The short answer is yes. Traditional baths are made of metal or cast iron and these can definitely be reglazed. The newer tubs today are made of fiberglass or acrylic which most people think is plastic.
But do not resurface any baths made of acrylic or fiberglass if you have any of the following problems.
The foundation is not solid
You should never refinish the bath if the foundation isn’t solid. If you hear a lot of cracking noises at the bottom of your bath then this is a possible sign that the foundation is weak.
When the original contractor installed the tub they may not have installed it properly. If you paint a bath with a weak foundation, the paint may crack eventually and you will be left with the same problem.
You have a big hole that goes through the tub
Never refinish a tub that has a large hole. There are ways to seal and close the hole using fiberglass material. One possible problem you may encounter is water infiltration. This can cause mold. It may also create water buildup below without you even knowing this. We recommend you replace the tub completely.
How to resurface an acrylic or fiberglass tub?
Once you have determined that you don’t have any of the problems mentioned above then you can proceed to refinishing your bath. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Prepare the bath:
- Remove drain overflow.
- Completely remove any old caulking around the tub. Paint will not properly stick to caulking.
- Using an 80 grit sandpaper, sand the entire tub. Inside and out. This will help the bath paint to adhere to the surface of the bath.
- Use a degreaser to clean the bath.
- Dry the tub completely.
- Protect around the bath so you don’t get paint on the tiles or the floor. Cover the drain overflow and drain with tape.
- Paint the tub.
- Wait 2 days.
- Re-install the drain overflow and apply new caulking around the tub.