Stripping Refinished Tub: How To Tutorial On Removing Old Reglazing Coating On Your Bathtub.
Recently I got an email asking how to strip the coating off a tub that was peeling from being done incorrectly. After responding, I thought there might be others who could use this information, so here you go. Stripping refinished bathtub.
How to remove a failed peeling coating from a bathtub. Images open in a light-box
Whether you are trying to save some money, instead on paying a bathtub refinishing contractor to strip your refinished tub. Or your doing a DIY kit and need to remove the old tub coating first. I’ll go over this step by step.
Be advised this is not something to be taken lightly. The chemicals used can burn you and every year some knuckle head refinisher kills themselves by not using the proper safety gear, passes out, face first into the tub and paint stripper.
Yes it will be a closed casket with your melted face not looking so pretty.
* NOTE Do not try and strip a fiberglass tub or surround, the commercial grade paint stripper will melt the gel coat or acrylic surfaces. If I need to strip one of these I use an orbital sander and using 80 grit to remove the bulk and then 180 to finish.
There are fiberglass acrylic safe strippers, but they can take 12 to 24 hours to work.
With that said, Here is a laundry list of supplies and instructions.
- You’ll need a 3M disposable respirator they come in small med and large $18 or so.
- Eye protection.
- Roll of Duct tape.
- 13 gallon trash bags.
- 6 mill plastic.
- Orange cleaner.
- Zud or Ajax.
- 180 and 80 grit sandpaper.
- Couple of scuff or scrub pads.
- A long handled 4″ razor scraper for tough jobs.
- A 1″ razor scraper.
- A 3″ brush or polypropylene toilet mop to spread the stripper.
- 6″ taping knife to scrap and collect the coating.
- Heavy duty chemical gloves 8 mills thick or better.
- Heavy duty 6 mill plastic to protect the floor.
- At the minimun Box fan for ventilation.
Stripping refinished bathtub: First lets protect the surrounding area. This is especially important if you have an acrylic wall surround or wood, vinyl flooring.
Remove any caulking around the perimeter of the tub and clean and dry thoroughly so your tape will stick. Apply your Duct tape to the perimeter and tape down some heavy plastic to the floor.
If you have wood, vinyl or acrylic products to protect, apply a second layer of tape and two rows high around the tub.
If you’re stripping the finish off a clawfoot tub you’ll want to get plastic all around and under the clawfoot.
Remove your overflow plate and stuff your drain and overflow hole with some balled up paper towels to keep the mess out of your plumbing.
* NOTE: Before stripping a bathtub set up your box fan to blow fresh air into the room. DO NOT attempt to use paint stripper without using a respirator under any condition.
Floors and walls protected with tape and plastic.
Pour the paint stripper around the sides of the tub.
Stripping refinished bathtub: Using the brush or toilet cleaning mop, spread the paint stripper around the tub. It may take several hours for the stripping agent to attack the coating to scrap off and in some cases only softens the coating enough so it can be scrapped off with a razor blade. Never hurts to test a small area to see what you are up against.
When adding the stripping agent to the tub skirt be mindful not to let the stripper go past your tape line or your shoes will get into the mess and not only track it through out your home, but will also damage wood flooring.
Spread the stripping agent around the coating to be removed.
Allowing 15 to 30 minutes for the chemicals to attack the coating.
Stripping refinished bathtub: Once the coating has bubbled and lifted use the 6″ taping knife to remove the coating.
Even thou you have gloves on stay out of the stripping agent and don’t let the tools get the handles coated. You’ll just spread the stripper all over the place. Act as if you don’t have any gloves on.
Should you have a quality coating on your tub, it may not lift, but will soften enough to use the (Optional) 4″ long handled razor scrapper. And the 1″ razor scrapper in the turns and corners. You may need to finish with the sandpaper once the stripping agent has been removed to completely remove the coating.
If the tub has been done with multiple coatings, you may need to remove each coating separately and apply more paint stripper as needed.
When removing the coating on the tubs outside skirt, collect it quickly and drop into the tubs bottom for collection after you’ve finished. The vapors can penetrate the plastic and damage stuff. Be mindful not to get the toe of your shoes in this as well. I recommend you clean up the lifted coating from the tub skirt and rail first, so as not to get your arm burnt while reaching over the tub to collect the material from the tubs bottom.
Scraping the coating to the tubs bottom,
Collect the removed coating to one side of the tub.
Stripping refinished bathtub: Once you’re happy you got the majority of the old tub coating removed and collected to one side.
