(This article was re-created on this site due to the Baltimore Sun & Chicago Tribune policy on charging for views to archived articles. A hard copy is located at our office)
Interview with Porcelain Tub Restorations
The ABCs of bathtub refinishing
When it comes to refinishing a bathtub, there are many options -but it probably is better to leave it to a professional.
Nicks? Chips? Peeling finishes?
2 pros weigh in on DIY solutions
For guidance, I turned to industry experts Paul Burns, president of Porcelain Tub Restorations in Bowie, Md. and Emily Sayles-co-owner of Miracle Method of Central Ohio in Columbus, both highly rated on Angie’s List.
Several sizable strips of finish, one more than an inch long, have disappeared from the floor of the tub, leaving evidence of a lower layer of sea-foam green and a base of conventional white.
What’s a homeowner to do? The options range from tub replacement, which can cost more than $3,500, to do-it-your-self refinishing kits that cost as little as $23.
There’s also re-lining, in which a custom plastic or acrylic insert goes over the top of the tub, giving it a brand-new look for about $1400.00 to $1700.00.
Like many old-house lovers, I wanted to maintain the vintage look of my bathroom and guard the balance in my checkbook, so I knew I wanted to go with DIY bathtub refinishing or professional refinishing.
A $400 to $700 procedure would involve preparing the tub surface, making repairs, and then applying bonding agents and a new finish.
Both advised against the DIY route.
“it’s one remodeling job that is not a do-it-yourselfer,” says Sayles. “The material and the safety equipment that’s required for professional tub refinishing it’s not $50 off the shelf.”
Burns a Super Service Awarded and A-Rated on Angie’s List since joining was a little more sanguine, saying “some folks have some success” with DIY kits, but it’s hard to do the job right without professional prep and application equipment.
If Sayles were refinishing my bathtub, she would charge about $465 plus a $150 stripping fee to remove the DIY refinishing job, for a total of $615.
She would use chemicals to strip off the old finish, remove the caulk from around the bathtub, repair chips, scratches, and minor rust, wipe on a bonding agent, apply two coats of acrylic primer with a high-volume, low-pressure spray gun, and then apply three coats of acrylic urethane. The process takes about 4 hours.
The next day, workers would *buff and re-caulk the bathtub. It would look like new, she says, and odds are, I’d be thrilled.
“Nine out of 10 clients are just like, Wow!’ “She says” But to be quite honest, you’re always going to get that person who literally takes lamps and flashlights into the tub (to inspect it).
We’re just like, “Do you bathe with that”? She said her company works hard to address such client concerns and has maintained an “A” rating on Angie’s List for 10 years.
Refinishing takes about 3 to 5 hours, he says, and the tub can be used the next day.
The price ranges from $425 to $525 for refinishing plus an additional $120 to remove that pesky DIY finish.
If I needed drain and overflow replacement that would be extra. The new finish can last 10 to 15 years and is guaranteed for five, he says.
And Burns, who offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, says the response from customers is extremely good. ‘We do 250 tubs a month, and last year we got three requests for a refund,” he says.
If you want to get your tub refinished, Burns suggests choosing carefully to find a licensed business with proper insurance and a good record with the Better Business Bureau Customer review services such as Angie’s List can also be helpful.
He says there are so many start-up companies that are totally unqualified using fake license info, underinsured, often boosting a low price, exaggerated guarantees, and changing their names often to avoid the complaints.
This is a trade where the client should exercise careful choice. The majority of complaints are from underpriced contractors, Caveat emptor.
(This article was re-created on this site due to the Baltimore Sun & Chicago Tribune policy on charging for views to archived articles. A hard copy is located at our office)
