Comparing Offers for Bathtub Refinishing

a guide for consumers comparing offers for bathtub refinishing. by Joy of St Croix

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OK, so…you need a bathtub refinished or reglazed or whatever it’s supposed to be called, and you pull out your phone and look up “bathtub refinishing or reglazing or whatever you call it”. You scroll for a bit… You like a company’s name so you follow the links that lead you to decide to contact the company. ~ You can afford their price, ~ they have a warranty, ~ they have 100 years of “combined experience”, ~ they can do it next week BAM – your research is done.

Whatever happens next, nightmare or dream, is the best you can expect… because all you expected was a bathtub to be painted for an agreed on price by a person with “100 years of combined experience”.  With expectations like that you might get exactly what you pay for.

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Is bathtub refinishing worth it? Can you answer these questions?

1 – What are your expectations? 2 – What is the tub refinisher actually offering? 3 – Are you being overcharged?

What are your expectations? …are they realistic?

Do you have unrealistic expectations? For some strange reason, a child will always be shocked and disappointed that the ice cream is in a one ounce plastic container with a waxed paper pull tab and a wooden spoon instead of homemade ice cream with fresh fruit in a waffle dish. That’s an unrealistic expectation. On the other hand, when an adult orders what they expect is a full sized Turkish rug and instead they receive a one dollar novelty item, I feel compelled to ask: How much did he pay for the rug…and the cost for shipping a heavy full sized rug? For the price he was paying, what should he have expected? Was it an unrealistic expectation?

If you’re comparing offers for tub refinishing then you already have some expectations, perhaps even subconsciously; but where did you get those expectations from? Are those expectations an average of the information you gathered in your search or are you expecting different levels of service from select companies? What are your realistic expectations for bathtub refinishing in your home?

Expectation # 1 – The Finish

What do you expect a newly refinished bathtub to look like?

The most obvious aspect of a newly refinished bathtub is the finish, but what exactly are you expecting it to look like – a new bathtub or a newly painted bathtub? Do you expect the finish to be “shiny” like how oil on a sidewalk is shiny or how a new penny is shiny? How about reflections? Should the finish just reflect light, or should it reflect images, too? How about dust in the painted finish? Should there be any dust? What about drips, runs, or sags in the painted finish? What is not so obvious about the finish on a bathtub is its purpose – hygiene. The bathtub is a tool to help keep you clean, and you need to clean your tools to maintain their functionality. A smooth to the touch finish is easier to clean than a rough surface where dirt, soap scum, and mineral deposits collect. If a company does not specifically state, in writing, that your finish will be sanded and polished to a mirror-like reflection then you should not expect a mirror-like finish. That would be an unrealistic expectation.

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Will Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More produce a mirror-like reflection on my newly refinished bathtub?

Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More sands and polishes the bathtubs they refinish to produce a mirror-like reflection. This process is labor intensive and takes an additional 6 – 8 hour day.

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Expectation # 2 – The Caulk

Caulk is critical to the lifespan of both the bathtub’s painted finish and the wall. The most important and overlooked aspect of caulk is that it has a limited lifespan – meaning it has to be maintained if you expect it to last and be hygienic.

Do you expect the caulking to be painted over?

Caulking acts as a water seal and an expansion joint. As it gets old it gets hard and loses its flexibility. It shrinks and pulls away from the tub and the wall forming cracks that will allow water in. Water allows bacteria to degrade the edges of the bathtub’s paint. At the same time, the wall degrades with mold and mildew. Besides regular cleaning, you should expect that you will need to repair or replace your caulking at least two to three times in the lifespan of a tub or shower that gets residential family use. If it’s painted over how are you expected to do that?

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What will Joy of St Croix do about the caulking?

Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More never paints over caulking. At the beginning of the project the caulking is removed and the remaining void where the caulking was is thoroughly cleaned out of debris and gunk. The bathtub surface that was covered by the caulk is treated for proper adhesion of the new coatings. The next day, after the new coating is dry, new acyrlic latex caulk is installed. We use acylic latex caulk with Microban rather than silicone for ease of maintenance and repair.

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Expectation # 3 – The Drain

The drain is the weakest spot on a refinished bathtub and is the most likely place for the paint to fail because standing water collects around the circumference of the drain basket. If the newly refinished coating’s edge meets the circumference and works its way under the paint. Paint is weakest where it stops or where it doesn’t have a properly prepared surface to adhere to. If a bathtub refinishing company doesn’t remove the drain before painting the bathtub, then the drain area of the bathtub isn’t being painted…or cleaned or etched or primed or painted. Whether the drain is masked off or painted over or the gap between the drain basket and the tub is filled and caulked, it doesn’t matter – that is the edge of the coating. Water collects around the circumference of the drain basket and works its way under the paint. Bacteria grows in those crevices and begins to degrade the paint making it brittle. Little by little the edges of the paint chip and flake and the coating begins to fail. The solution to this is to prevent water contacting the edges of the paint by covering it with the drain basket. The drain should overlap the paint to create a seal – any other method is creating a seam that can separate and create an edge for water to collect. Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More process is to remove the old drain basket, refinish the bathtub, and install a new drain basket. The take-away is this: “The drain is the weakest spot on a refinished bathtub and is the most likely place for the paint to fail”…

Do you expect the drain to be painted over? (on your newly refinished bathtub)

The average bathtub refinishing company will paint over the drain because it saves time and material.

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Do you you expect a fake drain cover to be glued on? (onto your newly refinished bathtub)

Some companies will claim that they’re installing a brand new drain basket when all they’re doing is gluing a cover on. This is actually worse than simply painting the drain basket because there is more areas for water to gather and bacteria to grow.

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Do you expect a brand new drain? (with your newly refinished bathtub)

Joy of St Croix does not paint over drains nor do we glue fake covers on. Joy of St Croix – Tub Repair and More will remove the drain basket, remove any rust, and repair damage to the drain area if required. Repair charges may apply if the damage to the drain area is a published repair service. Repair services in conjunction with refinishing services may be eligible for a discount; repairs that are not eligible are those that extend the project to another day, e.g., floor and drain rebuilding .

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A short FAQ review of WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTAIONS?

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Next page: What is the refinisher actually offering?