Place a 2’x2′ piece of plastic on the tubs bottom on the other side and using the 6″ taping knife collect the mess and drop into the center of the plastic. Pick up the plastic at all four corners and drop into a trash bag and double bag it.
This needs to be removed from the home ASAP and dispose in the garbage. It will dry out over several days and not be a problem.
DO NOT set this down as the vapors WILL penetrate and damage what ever you set it on. Only unpainted cement or ceramic tile will be unaffected.
Collect and drop onto the plastic to remove from the tub.
Using Orange cleaner to remove any stripper slime left over. Then use the Zud/Ajax to remove any tool marks from scrapping.
Stripping refinished bathtub: Rinse,clean and dry the tub, should you still have some remaining coating left on the surface, use the 80 grit sandpaper to complete the job.
Use great care in keeping the stripping agent confined to the taped off area.
Remove the tape & plastic. Rinse and finish the clean up.
Some addition Tips and Advise For Stripping Refinished Bathtub.
You may want to strip the outside tub skirt and tub rail first. Clean up and then do the inside so you don’t accidentally get your belly or arm touching the stripping agent when leaning over the tub.
Again, If being done over or around acrylic surround, vinyl or wood flooring you should double up on tape and plastic and don’t allow the stripper to lay on the plastic for very long as the vapors can penetrate and melt the floor.
Paint strippers come in different grades. You’ll want a polyurethane or epoxy paint stripper. The products at the home centers tend to be homeowner grade. And may work just fine on a poorly done refinishing. These won’t work on a quality job such as trying to remove our coatings.
If you need a professional grade stripper, try going to a Sherwin Williams or any place that services painting contractors and tell them you’re trying to strip off a 2 component epoxy or polyurethane coating. It will probably be labeled as an Aircraft or Marine stripper you’ll need at least 1/2 gallon to one gallon. 1 gallon of professional grade will cost $32 to $36 or so. Stripper is sold in quart or gallon sizes
- Do be careful, this can be dangerous.
- Provide good ventilation, big box fan to help clear the air.
- Don’t get any stripper on you as it will give you a nasty chemical burn.
- Do wear your respirator and eye protection, as the Methyl Ethyl Chloride in the stripper WILL knock you out and can be lethal.
Now you know why we charge $120 to $150 depending on the size of the tub, to provide this service. The materials, safety gear and 1 to 1 1/2 hours of labor.
Steve Drake I wish I had know this before getting my tub done a few months ago. The contractor didn’t strip and tub started peeling with in weeks. Now I know why. Paul what is the typical charge to have the junk on my tub removed by stripping? I need to find a legit contractor in Kansas.
Have a question or comment on stripping refinished bathtub post below, appreciate a LIKE or SHARE and thanks for coming by.
I wish I had know this before getting my tub done a few months ago. The contractor didn’t strip and tub started peeling with in weeks. Now I know why. Paul what is the typical charge to have the junk on my tub removed by stripping? I need to find a legit contractor in Kansas.
Pricing can range from $90 to $150.00 depending on tub size and time to remove the coating. Materials will cost around $35.00 plus tools and respirator. So plan on dropping $80.00 + for a DIY from scratch, without any tools or safety gear. May well be worth it to hire someone who already has the equipment.
Paul, what kind of paint stripper do you recommend and where can I get it? I have been trying to strip the paint off my poorly refinished tub and I must have tried 3 different paint stripper from Home Depot with no luck. Thanks!
The paint stripper should say it’s for Urethane, or Marine/Aviation stripper. If you got a GOOD job the stripper may not REMOVE or LIFT the coating but soften it so it can be shaved off with a 4″ and or 1″ razor blade scraper. We get 95% off this way and finish up with sandpaper, on steel or cast iron tubs we use 80 grit. Good luck and be sure to ventilate the room and use a RESPIRATOR! These product used in a small enclosed room can and WILL kill you.
Hi Paul-
I Used a re-enamel kit from Homax on my tub and I probably shouldn’t have. After I prepped, deep cleaned and scraped old caulk off my white tub, I realized it was actually a nice tub. But I went ahead and re-enameled it anyway. Then everything went wrong including a linty roller so now my tub looks awful. So my question to you is if I strip my tub again will the original finish underneath be ruined? Thank you.
Stripping won’t hurt a steel/enamel or cast iron tub. It will damage an acrylic or fibreglass tub. Paint stripper has been taken off the shelves of home improvement/hardware stores. You need to find an Automotive paint supply store. Likely will have to purchase a gallon of it. Be sure to read my safety recommendations. Paint stripper in a confined space is deadly.
