The length of time that a bathtub refinishing job lasts mainly comes down to how well the bathtub was prepared before refinishing.
If you are doing it yourself, make sure to read our article on How to Refinish a Bathtub Yourself.
If you are considering hiring a refinishing company then also read the prep advice in the above article so you can ask your potential re-finishers about their process for prep work.
Questions such as:
- What will be the process for initially cleaning the tub?
- Will areas around the drain and under the soap dish be thoroughly cleaned?
- Will the old caulk be removed?
- Will the drain be removed?
- Will the tub be etched with acid?
- Will the bathtub have a porcelain bond additive applied before it is refinished?
- If the bathtub is fiberglass, will it be sanded?
- Is the bathtub refinishing epoxy a two-part system?
- What will be used to reduce the epoxy before application? (Hint: if it’s lacquer thinner run away!)
After you have located a re-finisher that you trust, the length of the refinished tub life comes down to you. Leaving a bar of soap or messy shampoo bottle on the corners of the tub is asking for trouble. Letting water stand in the tub (as in a low spot) is going to cause issues.
It’s a good practice to dry out the tub with the towel you used after using it and never use a suction-cup non-refinished bathtub mat as it will absolutely shorten your tubs life. You can find more information on care of your refinished tub here.
So, how long does a bathtub refinishing last? There are few things you need to ask and know. Hopefully, we have addressed the majority of them. If you have a specific question, leave it in the comments below!
