Instead of spending your money for a bathtub — notably an old cast-iron claw-foot bathtub or an bathtub — you can fix it yourself. If you are aware of how to paint furniture or walls to make them seem good, you ought to be able to refinish your bathtub to give a look to it once you fix the hole. Hire a bathtub refinisher if you’re unsure about tackling such a job — or purchase a bathtub and use the older one as yard or garden art after completing it.
Prepare the Work Area
Remove all of the hardware you intend to refinish. Detach overflow grill and escutcheon plates , warm and cold faucet handles, the drain and the bathtub spout. Cover the ground round the bathtub with dropcloths. A utility knife will be able to help you slice through outdated bathtub caulking. Use putty knife or a blade to lever under nonslip strips and eliminate strips or all nonslip .
Tub and Safety Preparation
Wash the bathtub with product and an abrasive scrubber to eliminate rust debris, soap residue, hard water deposits and bath oils from every area of the bathtub outside and inside. Maintain a putty knife useful to remove old rust or paint debris. Take precautions from inhaling dust before you begin sanding and cleaning, because some tubs may contain lead. Wear a National Institute for Safety and Health face mask to filter out toxins and particles. The area around the bathtub with a vacuum which contains a wet mop, along with a high-efficiency particulate air filter.
Repair the Hole
The procedure you need to utilize to fix it is determined by the dimensions of the gap. Fix holes no larger using a epoxy resin and hardener. Larger holes may need a epoxy putty from opening under the water weight to keep the gap. Paint over small holes with all the epoxy resin. For larger holes, cut the amount of putty that you need to cover the gap. Knead the putty before it retains. Shape it slightly larger than the gap, and press into position. Let the product dry and cure according to the manufacturer’s directions, normally about an hour or two, prior to drilling or trimming.
Refinish the Tub
Ventilate the room thoroughly. Wipe the bathtub down and then sand it with 400- to 600-grit wet-dry sandpaper. By wetting the sandpaper, dust is kept to a minimum. So that the new finish will adhere, etch the entire surface of the bathtub with all the sandpaper. Sand the area to make it as smooth as possible, as it ought to mix in with the remainder of the tub. After sanding, and wiping dust debris away, mix and use the refinish material of your choice using a paintbrush, roller or paint sprayer, which amounts naturally as it cures. Let the bathtub dry and cure for at least 24 to 72 hours or longer, depending upon the item, temperature and humidity, per the directions that came with the item.