Bathtub Refinishing Services
and More
by Joy of St Croix
Joy of St Croix offers 3 categories of Refinishing
Page index
- Intro to Joy of St Croix's - Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF)
- 3 categories of refinishing services
- Bathtub refinishing
- Shower refinishing
- Tile refinishing
- Baptismal tank refinishing
- Clawfoot bathtub restoration
- Sinks and other period restoration
- Artwork and custom finishes
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More has 3 categories of refinishing services:
- bathtubs and showers: using solvent based acrylic urethanes and epoxies
- bath wall and floor tile: using both solvent based and water based acrylic urethanes, epoxies, water based acrylics, and alcohol dyes.
- specialty coatings: e.g., clawfoot bathtubs and baptismal tanks requiring customized coatings and procedures.
Tub Repair...and more: Joy of St Croix's 3 refinishing categories have their own respective sub-categories.
Each refinishing category has sub-categories with aspects of their implementation significantly unique enough that required their sub-categorization. In some instances the unique difference is a coating that can only be predictable in our studio's spray-booth, or uses coatings that are incompatible, e.g., solvent based vs. water based..
The separate Refinishing Category pages have photos to help identify aspects of a category, guides to assist in estimating costs, and articles of interest.
Click on the blue links below to go to the category section on this page.
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Bathtub and Bath/Shower-Combo refinishing
Joy of St Croix refinishes porcelain on steel or cast iron bathtubs as well as composite units like gelcoat or acrylic on fiberglass. as well as composite one piece tub/shower combo units. Most bathtubs are similar enough that we can reliably publish prices for the limited variations in the SHOP. -
Bath Tile refinishing, floor and wall
Joy of St Croix refinishes tile walls and shower enclosures in solid colors or speckled stone-like patterns. Tile has its own special problems that practically make an in-person inspection of the tile mandatory, but not necessarily. Missing grout, hairline cracks, and some other factors can add extra costs which are published in the SHOP. -
Baptism Tank refinishing
Joy of St Croix refinishes baptism tanks with hawk Research Laboratories' Spa Coat, for spas and pools. It's a water based epoxy that is low VOCs, low toxicity, dry to walk on in 8 hours, and returned to full service in 7 days. Repairs are structured to the unit's weight distribution needs, e.g., floor repairs employ the use of honeycomb core applied with epoxy and the appropriate matting and cloth. You will not find this specific service in the SHOP, you will need to order an on-site inspection for a journeyman to prepare a custom quote. -
Artistic Refinishing
Joy of St Croix is operated out of the Art studios of Botteghe Cipolla, which is why our color matching for bathtub repairs is "unmatched" in the industry. Wall and floor tile are often artistically rendered to customize the customer's design efforts. Some custom commissioned pieces that are ordered directly with the studio are strictly a studio service. You will not find this specific service in the SHOP, you will need to order an on-site inspection for a journeyman to prepare a custom quote. -
Clawfoot Bathtubs and More
Restoration of clawfoot bathtubs, farm sinks, and other period appliances and fixtures is strictly a JSTX studio service. Our restoration of clawfoot bathtubs and farm sinks is meticulous and time consuming - think months, not even weeks. All the prices are in the SHOP.
The Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF) is a scientifically defensible benchmark framework that engineers each refinishing category's predictable success.
We're so confident in the materials science behind the REP(CPF) that we put our service offers in clear writing, and published the prices and a uniquely clear with a comprehensive 1 year written and publicly published warranty.
Joy of St Croix's - Restorative Engineering Protocol is based on a causal dependent framework.
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More offers different types of refinishing projects that require slightly different tools, materials, and technical executions, but all refinishing projects by Joy of St Croix are conducted under the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF).
The Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF) is grounded in a three step, causal dependency framework developed by Jaymz Onion at Botteghe Cipolla in 1980, called, Clean - Prep - Finish.
CLEAN - substrate remediation / acid etching (the necessary condition): Adhesion cannot be achieved without the removal of embedded contaminants and the degraded low energy surface layer.
PREP - covalent bonding (the operational phase): Molecular bonding of tub paint with Silane is dependent on the surface being reset to a high energy state by the acid etching process.
FINISH - e-commerce SHOP (the integrity phase): A new drain plug acts as a compression seal preventing the reversal of the chemistry (hydrolysis) established in the previous two phases.