I’m doing a antique barberchair and I need to strip the clear coat off before I Re do it what do you recomend
Hi Luis, surprised it has clear on it… Most of the barber chairs I’ve done where porcelain. But if someone has cleared it then paint stripper would do it for you. Strippers come in different strengths some are gentle and can take a day or so to remove with the stronger ones doing it in just a few minutes. Aircraft or Marine type strippers are going to be the stronger ones. Be sure to use safety equipment and ventilate the area well.
I can I get this off of slate? After will it look like slate?
You may have issues getting it from the pours in the slate. My guess is you’ll have a spotted looking slate, once done. Perhaps a wire brush would help, but the brush can throw paint stripper around.
Yes, I too was searching for a way to strip a porcelain tub, after discovering it had been resurfaced 😤😭. Thank you for posting to benefit others with this problem. Your instructions with pictures are great. I must tackle this task and won’t be happy until the original tub is back to life. I just hope I can get it there. Thank you for stressing how important safety is while doing the task.
How do you remove the ceramic COMPLETELY from the tub? Leaving only bare metal.
No, not at all, etching breaks the glaze on the non-porous surface of enamel or porcelain, providing tooth or mechanical adhesion for the coatings to adhere while the chemical process activates and creates a near permanent bond to the surface. We never try and remove ALL the ceramic coating, we only want to provide TOOTH or a slightly rough surface.
Thanks for the information !
My pink bath tub was spray painted a year ago and the white color is peeling when I take a hot bath.
I have been trying to get rid of the paint coat but am worried that I might damage the porcelain cover if I use a strong stripper? Your advice will be much appreciated!
Thanks again for the useful information.
Oga
Our previously reported tub was stripped by a chain resurfacer company on Tuesday and reposted on Wednesday. When they left hey closed the bathroom door and left he small window open. When I came back to house o. Thursday I went in the bathroom to remove things for painting and after five minutes had a headache and left. Do you think the stripper was still trapped in the room? Would it have all been gone after they resurfaced and I am just bothered by the paint smell? Thank you I am concerned but since you do this professionally was wondering if you could comment on how quickly the actual stripper dissipates (they said they had a fan and ducts taking it out nearby bedroom window). Should I be worried about it in ac ducts?
The solvents used to spray the coating will out-gas for several hours after finishing. Generally a few hours with the window open and getting the air exchanged will take care of it. You may be extra sensitive to the solvent smell. Some folks actually like it… Go figure right? But you should be fine and no worries about the Ducts. If you are still bothered, open up the house and turn on the fan for the heating/AC and let the home exchange the air for a couple of hours. Hope that helps. Paul
Thank you for your response. Much appreciated. Does his apply to the methylene chloride in the stripper they used too? Would that dissipate quickly?
Yes it would Methyl Chloride is dangerous to work with over a tub in a small room, like a bathroom. Proper ventilation and the use of a respirator, while using it, is required. Once the stripper is removed any residue order would dissipate fairly quickly. Sounds as thou you are rather sensitive, no worries, as this process is done thousands of times a day across the land.
Hi,
Thanks for this article! Very helpful. I have a 70’s house that had a brown tub in it. It was painted white when we bought it and the paint on the bottom of the tub started peeling off. I have been able to manually sand all of that off, but the sides and front of the tub still have the white paint in very good shape and it is not coming off with sanding (80 grit). Is it necessary to strip this or can I paint over it with a ‘tubs and tile” type refinishing kit? Thanks for your help!
Well honestly, if it didn’t come off with 80 grit, it’s on there. You can brush some paint stripper on there to remove it. Either way you should be OK. Do finish sanding with 180 or 220 to remove the 80 grit scratches before trying to re-coat. Good luck with your project. Paul Burns
I’ looking for a professional stripping company in my area. Can you supply a name and contact info? I live in Parkersburg, WV 26101
I don’t have any referrals, try searching for Tub Refinishing Company’s in your area, thou many won’t chemically strip these days.
Had a guy from a company come and re glaze our blue bathtub. Charged $600 did two coats of paint using a roller brush. Started on a Friday at 11 am did a second coat Saturday at 12 pm and we ran a bath on Monday night after he said it would be safe. Water is tinted blue rather than clear. Scooped the bath water into our white porcelain sink to check color and it was still tinted blue. Did same procedure a week later with same result. Guy claims he doesn’t know what issue is. Any ideas? We feel it is unsafe to use.
