Bathtub Refinishing
BATHTUB REGLAZING / REFINISHING – Call (808) 554-1570 to schedule a free estimate!
Get a European-styled Arc™ curved shower rod professionally installed ($199 value) for only $99 with any refinishing service ($149 if we have to drill through tile). Click HERE for details.
This is our most popular service. If you are considering bathtub or tile resurfacing, you should read our article on CHOOSING A REFINISHER and also a case study we wrote on correcting a POOR REFINISHING JOB.
Sink, tile, and bathtub reglazing developed as an industry over 30 years ago as a very cost effective and time saving measure over gutting and replacement. Reglazing, Resurfacing, and Refinishing all mean the same thing and basically describes the process of installing a new surface over the carefully cleaned and prepared existing surface. The major benefits are:
- Huge cost savings over replacement – By refinishing your bathtub, you will save unnecessary costs that will allow you to upgrade many other areas.
- Huge cost savings over any type of liner system, which often also causes many other problems down the road
- Fast – The average bathtub job takes 3.5-5 hours. Using our fast cure method, your tub is ready for use within only 2-3 hours. Our commercial grade resin-based coating is usually ready to use the following night.
Refinishing sometimes has a bad reputation because there are many substandard providers out there. NOT ALL BATHTUB REFINISHING IS THE SAME. 70% of the work is the preparation. Poorly trained or lazy operators will save time during the crucial prep stage and/or use inferior coatings & supplies. If a step is skipped, it could easily have disastrous results such as complete failure of the finish. Other common problems include “orange peel” where there is inconsistent gloss, “runs” which look like drips in the finish, and “sags” which are areas of the coating which are too thick, but did not turn into a run. We do not rush, we do not skip steps, and we use the absolutely best products formulated specifically for bathtub reglazing available on the market. The end result is the highest quality refinishing service available in Hawaii.
What are your methods?
We have three primary refinishing methods:
- High durability resin-based commercial grade coating (our preferred coating)
- 2-Hour Quick Cure “Low VOC” bathtub reglazing coating
- Eco-Glaze bathtub reglazing coating
Selecting a coating is pretty easy. If you can wait at least 24 hours, we high recommend our commercial resin-based coating due to its inherent durability. If you can not wait this long, the 2 hour cure might be an option. The resin-based coating is more durable and costs the same as the 2 hour cure. If you have poor ventilation or have a respiratory problem, our eco-glaze is a good option.
The commercial resin, when fully cured, is far more durable than ANY residential grade coating. This coating is what we use in hotels and apartment complexes. Marriott International recently selected it to be the only coating allowed for use in all their corporate owned hotels worldwide. This coating is rated for 24/7 underwater submersion (for example, for use on swimming pools, oil rigs, water parks, etc) so ordinary bathtub use is a fairly mundane use for this product. The tougher the coating, the longer it will last.
All About Acid Etching
There are two ways to make a new finish adhere to the existing bathtub: physical and chemical. Physical adhesion involves roughing up the existing surface so that the new surface has something to stick to. With porcelain bathtubs, the only way to do this is with acid etching. Normally an epoxy primer is applied directly on top of the newly deglossed surface. With chemical adhesion, a molecular bonding primer is used to join the new surface with the old.
Some companies make a big deal about “acid etching” used in the preparation for bathtub reglazing. They do this to try to steer you toward their “spray less refinishing” methods (which we also offer). Other companies will tell you they do not need to etch because they use a silane-based wipe on primer which creates a chemical bond. Unfortunately their use of scare tactics has led to a lot of confusion and we get many questions about this topic.
The problem with wipe on primers is long term reliability and durability of the coating. Since the surface of the tub is still relatively smooth, if the chemical bond fails, there’s nothing for the coating to grip to. Over the years, we’ve learned that chips at the bottom of tubs that have had application of a wipe on primer are much more likely to start coating failure than a tub that has been etched, then primed using an epoxy bonding agent – the old school way.
Recent advances in etching compounds have resulted in chemicals that are so safe, we don’t even need to wear gloves and a respirator when we apply them. This, combined with the inherent durability benefits of using the etching/epoxy primer combo is why we etch nearly all porcelain tubs. It may take us more time to do, but in the end we know the job is done in the way that provides the absolute best bond and it will be extremely unlikely that we will ever have to go back to fix something.
Drain Trim Kits:
If you have an ugly drain, you have several options. Depending on the material, we might be able to polish it up at no extra charge. If there is pitting or the chrome is coming off, one option is to sand it, then glaze it white with the tub. The third option is our drain kits. For more information on these CLICK HERE
Bathtub prior to refinishing.
Bathtub after refinishing.
Bathtub prior to refinishing.
Bathtub after refinishing.