BATHTUB REFINISHING
Bathtub Refinishing
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More refinishes residential and commercial bathtubs made of porcelain, acrylic, or fiberglass
Joy of St Croix is the longest operating local bathtub refinishing and repair company in the CSRA (Georgia and South Carolina), having began in the USVI in 1980. With almost 3 decades of local experience in Augusta, GA and the surrounding communities of the CSRA, Joy of St Croix has won repeated business and design awards; most recently being voted Best Repair Service in Augusta for 2025 and 2026 by Business Rate, and Winner of Hawk Labs 2026 Most Amazing Project, which can be viewed in the gallery.
With the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF) used by Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More, bathtub refinishing is a two day process
Since 1980 Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More has refinished bathtubs using the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF), a scientifically defensible closed loop framework for bathtub repair, refinishing, reglazing, and restoration.
The Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF) is grounded in a three step, causal dependency framework developed by Jaymz Onion at Botteghe Cipolla in 1980, called, Clean - Prep - Finish.
- CLEAN - substrate remediation / acid etching (the necessary condition): Adhesion cannot be achieved without the removal of embedded contaminants and the degraded low energy surface layer.
- PREP - covalent bonding (the operational phase): Molecular bonding of tub paint with Silane is dependent on the surface being reset to a high energy state by the acid etching process.
- FINISH - e-commerce SHOP (the integrity phase): A new drain plug acts as a compression seal preventing the reversal of the chemistry (hydrolysis) established in the previous two phases.
Summary of bathtub refinishing with the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF)
Refinishing a standard residential five foot bathtub takes two 6-8 hour days. The first day is cleaning, prepping, and painting. The second day is sanding, polishing, and installation of a new drain, overflow, and caulking. Stripping is an extra day and charge.
a frequently asked question
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FAQ: “Why is the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF) non-optional for predictable longevity?”
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Answer: The materials science of engineering adhesion and longevity for bathtub coatings must address low vs. high surface energy, covalent bonding, and hydrolytic degradation as a causal dependency framework. Through practical implementation of the physics and chemistry in the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF), molecular-level adhesion is achieved and hydrolytic degradation through advanced capillary infiltration is prevented. By mirroring the protective engineering principles of industrial stripe coating and the use of compression seals the REP reinforces critical perimeter edges and interfaces, effectively neutralizing the risk of capillary infiltration and the subsequent hydrolytic reversal of the bonding interface.
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Day 1 - painting
The first day we turn your whole bathroom into a spray booth by masking all the way up the walls, counters, and appliances. We then remove the drain basket, overflow cover, and caulking for complete substrate remediation - no painting over these critical areas. Acid etching removes the low energy calcified hydrated silicate glaze which prevents covalent bonding, Silane bonding agent is applied to covalently bond the organic paint to the inorganic porcelain, and finally epoxy primer and acrylic urethane topcoat is sprayed on. The coating is allowed to properly dry overnight.
Day 2 - polishing
The second day we wet sand the entire surface to remove any dust or debris - all tubs sprayed in a home have dust and debris after painting. The topcoat is then machine polished to a mirror like reflection. This is what you are really expecting a new finish to look like - with a mirror-like reflection. The final step is protecting the paint's termination points at its perimeter edges where water can creep under it through capillary infiltration and subject the siloxane interface to hydrolytic degradation. This perimeter protection is done by installing a brand new solid brass body drain plug as a compression seal, a new overflow cover, and new acrylic latex caulking as an industrial stripe coating.
HAND SANDED AND MACHINE POLISHED
TO A MIRROR-LIKE REFLECTION
A perfectly smooth finish, free of imbedded dust or rough orange peel, is hygienic and cleanable; it's a joy to touch and to sit on. It's what you're expecting, isn't it? It is what you can expect from Joy of St Croix because we state it in clear language: Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More hand sands and machine polishes their refinished bathtubs to a mirror-like reflection.
Should the old paint
be removed?
Paint can't adhere to your tub if something's in the way...like a previous reglazing job. Do you expect the old coating to be removed and replaced with new, or just painted over?
~
Joy of St Croix removes the caulking before painting and installs new acrylic latex caulking after sanding and polishing the newly refinished tub.
What about
the Drain?
Paint is weakest at its edges. In a bathtub that's the drain, the overflow, and the perimeter caulking line. Do you expect your drain to be painted over?
