Refinish Your Old Bathroom

There comes a point in redecorating your bathroom when a fresh coat of paint or new wall coverings just aren’t enough. To get the look you really want, the avocado green bathtub and pink tiles simply have to go.

Replacing old fixtures like the tub, sink and tile can be expensive and difficult. But even if you’re remodeling on a budget, you don’t have to live with old or ugly fixtures any longer.

If the surfaces are made of porcelain, ceramic tile, fiberglass, acrylic, cultured marble or laminate, you can now update your bathroom and save time and money.

“The key to a good refinishing job is the process of cleaning, preparing and bonding. These are the most important steps in order for the new finish to stick to the old surface,” said Chuck Pistor, president of Miracle Method, a retailer of refinishing solutions.

Why Refinish?

• To Save Money: If you want a new look for your bathroom, but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars remodeling, then refinishing is your best value. Replacing the bathtub alone can cost as much as $3,000.With refinishing, you only pay a small fraction (as little as 10 percent) of the cost of replacement. And anyone who has ever replaced the tiles or sink in their bathroom knows the mess and hassle of demolition, as well as the hole it can put in their wallet.
• To Save Time: Refinishing a tub can take as little as four hours. You can shower or bathe the very next day. Replacing a tub, however, can take weeks, when you factor in the time to rip out your old tub, install a new one, let caulking dry, and readjust or replace plumbing. With many homes having only one bathtub, weeks of delay are not affordable, practical or convenient.

• Durability: Refinished tubs or ceramic tiles can easily last 15 to 20 years or more with proper maintenance. A new porcelain bathtub may last a few years longer, but the cost of replacement is nearly triple what it would cost to refinish. Not only is refinishing more cost-effective, but refinishers are also able to provide extras, such as slip-resistant surfaces and custom colors.Judith from Easthampton, Mass., is still satisfied with the look and feel of her refinished tub. “It’s been approximately 14 years — my tub still looks good and is easy to clean. Before refinishing it was pitted, porous and impossible to clean.”Refinishing is also great for repairing small chips and cracks, making it ideal for fixtures that are otherwise in good condition. Professional restoration companies like Ultimate Reglaze guarantee their work, so be sure to ask about warranties when shopping for a refinisher.

• AestheticsBecause refinishing can match nearly any color, you can change that avocado green tub to a color you really like — even white.Since most of us have purchased previously owned homes that were decorated according to someone else’s preferences, it’s probably not exactly the way you’d like it to be. Now you can change that 1970s color scheme in just a few hours. And at a savings of up to 90 percent of the cost of replacement, it’s a hard value to beat. Not only will your bathtub look great, but it will also feel silky smooth!

When looking for the right refinisher for your bathroom-remodeling project, remember to do a little research.

“Refinishing is a great process if it is done with the right materials and techniques, but all refinishing is not the same so be sure to ask the right questions. Ask how long the company has been in business and ask for references,” Pistor said.

Courtesy of ARA Content‘