Wow, $600 and rolled it on? Catalyzed coatings won’t bleed like that. He either didn’t use a hardener (catalyst) or some really cheap paint. The whole deal you describe is un-proffesional. As far as safe, as long as you’re not drinking it. But yeah, I doubt it will last very long. Sorry to say, you got a bad deal. The new coating will more than likely need to be chemically stripped off. On a side note, stores are removing paint stripper from the shelves. Only tradesmen who purchases stripper in volume will be able to get it. So many so called refinishers have no transparency about what they are doing. Leaving folks like you, with a bigger problem. You should try a get your money back, or go on-line and let others no about him.
The smell of the products he used was quite strong, like what was described in online articles I read. We had to leave our house for 3-4 hours each time. He claims the blue tinted water is our water, not the tub, but I don’t believe that. I don’t know how I’d go about getting any money back at this point. I feel dumb for being take advantage of. Any tips?
Hi Paul, I have a double drainboard sink I purchased off a picture and when I got it discovered a peeling coating that appears to be a poor enameling job on the surface. This is a cast iron sink with an original porcelain glaze which looks actually pretty good to me, appears the person was trying to cover DIRTY areas instead of missing porcelain and thus the peeling is occurring at the bottom of the sink.
In reading thru your answers I am wondering: can I just put the stripper all over this thing (it is OUTSIDE in my driveway) and let it sit until it does it’s thing and then strip off with a razor stripper and not worry about the vapors since it is outside?
Yes you can, get a paint stripper rated for Urethane. FYI the Big Box stores are discontinuing selling Paint stripper. You may have to go to a professional paint store i.e. Sherwin Williams or an Automotive paint supplier to get the required material. Put down 6 mill plastic to catch any stripper drippings and you may not need the razor scrapper as a poorly done job will lift off with ease. Most “tool” marks left from a razor blade can be removed with ZUD, Spray Nine and a green scrub pad. Good luck and hopefully you’ll find a good looking sink under all that.
Paul, I do appreciated information you provide for the Folks like us. I am loosing my trust o a lot of things people call them self’s a professional these days. Which is most of them are you tube professional. I just hire a guy which he claims with 18 years is experienced and legit web site and sound to good to be through online resume; to replaced my baht tub and sink. My tub was in perfect condition to begin with, I just want it to change color to be white. Well it’s done very poorly I can see a lot of flaws and run of paint with naked eye. Top of that the price I paid for th job it is a heart attack for me the way job get done. Now, how can I fix run of paint and some area looks bubbly to make it smooth an pleasant to naked eye. I am very upset.
Sorry you’re having this problem, make him fix it or redo the tub again. Runs, if small can be repaired if you know how and have the equipment. Otherwise large runs or many of them, the tub should be re-shot. Should the Refinisher not be willing to fix this, you have many recourse’s to pursue with online review sites. I’m sure he won’t want such a negative review posted on Google, Yelp, BBB and Facebook. Good luck, Paul Burns
Thank you in advance
Hi I just ran across this thread and I have a question I hope it’s not too late and you still see this. I’m living in my grandmother’s old house. About 8 years ago she had her tub re done professionally with some sort of new coating because she was getting older and the bottom of her tub was slippery to her. Well during the passed 2 years that I lived here the coating started peeling up on the bottom of the tub and the whole bottom is back to the original coating and since I’m remodeling the house now it’s almost the bathrooms turn. So if I follow your steps to remove the coating will I be ok just to leave it since it looked fine? Or do I have to put some sort new coating on it to protect it?
Once you remove the coating, you’ll be able to tell whether it’s ok or not? If you get any “Tool marks” from scraping the tub during the stripping process you can use a product called Zud to lightly scrub them out with water and a sponge. If the tub is lightly etched you can use a concrete sealer to help keep it looking good. Here is one I recommend, though you’ll have to reapply occasionally. Good luck and be sure to use the safety recommendations I mention. http://aldonchem.com/pr-crystal-glaze.html
Hi Paul,
I tried your recommendation on just part of my house’s original tub and already see great results with only using basic Jasco paint remover from Home Depot. I plan to continue this project, but I was wondering what you would recommend to bring the tub surface back to a nice polished look once I’m done, if it’s even possible. Thanks for all your great advice in this thread, especially in regard to the safety aspects!
Chris
Once stripped, depending on what the surface condition is in? You may not need anything else, to having it refinished and in some cases, you may be able to use a concrete sealer/gloss coat to give it a polished look? But the Sealer would have to be re-applied as needed.
My tub is painted, I believe, with just latex paint! It’s peeling off in sheets in the hot water of the bath. I really like the original color of the tub, light blue, underneath the white latex. I saw online that TSP can dissolve this and I will try it on the inside of the tub. However, I’m thinking on the vertical surfaces, like the outside, the TSP may not be strong enough to stay there and dissolve the paint. Question: Does pain stripper damage the original enamel of the tub?