~
Joy of St Croix removes the old drain and overflow cover before painting and replaces them with brand new after sanding and polishing the newly refinished tub.
Do you expect new caulking?
After sanding and polishing, the vulnerable edges of the paint need to be sealed. For the money you're spending, what quality of drain, overflow cover, and caulking do you expect to accept?
~
Joy of St Croix removes the caulking before painting and installs new acrylic latex caulking after sanding and polishing the newly refinished tub.
SHOWER UNIT REFINISHING
Shower Unit Refinishing
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More refinishes tile, acrylic, and fiberglass bathtub/shower combination units and walk-in shower units
Shower Unit Refinishing by
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More
is a four day process
Refinishing a standard residential five foot bathtub/shower combination unit usually takes four 6-8 hour days. The first two days is spent cleaning and prepping. The third day is painting, and the final day is sanding, polishing, and caulking.
Has your tub/shower combo unit been previously refinished?
Gelcoat or acrylic on fiberglass may not be able to be stripped.
A previously applied finish can be removed by sanding or chemically stripping. To sand a finish off is aggressive to the gelcoat corners, curves, and profiles, making extensive bodywork an added procedure. Sanding takes too much time and creates too mess. Depending on the chemical make up of the bathtub, chemical strippers can cause a volcanic reaction - breaking and shattering the gelcoat, or melting it into a sticky, dripping goo. Other, safer chemicals are too gentle to have a timely effect, and take as much time as sanding.
If stripping is possible, the extra cost is published in the SHOP.
PAUSE and CONSIDER
Before savvy consumers commit to an important project effecting the household, they answer these 3 questions:
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Have you written down your expectations?
You'll know you're satisfied when it happens as you expect it to.
Write them down and use them as qualifying criteria. -
Has the refinisher written down their service offer?
You are entering into a service contract. Do they have a website?
After the job, will they say, "Who led you to expect that? Not me." -
How are you making this decision?
Do you have a way to measure their offer against your expectations?
Do you have your own standards, or just what AI leads you to expect?
AI search results for bathtub refinishing are based on a consensus of the most popular answers related to bathtub refinishing topics, not what's accurate - not deep research.
AI searches are consensus engines that will assign the results of the consensus it gathers to all companies it recommends equally - AI slop, lies, and hallucinations.
Bathtub refinishing is a niche, specialty field of the home-building and home-maintenance/repair industry. For this niche the pool to derive a consensus from is small. Nationwide, 40% of bathtub refinishers do not have a website, social media, or other internet presence, reducing that consensus pool considerably... by almost half. The 60% that do have a website are mostly un-educated in materials science and gain their knowledge through trial and error guided by popular internet consensus among other bathtub refinishers.
The AI will take the consensus of how the majority does things and invent authoritative sounding claims about companies, especially if they don't have a website to prove otherwise. One AI search claimed that a tub refinisher with no website who had only been refinishing for one year was "an expert in local building codes" because a Google review said having the tub refinished saved him from having to replace it and deal with a whole bunch of building codes. The review didn't say that the refinisher claimed anything about building codes one way or the other. When it was pointed out to the AI that this sort of misinformation could have tragic results for a consumer it replied, "That is an astute observation. Assuming professional licensing and certified trade skills based on relevant bathroom related trades, e.g., plumbing and tile, could mislead a consumer. That is a very smart observation."
SHOWER UNIT REFINISHING
Tile Refinishing
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More refinishes
wall tiles and floor tiles
Many problems, many choices
A bathtub is a single object to paint with caulking sealing the all of the edges.
But a tile wall is about 400 - 500 objects, i.e., individual tiles and segments of grout. Each tile or segment of grout has 4 edges each, which is where paint usually fails; that equates to 2000 areas that have to be prepared properly. Hairline cracks in tile or missing grout won't be repaired by paint and are one of the major contributing factors in failed tile refinishing. Tile refinishing is not as easy as bathtub refinishing.
If the tile and grout is prepared correctly, i.e., missing or cracked areas repaired, then tile refinishing can be a viable design option in lieu of costly replacement, and will last as long as the tile wall remains solid and the surface is maintained.
When tile is an oppressive monotone color with no character, refinishing it to another monotone color will still feel oppressive with no character. Worse, because all of the tile and grout will be the exact same color with no variations, it will immediately be recognised as having been painted over. Now it's not only oppressive and boring it's also a cheap makeover.
