Bathroom Resurfacing versus Renovation

I was looking at renovating the bathroom and starting from scratch, but then I watched this episode of The Living Room and it occurred to me that it could save me a lot of money by getting the tiles, bathtub and shower resurfaced instead.



I didn't know bathroom restoration was a thing. Apparently you can get the tiles and bath re-enamelled in a new colour so you don't need to replace them.

Has anyone had a resurfacing done on their bathroom before and what was your experience?

 

I've been on jobs where they had the tub and surround professionally reglazed and the finish product looked nice. I don't know how they fared long term. I don't know what the material differences are between what the pros use and the diy kits BUT proper prep is very important!! I have seen poorly done and failing diy tile/tub 'paint' jobs and it wasn't pretty.

 

Yes I bet it would be a pretty terrible finish if you tried to apply paint and enamel to dirty surfaces. You'd have to give everything a thorough clean first. :NO NO NO:

 

BTW, I added a youtube link to the tv show episode. Why did it disappear?

 

I believe resurfacing technologies have improved to the point the finished product can be reasonably close to new products. But don't assume the result will be equal to new products created in the proper environment.

Most important, though, is to remember the quality of resurfacing in your bathroom is dependent primarily on the expertise of the specific craftsman. For that reason, getting general opinions from others can provide generic information but won't replace explicit information on your contractor and their team.

That's a lengthy way of saying if you go forward visit bathrooms of prior customers.

Lastly, don't try it yourself unless you don't mind having someone learn on your bathroom.

 

The link was removed due to it being a TV show consisting primarily of talking and interviews with little substance. We don't advertise, and there was no instructional value to the video. With that said, bathrooms and kitchens have the best return value for money spent on renovations. Try and cut that expenditure by taking shortcuts and only doing half of a job will result in far less in quality and return value. From what I gathered all they did was leave the fixtures in place and remodeled completely around them, which is fine, but a total gutting and rebuild would have resulted in less time involved, believe it or not, and a much better product, IMO.

 

I have reglazed several dozen tubs, specifically where it makes sense to do. As previously mentioned, preparation is key to a good bond. The guy who does my tubs is a father/son team and that is all they do, 5 days a week. Here are the key steps to ask when interviewing re-glazers:

-Acid Etch the tub to remove any glaze or shine.
-fix any grout issues
-repair any imperfections in the tub
-Prime surface prior to final coat
-Add anti-slip to the bottom of the tub (basically add sand to the paint)
-Final coat sprayed to a shiny finish
-72hrs dry time

Many companies don't prime, so make sure that is done. Resist the urge to get the DIY refinish kit, it has a poor track record.

Of note, doing walls is expensive, but probably cheaper still than tile replacement. Also, if you have large dogs, their nails can damage and scratch the surface. In that case, use a bath mat for the pet - HOWEVER, do not use a bath mat for everyday - the anti slip coating suffices. The water held under the mat has been known to cause issues. Same way this is not recommended for things like a toilet that is constantly under water.

The only difference in reglazing and factory finish is that the finish can not be baked on in a kiln.