It should be noted that when it comes to enameling a cast iron bathtub, the effect differs significantly from the enamel applied using the industrial method. For a bath renovation at home, it’s better to use epoxy enamel that essentially paints with improved properties. Its dense texture and resistance to moisture allows it to be used to renew bathtubs.
Stable, durable, and sturdy cast-iron material for many people is considered synonymous with reliability, so such bathtubs are still present in the bathrooms, despite their unsightly appearance.
Mostly cast-iron tubs are covered with a sort of enamel that has a significant drawback of being very fragile, despite its hardness. Any accidental impact, for instance, a bottle falling into the bathtub, leads to cracks.
Moreover, it becomes unpleasant to the touch, in addition to rough and dangerous when chips with sharp edges in the bathtub appear.
More serious impacts could cause chips and material detachments. It becomes difficult to maintain hygiene, and keep the bath clean, as the resulting surface defects get corroded by dirt and rush.
An outdated enamel surface, speckled with small and deep damage, covered with spots and rust, looking sullen spoil the appearance of the entire bathroom, and tub renewal can solve this problem.
Bathtub Enameling Kit
In case the replacement of the tub is not an option, it is possible to improve the appearance of the one that already is installed in the bathroom. There are different ways to do this, each of which has its specificities.
One of the most common and popular methods is to apply a new layer of enamel to the surface. It allows to get rid of visual defects, restore whiteness and shine.
Bathtub Enameling Cost In New York
| Spray-On Application | Pour-On Application | |
| Durability |  1-3 years |
 7-15 years |
| Speed of service | 2-3 days |
Same day |
| Process completion | 5 hours or more |
3-4 hours |
| Odorless | no |
yes |
| Drying Time | 2 days |
24 hours |
| COST | Starting at $259 | Starting at $259 |
- Pour-on ArmoGlaze™ method
- Ready for use in 24 hours
- Odorless, Near Zero VOC
- Pour-on ArmoGlaze™ method
- Ready for use in 24 hours
- Odorless, Near Zero VOC
- Pour-on ArmoGlaze™ method
- Ready for use in 24 hours
- Odorless, Near Zero VOC
Additional Services
| SERVICE | COST |
Caulking
|
$25 |
Removing sliding doors
|
$30 |
Distance surcharge
|
(Varies) |
How to Re Enamel a Bathtub DIY?
Tub enameling is not difficult to perform, but the implementation of each stage of such process requires accuracy and thoroughness. During the work, as well as during the drying period of the surface, residents should leave the apartment, ensuring that the rooms are well ventilated. Before starting working with the bathroom, it’s necessary to disconnect the bathtub from the water supply and sewer system.
Work on enameling a cast iron bathtub begins with the preparation of the surface. A refinisher should remove the old layer of enamel, carefully cleaning it until smooth. They usually do this using sandpaper with an abrasive powder, which turns out neatly but takes a long time.
If you want to speed up, you can use a drill and a special circle as a nozzle. This move will significantly save time but add to the hassle of cleaning. In addition, using a drill, you need to take care of eye protection, so as not to provoke injury.
If there were deep damages on the surface of the bathtub, you need to clean them thoroughly.
At the same time, it is important to make sure that the thickness of the removed layer over the entire area is the same, no depressions or unnecessary relief are formed as the enamel will not be able to smooth it out.
Grinded surface must be carefully cleaned from dust and small fragments of the removed enamel. The tub should be washed and then completely dried, and after all treated with a degreaser.
Epoxy enamel should be applied to the surface of the bathtub in several stages. For application, rollers or brushes are used, which allow you to distribute the material well, without leaving streaks and inaccurate areas.
The first layer, the primer, is applied as thinly as possible, then with an interval of about 20 minutes, you can apply the next layers. The number of enamel layers can be on average from 2 to 4, but you can apply more at will.
It is necessary to remember that the time of complete drying of the treated surface depends on the number and thickness of layers.
At the end of all steps, you just need to wait until the material is completely dry. After that, the bathtub can be connected to the sewer and water supply. Before using the renewal bath for the first time, it should be thoroughly and carefully washed with soap and a soft sponge.
Tub Enameling (Spraying) Pros
Coating with enamel is not a new method of renewing the bathtub, and the material itself is well-known and has been tested in practice numerous times. Epoxy enamel is trusted because it is easy to work with, and the result is always predictable.
With careful use, the enamel layer can last at least 1 year, so you can delay the time of buying a new tub and repairing the room.
To cover the tub with enamel it does not need to be dismantled, that significantly saves time and simplifies the entire process;
Working with epoxy enamel is not difficult. In case of the maximum possible savings all the work can be carried out even without the involvement of a refinisher;
Nowadays enamel is the cheapest material, with which you can update the bathtub. Enameling allows you to save money when it is impossible to avoid restoration of the tub;
The bathtub enameling is a suitable option in cases when you need to refresh the bathroom without big investment. For example, before renting or selling an apartment;
Tub Enameling (Spraying) Cons
Enameling (spraying) a bath is a fairly outdated method of repair, which will help only slightly improve its appearance but will not dramatically affect the situation.
Working with enamel is not difficult, but the process is quite long. The need to apply several layers and wait for a certain period between them requires a lot of time;
Epoxy enamel is a material with a sharp and pungent chemical smell. Always using personal protective equipment is necessary while working with it.
The room should have a constant supply of fresh air. Modern trends in construction and repair exclude the use of such materials, preferring safe and environmentally friendly compositions;
Enameling – the most short-lived updating the bathtub method, existing today. For the enamel coating to last at least a year, very careful use and careful handling are necessary. If children or a large family live in the apartment, the result of enameling will not last long;
It’s not advisable to put metal basins and buckets in the enamel bathtub, drop any objects, or change the water temperature sharply. Enamel is porous, and therefore quickly gets dirty, absorbing dirt and rust. It is advisable to wash the surface after each use to preserve its whiteness for a longer period;
Epoxy enamel takes a very long time to get dry. In comparison with other methods of repair, enamel coating takes the longest period of t time from the beginning of work to the moment when the bathroom can be used.
On average, it takes about a week for the material to completely dry. For a modern person, the most valuable resource is time, so enameling is becoming less and less popular;
Epoxy enamel is not suitable for leveling the surface of the bathtub. The material "falls" into the smallest pores and grooves, creating a relief that is noticeable on closer inspection;
Given the extremely short-lived and unreliable coating that creates epoxy enamel, it is simply impossible to consider it cheap and profitable.
Slightly saving on the purchase of this material, the owner of the apartment will soon have to spend money again on the restoration of the bathtub;
Epoxy enamel is as brittle as powder enamel, which is applied to cast iron in industrial conditions. But there is a significant difference between them-the factory enamel is much thicker and more reliable, while the epoxy one can be damaged even from the lightest impact.
Reviews
5.0/5
Tamanna Talukder
Clifton AndersonTub enameling (spraying) is an outdated repair method that has more disadvantages than advantages. We offer a modern service of renewing tub with liquid acrylic. Pour-on application takes a leading position among other restoration methods. Liquid acrylic has a long service life at a low cost, affordable even with a modest budget. This material allows you to create a perfect surface, returning the bath to whiteness and cleanliness, pleasant smoothness, and bright glossy shine. A bathtub restored with liquid acrylic will look perfect for 7-15 years, which makes this method of repair much more profitable than enamel coating.
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