Re-Glazing A Bathtub

A Step-by-Step Guide to Re-Glazing your Bathtub

Christopher Smith

Can you honestly say there’s any experience in life that’s more relaxing than taking a leisurely soak in the tub? However, if your tub is dirty, rusty, and just plain tacky-looking, a long bath will probably be the last thing you’ll want. When you see these things happening to your bathtub, you’ll want to consider re-glazing your tub. By doing a re-glaze you can cover up a multitude of blemishes making your old tub look just as good as new again without a costly tub replacement.

There are a few steps you need to take before starting the process of re-glazing your tub. To begin with, cover everything in the bathroom which you can’t remove, such as sinks, cabinets, and the toilet, using plastic or newspapers and masking tape. This will keep you from accidentally spraying any of the glazing materials onto these fixtures. Use drop cloths on the floors. You’ll also want to make sure that you can ventilate the room well, because you won’t want to breathe in the dust and toxic fumes generated by the project.

Another procedure you’ll need to perform prior to re-glazing will be to remove the existing caulking and then clean the entire surface area of the tub with an industrial cleaner. Once this is done you’ll be read to sand the surfaces in order to make the glaze stick. Wash the sanded areas with hydrofluoric acid and allow it to set. Once this is done you should rinse the tub with cold water. You may need to vacuum the tub area at this point to remove any dust or debris.

Once you’ve cleaned everything thoroughly, it’s time to use body filler to fill in any chipped or worn places in the tub. Follow the instructions on the filler package in order to apply it correctly. Allow it to dry completely, sand it smooth, and remove dust from the surface with a tack cloth. When the tub is ready, it’s time to primer it. Allow the primer to dry and then apply the glaze using a spray gun. Since glazes are available in a number of different colors, you can choose the one that will look best with your bathroom décor. Let the glaze dry for at least 48 hours before replacing the caulking. After the caulk has cure, you’ll be able to use your newly-refurbished tub.

If you’d rather not do all of the re-glazing work yourself, you will be able to find a professional who will be glad to do the job for you. Of course, hiring anyone will be more expensive than doing the work yourself, but if you aren’t real confident about your own handyman skills, it may be worth the extra expense to get the job done right.

As you can see, you don’t have to be a professional contractor in order to re-glaze your bathtub, and it’s going to cost you much less to do the work on your own. As long as you have the right materials, take the safety precautions you need to take, and work carefully, there’s no reason you can’t re-glaze the tub yourself. However, if you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to ask for the professional help you need.