Hi, James, paint stripper won’t hurt steel enamel or cast-iron tubs, only acrylic or fibreglass will melt. TSP is a strong cleaner and won’t do much to remove latex paint. When stripping latex it gets very soupy. Do sections, so it doesn’t get away from you. Mask well and do the tub skirt and rail and clean up before doing the tubs pit or inner walls. That way you won’t accidentally get it on you. Follow my safety recommendations as using paint stripper in a confined space is lethal. Plug up the tub drain so you don’t get in your plumbing. To help remove the stripper slime, Orange Citrus cleaner works well and rinse with water. Good luck with your project.
Hi, nice reads.
I am about to refinish our tub. Some questions for you, our tub was previously refinished. I have purchased Jasco paint and epoxy stripper and planning to use it. Do i need to acid wash it after?what brand/product do you recommend to acid wash it? Thanks
The etched used is For Professional Use Only. As it is dangerous to use. If you are interested I can provide a Kit which would include a Silane which replaces the etch. In testing I see no difference in adhesion. The kit also includes a bonding primer, topcoat, activator and reducer. You can email me for more information at pburns@bathrenovationhq.com Do you plan to roll on or spray? What experience do you have? Lastly are you sure the tub is not fiberglass/acrylic as stripper will melt the tub.
Hi Paul. I found your post while looking to see if it’s possible to remove a BAAAAAAAAD refinish job on a (I’m pretty sure) cast iron kitchen sink. We just bought a house built in 1989 (don’t think builder grade, cookie cutter…this place was probably really something to behold when it was young). There’s a huge “48” wide 3-compartment black sink. 2 of the compartments are large, one is very small in the center, and has the garbage disposal in it. I’m hoping the description might give you an idea of the material, perhaps. This property uses well water, so I assume over the years the black wasn’t quite as shiny, or had gotten a couple of dings, and the same person who spray painted every single bi-fold door in this place with that faux stone fleck paint that was popular in the 90s, also decided they could “bring the sink back to life” with one of the diy refinishing kits. Whatever they used is peeling and flaking. I thought the sink might have originally been white because that’s what showed up underneath. Then I realized that the white was flecking away and there was more black underneath and that the white was probably primer. That’s when I realized what had been done. Anyway, sorry for the very long-winded post, but can the method you describe here be used on such a sink, or do you know of another that would work on a kitchen sink? Thank you very much for reading all of this!
You can tell if it’s a cast iron sink by tapping on it, and it should sound like a cast iron frying pan, or a magnet will have a slight grab as the porcelain is an insulator. Yes, paint stripper will work. They have taken professional grade stripper off the market due to people killing themselves from poor ventilation and or equipment. Urethane grade stripper can be purchased through automotive paint supply stores or mailed from Benco Paint Stripper company in Tennessee. Except California which has banned sales. Follow my safety procedures listed in my blog post. Good luck with your project.
Help. I had an old, but virtually pristine white Kohler acrylic bathtub. My bathroom renovation contractors did not protect it and scratched the bottom. He said not to worry he would have someone fix it. He had someone paint it, and now it is no longer shiny. It feels rough and has splotches. I was devastated, especially learning that with an acrylic bathtub small scratches could easily have removed with different types of sandpaper. Apparently didn’t even need to be painted at all.. But now that it is painted is there any way to remove the paint without destroying the previously pristine acrylic?
You are correct, it could have been wet sanded and buff back out again depending on how deep the scratches were. Now that it has been painted, and being an acrylic fixture, chemical stripping is no longer possible. I would say the contractor just bought a new tub for you. Contact his insurance company for a claim if he isn’t responsive and if he doesn’t have insurance then I’m sorry to say shame on you for not checking.
Hi Paul. Can I use a heat gun instead of stripper fluid removing old glazing paint from a porcelain bath?
If a Catalyzed product was used to reglaze the tub, a heat-gun will not have any effect on removal of the coating.
Hi Paul, I am in California and from what I’ve read in this thread the Urethane grade stripper you recommenced is banned. Can you recommend an alternative product? The peeling glaze I want to remove is on a tile shower. If it is in decent condition after removal, I’ll leave it alone. If that’s the case, does the tile need a some kind of seal or gloss coat? Thank you in advance.
Hello Teri, yes all professional grade stripper has been banned. Only 5 gallon or larger drums can be purchase from supply houses by professional. The EPA is going after that as well. Though I think the EPA will lose on that one. You really don’t have any other option but to sand it off and have it re-coated or replaced.