Posted by Marty [50.68.51.62] on Friday, October 25, 2013 at 14:22:43 :
In Reply to: OT - Claw Foot Bathtubs posted by 1361213733244NbpHm9 [108.73.30.71] on Friday, October 25, 2013 at 13:04:24 :
Todd,
I've restored old homes for more than 20 years & have lots & lots of experience with vintage tubs & plumbing...some would call it a weird obsession :)
Pay the cost for a perfect tub. There is only one place in North America that can actually re-glaze a tub...the rest are just painted & although they can be made to look descent, you'll pay at least $500 for proper refinishing & it will be needing refinishing forever more every few years. The only time it would ever be a consideration would be if the tub was already installed in the house & it was going to be a huge job to replace it.
Just pay the extra couple hundred & find a perfect tub...they're not rare or hard to find for the regular 5' or 5.5' clawfoot tubs.
Painting a tub is done exactly the same as painting a car. All the work is in the prep & really...you need to sandblast the porcelain before priming to create a profile. There are fly by night outfits that will use acid etc to etch the surface but ultimately the epoxy will peel off in sheets sooner or later...usually sooner :)
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