I also recommend only using a company where this is all that they do and they will give you a warranty. In the second tub - there were scratches. Like a previous poster I stored a broom in there for a moment and it scratched the surface, but never peeled. So do be careful to not use it at all for days until it "cures."
Thank you. I couldn’t think of the word “cures”, but that is a better term than “dries”. It has to cure for three days - if we do it again, no one is going near it during that time, lol. (DH was doing other work in the bathroom at the time.) My installer told me only to use Soft Scrub, so that’s what I’ve always used. I agree, nothing abrasive should be used, like Ajax or Comet.
 
We had a tub done, ours was a white tub, but was just in bad shape, so it was white on white and not trying to cover a color. Not long after we had it done it got some spider web looking cracks in the glaze, but the company came out and repaired it and it has been great ever since.
 
My brother had just remodeled his bathroom with new flooring, tile, toilet, and sink. Basically tub was the only thing he didn’t touch as it was in good shape. The pedestal sink was the last thing to go in but because it was late at night they didn’t bolt it down. The cat jumped on in knocking it into the tub and chipping the tub (sink was fine!).
Needless to say after all the work deglazing was the route he went. I know he had to have them come back after a few weeks to redo it but can’t recall the issue. It’s not perfect to this day, some slight discoloration, but overalll it was easier and cheaper than replacing.
 
My experience is no, tub reglazing does not hold up over time. Learn to love your tub color or get an entirely new tub.
 
It does not hold up over time. We had 2 tubs glazed. Both are pealing. I want to remove our master bathroom jetted tub in lieu of a walk in shower. I don't care about the other tub as much because my kids use it and I don't have to look at it.

I just don't want to spend the money at the moment for a bathroom remodel.
 












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