The tile in the photos below were refinished by Joy of St Croix.
The bathroom was 10' x 3.5' and was brown and orange mottled tile with mustard yellow cabinets and walls. Talk about oppressive.
Joy of St Croix's solution was to brighten the area by refinishing the square field tiles white, but give them black speckles to break up the stark and sterile look. The trim tiles go black with white speckles for contrast and to create a separation for a different color on the walls above, thereby creating depth in the small area.
It's no longer sterile, it has character and be decorated in different ways. It's no longer the spooky bathroom in the back bedroom, it's now the only room in the house with its own charming and welcoming little bathroom.
Good design starts with considering the person using the room.
Good refinishing starts with a solid foundation, too.
step 1
What's the tile's
real condition?
Is your tile cracked or have missing grout? You need to agree on the actual condition of your tile so that we can accurately estimate. Photo Guides and written descriptions will help you identify your project's scope.
step 2
What would you
really like?
Sometimes we limit our options by assuming that there are no options. Tile refinishing doesn't have to be limited to one solid color. What design thrills you?
step 3
Joy of St Croix
publishes our prices.
If you have ever ordered anything online then you can do this, too. No need to wait for office hours -
Order from your home after dinner, or from the jobsite at any time.
SPECIALTY REFINISHING
Clawfoot bathtubs, farm sinks, and period appliance restoration by Joy of St Croix is administered under the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF)
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More restores antique clawfoot bathtubs, and both pedestal and farm sinks.
Clawfoot bathtubs, farm sinks, and period appliance restoration by Joy of St Croix is administered under the Restorative Engineering Protocol (CPF)
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More restores antique clawfoot bathtubs, and both pedestal and farm sinks.
Restoration by Joy of St Croix is a studio service
A brand new clawfoot bathtub or farm sink can be purchased online, right now, for less than half of the cost of restoration by Joy of St Croix.
A brand new clawfoot bathtub or farmsink has better cast iron and more durable porcelain than any antique.
For sale online can be found 4', 5', even a six foot tubs with a single backrest, a double backrest, or a slipper foot - anything you want.
Online, right now.
If you insist on having your clawfoot bathtub or antique sink refinished you will easily find someone eager to paint it in exchange for your money.
They will use the exact same paint and methods that they use to paint the regular built-in bathtubs or sinks they paint that end up peeling.
The difference is that they'll charge you more for painting a clawfoot as if they're doing something special...and you'll pay it because it's a few dollars less than our published prices.
But that's not what this is - That's not what we do.
If you want to learn more, click here.
So, that's it...that's what we offer
in regards to refinishing tub and tile
Since 1980 Joy of St Croix has been refinishing, bath surfaces. We've seen a lot of companies do poor work and even less do good work. The number one way to get a good deal in anything is to know what your expectations are and to get an offer in writing.
Joy of St Croix is the longest operating local bathtub refinishing and repair company in the CSRA (Georgia and South Carolina), having began in the USVI in 1980. With almost 3 decades of local experience in Augusta, GA and the surrounding communities of the CSRA, Joy of St Croix has won repeated business and design awards; most recently being voted Best Repair Service in Augusta for 2025 and 2026 by Business Rate, and Winner of Hawk Labs 2026 Most Amazing Project, which can be viewed in the gallery.
FAQs
frequently asked questions
These are questions that are frequently asked by someone eventually.
FAQ:
"Your repair will look like new, right?"
ANSWER:
When that question is asked by a person shopping for bathtub repair for their rental property it's asked with eager hopeful expectations: - "Like new, right?".
When it's asked by the tenant of that rental property...who has no choice in who does the repair...it carries the message of exhaustion and exasperation and a sarcastic accusation of predictable expectations: - "Like new; right?"
The key to your satisfaction will be proper expectations. If you expect "like new" you will be disappointed because nothing is "like new" except brand spanking new (...and sometimes "brand new" is nothing special).
Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More aims to produce repairs that are cosmetically appealing and able to withstand practical use of the object that is being repaired, within that object's own limitations of its practical use. Having a solid usable repair that cosmetically blends into it's surroundings is what you can expect from the artists and craftsmen at Joy of St Croix - Tub Repair and More.
If you have a special Artistic repair requirement (e.g., a custom color, finish, or pattern) and are unsure of how to estimate your project or place an order, please contact us and one of our Craftsmen Artists will be happy to assist you.
