Bathtub Refinishing vs Replacing your Bathtub

A replacement bathtub can cost as little as $250, but add the cost of a contractor, demolition, removal, disposal, paying a tile setter and a plumber and the total cost quickly grows to $2000 or more. Bathtubs with these problems can be made to look and feel like new again Worn and discolored tubs Chipped and damaged Impossible to clean Ugly and outdated color Refinishing can restore the useful life of your fixtures for up to 20 years or more. Our finishes are incredibly durable and come in an unlimited number of colors to meet any decorating plan. Replacement (typical 5' tub)    Bathtub Refinishing $750 - Demolition, removal & disposal   $350-$400 Refinishing of tub* $350 - Cost of replacement tub     $350 - Plumbing     $450 - Tile setter     $250 - Flooring, carpentry, caulking, etc.     $2,150 Total Replacement Cost   $350-$400 Total Refinishing Cost Time without tub: 7-10 days   Time without tub: 12 hours

Bathtub Refinishing vs Do-It-Yourself kit available at your local hardware store

A good refinishing job on a bathtub should be very glossy, smooth to the touch, and have a uniform appearance just like a new bathtub. You will never be able to duplicate the glossy finish and feel professional refinishing gives your bathtub, sink or countertops with a do-it-yourself kit! A good question to ask is... "Would you repaint your own car?" Refinishing involves many of the same skills and materials used by professional auto body craftsmen. Quality work requires extensive preparation, use of special cleaners, bonding primers, fillers for cracks and chips, and the skill and experience to spray on fast drying acrylic coatings. You will not get good results from a spray can or epoxy kit, nor will you get the warranted durability Toronto Tub & Tiles Refinishing offers. If you are thinking about buying a do-it-yourself (DIY) porcelain repair kit from your local hardware store, consider the following: DIY kits offer a limited choice of colors. Toronto Tub & Tiles can offer an unlimited number of colors. Most kits typically contain epoxy coatings, which are old technology. Epoxy is very durable, but does not have the same gloss or uniform appearance as do acrylic coatings. Epoxy dries very slowly. Multiple coats will be required meaning that several days may be necessary to complete a DIY project. Over time, epoxy will yellow or become chalky in appearance. Kits provide only the chemicals. You must provide the equipment, tools, and personal safety equipment including chemical resistant gloves, respirators, exhaust fans, eye protection and Tyvek paint suits. A finish applied with a brush or roller will be uneven and look "painted". A glossy, smooth finish can only be achieved though the use of a fine finish high volume, low pressure spray equipment. Some DIY kits are only intended for repairs and not complete refinishing jobs. Some kits contain cans of spray paint which simply camouflage the problem and will rarely last any length of time without the use of a bonding agent. Many DIY kits plainly state that it will take three days or more before you can use your tub.

Toronto Tub & Tiles Refinishing vs Bathtub Liners

Bathtub liners are made of pieces of PVC plastic or acrylic which are molded to the shape of a tub, placed over your existing tub, and glued down to cover it up.

Before considering a bathtub liner as a choice of renovation consider this: 

More expensive Liners are more expensive, $900  just for a bathtub compared to $350-$400 for bathtub refinishing.

Time intensive Liners take several weeks from measuring and ordering to actual installation. Here's the typical process: 1. A salesman comes to your home to have you sign a contract. 2. If the salesman can't, an installer then comes to your home to measure your tub. 3. The factory uses the measurements to fabricate a shell. 4. The factory ships the shell to the installer. 5. Another appointment is scheduled to install the shell or liner. 6. The shell is installed, usually in one day, but weeks after you signed the contract.

Can create plumbing problems Liners can create plumbing problems because the added thickness of the liner may require an extension of the drain and overflow.

Squishy feeling with mold and mildew potential Liners suffer a bad reputation for allowing water to leak between the old tub and the new liner. Any small crack or hole which develops in the caulking along the seam between the liner and the vertical wall surround can allow water to penetrate and build up between the liner and the old tub. Water can also leak around the drain or overflow joints. If water does leak and get trapped between the liner and the tub, the water is almost impossible to remove. The result can be a "squishy" feeling each time someone steps in and out of the tub. Not only can the misplaced water create a "squishy" feeling, worse yet, the standing water can become stagnant, creating obnoxious odor problems. Stagnant moisture can lead to unhealthy mold and mildew build up.

Can be difficult to replace Liners eventually wear out and have to be replaced. Since liners are glued to the old tub when installed, they usually have to be ripped or cut out in order to replace them.

Can crack If liners do not match the contours of the existing tub, then the liner may flex back and forth and can crack.

Limited color selection Liners come in a limited number of colors.