Anyone who has staggered home from work or school after a hard day knows what a stress-reliever a hot bath can be.
A long soak can relax your body and mind as well as soothe away the aches and pains.
Having a working bathtub, therefore, is something that most people value, and they will do anything to keep it that way.
Even if you take good care of your tub, time will take its toll.
You'll see stains that you can't scrub out, and hairline cracks will start to develop.
The plumbing may start to leak, and old faucets can just wear out.
Some of these problems are minor and easy to fix.
Others take a little more know-how.
Therefore, this article is going to address some of the questions you may have concerning the repair of your old bathtub.
Can't You Just Replace the Old Tub? The answer to this question may surprise you.
While you can replace an old tub with a new one that will cost about $100, it's a much more complicated and costly job when all is said and done.
In order to replace a tub you first have to remove the old one and pay to have it hauled away.
Then you need to bring in the new tub which you'll find is a difficult, heavy job.
You'll need new plumbing for your new tub in addition to readjusting tile walls and flooring to fit the area around the tub, possible repairs to flooring, and framing and other carpentry work.
What you're actually talking is about $2000 to replace a tub which is just too expensive when you can repair your tub for a whole lot less.
What's involved in a Bathtub Restoration? Bathtubs get stained and scratched with use and eventually start showing their age.
A restoration addresses and eliminates these problems.
You may be tempted to do the job yourself, but this isn't recommended.
Unless you have the training you need to do the job right, it's a better idea to hire someone who can do the job professionally.
Restoring a bathtub requires a lot of steps.
After first washing the surface and applying a solvent, you will need to neutralize the solvent, etch the surface, and use sandpaper.
When you've finished, however, you will see a marked improvement in the look of your bathroom, but there's still more work to be done.
The Next Step: Refinishing After restoring your tub, you'll want to have it refinished in order to make your restoration more permanent.
This is a step you should definitely hire a trained individual to do for you, because the process involves using Aliphatic Acrylic Polyurethane Enamel.
It's only a one-day job, so you should be able to use your tub again quickly.
What about a Bathtub Liner? You can have a protective bathtub liner made to fit your tub which can be installed in a matter of hours.
A bathtub liner is a good choice in that it protects the tub from unsightly chips and scratches and doesn't incur the extra cost of plumbing alterations or floor and tile work.
Knowing When to Do it yourself and When to Hire a Professional Many people like to do the work themselves, because they think it will be cheaper.
Tub repairs, in the long run, will end up costing more if you do them yourself unless you have inside knowledge and experience about how to do them the right way.
If you do the job incorrectly, you end up having to hire a professional and paying to have the work done again.
When Would a Tub Replacement be my Best Choice? Experts will tell you to buy a new bathtub only if the repair costs are going to run you more than the cost of replacement.
If the estimates you receive to do the repair work are extremely high, then you might as well opt for a new tub.
A long soak can relax your body and mind as well as soothe away the aches and pains.
Having a working bathtub, therefore, is something that most people value, and they will do anything to keep it that way.
Even if you take good care of your tub, time will take its toll.
You'll see stains that you can't scrub out, and hairline cracks will start to develop.
The plumbing may start to leak, and old faucets can just wear out.
Some of these problems are minor and easy to fix.
Others take a little more know-how.
Therefore, this article is going to address some of the questions you may have concerning the repair of your old bathtub.
Can't You Just Replace the Old Tub? The answer to this question may surprise you.
While you can replace an old tub with a new one that will cost about $100, it's a much more complicated and costly job when all is said and done.
In order to replace a tub you first have to remove the old one and pay to have it hauled away.
Then you need to bring in the new tub which you'll find is a difficult, heavy job.
You'll need new plumbing for your new tub in addition to readjusting tile walls and flooring to fit the area around the tub, possible repairs to flooring, and framing and other carpentry work.
What you're actually talking is about $2000 to replace a tub which is just too expensive when you can repair your tub for a whole lot less.
What's involved in a Bathtub Restoration? Bathtubs get stained and scratched with use and eventually start showing their age.
A restoration addresses and eliminates these problems.
You may be tempted to do the job yourself, but this isn't recommended.
Unless you have the training you need to do the job right, it's a better idea to hire someone who can do the job professionally.
Restoring a bathtub requires a lot of steps.
After first washing the surface and applying a solvent, you will need to neutralize the solvent, etch the surface, and use sandpaper.
When you've finished, however, you will see a marked improvement in the look of your bathroom, but there's still more work to be done.
The Next Step: Refinishing After restoring your tub, you'll want to have it refinished in order to make your restoration more permanent.
This is a step you should definitely hire a trained individual to do for you, because the process involves using Aliphatic Acrylic Polyurethane Enamel.
It's only a one-day job, so you should be able to use your tub again quickly.
What about a Bathtub Liner? You can have a protective bathtub liner made to fit your tub which can be installed in a matter of hours.
A bathtub liner is a good choice in that it protects the tub from unsightly chips and scratches and doesn't incur the extra cost of plumbing alterations or floor and tile work.
Knowing When to Do it yourself and When to Hire a Professional Many people like to do the work themselves, because they think it will be cheaper.
Tub repairs, in the long run, will end up costing more if you do them yourself unless you have inside knowledge and experience about how to do them the right way.
If you do the job incorrectly, you end up having to hire a professional and paying to have the work done again.
When Would a Tub Replacement be my Best Choice? Experts will tell you to buy a new bathtub only if the repair costs are going to run you more than the cost of replacement.
If the estimates you receive to do the repair work are extremely high, then you might as well opt for a new tub.
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