The requested URL /catalog.php?category=62 was not found on this server. When scouting out my current apartment, I was immediately drawn to the oversize bathtub — a real soaker from an era when bathing was savored and showers described rain. But my elation quickly ebbed once I eyed the rusty gully along its bottom, the work of a persistent leak that had eroded the white porcelain and exposed the tub's cast-iron shell. The building's super promised to fix it — and fix it he did, by slapping on some latex paint that flaked off every time I settled in for a warm bath. The super's methods were suspect, but he was essentially on the right track in trying to save the tub by recoating its surface. "People very often rip out old tubs because they're slightly blemished," says Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert. "But it's not easy to find an affordable bathtub with the look and size of a period tub." Each year refinishing shops across the country rescue thousands of tired old tubs and sinks by spraying on an acrylic urethane resin coating.

Done correctly, either off-site in a shop or in place, refinishing is an effective and inexpensive solution for porcelain that is chipped, worn rough, or whose color has simply gone out of style. Laptop Price List Digital MallFor an average cost of $350 to $500-a fraction of the $1,200 to $5,000 expense of a new cast-iron or steel tub installed — refinishers can make an antique fixture look brand new. How To Clean Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover"Professional refinishing can be a cost-efficient solution for that retro look," Trethewey says. Bathtubs For Mobile Homes CanadaThat's what Jackie Metropoulos chose to do, and hired Scott Ayers, a technician for the Miracle Method franchise in Ludlow, Massachusetts, to resurface the old cast-iron bathtub in the 1919 house she and her husband, Matt, own in Longmeadow, Mass.

Their second-floor bathroom has a mix of old charm and new shine, but the mounted tub looks and feels weathered, with a green water mark under the faucet, several nasty dings on the lip, and a dull, gritty texture from years of improper cleaning. To prepare for refinishing, Ayers first carves away the caulk between the tub and the walls and floor with a putty knife, then removes the drain cover and masks off the faucets. The edge of the coating will be hidden behind the refitted fixtures and a new bead of caulk. Next he cleans the tub to remove the impurities that can hinder adhesion of the new finish: He scrapes off soap scum with a razor blade, then wipes on an alkaline emulsifier commonly used to strip wax off floors. He follows with an acid-based citric cleanser that neutralizes the emulsifier, and after rinsing and drying the tub, rubs it clean with denatured alcohol. Ayers, a former auto-body repairman, trowels fiberglass putty into deep chips and scratches, just as he would on a damaged car door.

(Had the tub been severely etched by cleanings with bleach, he would have had to putty the entire inner surface.) After the fiberglass hardens, he sands it with a coarse 36-grit paper to knock down high spots and an 80-grit paper to feather it out. He fills any pockmarks in the dried fiberglass with a polyester glazing putty, waits for it to set, then sands it in the same manner. After wiping with a tack cloth, he rags on a bonding agent that enables the acrylic urethane enamel to adhere to the porcelain's glasslike surface. Many refinishers first roughen up the tub's surface by brushing on a solution of hydrofluoric acid before using a bonding agent. Critics of acid etching point out that the acid must be properly neutralized before being washed down the drain or it can damage pipes, as well as the environment. Miracle Method's proprietary bonding agent eliminates the acid-etching step. As the bonding agent on the Metropouloses' tub sets, Ayers slips on a Tyvek suit and straps on an air mask connected to a ventilator so that he does not inhale paint vapor.

Using a spray gun, he applies three coats of acrylic urethane enamel, letting each dry for 10 to 15 minutes. With the help of a heat lamp, the finish cures in about one hour; a wet sanding with 1,000-grit paper smooths bumps and rough patches. After he dries off the surface with paper towels, he goes over it with a power buffer equipped with a foam pad and some auto compound to remove any scratches. Finally, he hand buffs the tub to a shiny luster with a soft cloth and polymer glaze car wax. Eight hours after arriving at the Metropouloses' house, his work is done. They'll be able to slip into a bath later that night. Miracle Method, like many refinishing companies, offers a five-year warranty. But says Diane Robbins, co-owner of the franchise that resurfaced Jackie's tub, with proper care and maintenance (nonabrasive and bleach-free cleaners only), a refinsished tub surface should last 15 to 20 years. And while that's a few years short of the five decades you can expect from new porcelain, it sure beats buying a tub that will never be historically authentic.

Refinishing may be the most practical way of restoring a built-in bathtub, but for those lucky enough to have a removable claw-foot tub or cast-iron sink, the dream has long been to give it a new finish that matches the hardness and durability of the old one. Custom Ceramic Coatings, of Lenzburg, Illinois, is pioneering a method to re-porcelain tubs in a furnace, the same way these fixtures got their original glossy skin. The process involves sandblasting off the old finish, then baking on a new enamel coating at 1,475 degrees Farenheit for about four hours. "It's genuine porcelain enamel, the same glass coating used on bathtubs you buy in stores," says owner Kara Kopplin. Her company has already successfully restored steel sinks for about $250 to $650. (Clay fixtures, like toilets and pedestal sinks, can't be refired.) The cost to treat a bathtub should range from $800 to $1,400; shipping will be extra.Highest average cost: $2500 Lowest average cost: $400 The size of the tub matters greatly in cost, especially for cast iron tubs.

Getting a tub on the lower end of the average price range will mean getting a much smaller tub that may not be long enough to lie down in. The median price of $1500 tends to cover a standard-size luxury tub. The higher end of the price range is where tubs that are intended for more than one person can be found. The style of the tub affects the cost greatly. This is due in part to the changes involved in who the tub is marketed to. More stylish, opulent tubs may involve inlaid metallic accents and other design points intended primarily to make the tub look richer. The more stylish and complex the design of a tub, the more expensive it is likely to be. Finally, the manufacturer of the tub will come into question. High-end designers will exact higher costs, while more common, utilitarian companies will offer cast iron tubs on the lower end of the price range. Custom and vintage tubs are excluded from this consideration. To have an idea what the cost of any given custom project will be requires a quote.

Vintage tubs do not have a consistent market from which a price range can be accurately judged. The primary material in any cast iron tub will always be cast iron. However, bare metal is considered unpleasant to rest on, so cast iron tubs are always coated with an outer substance for comfort and visual appeal. The substance used to cover the cast iron will vary from tub to tub. Fiberglass is the most common substance for lower-end tubs. It can be polished smoothly and provides an acceptable aesthetic look, but it is still considered a cheap material for tubs. The insulating properties of fiberglass tend to undermine the advantages that a cast iron tub can provide, making this unpopular among those interested in a serious investment. Acrylic is another common substance for this purpose. It suffers from the same difficulties as fiberglass, but tends to be somewhat more durable. Enamel is the standard material for high-end cast iron tubs, and it is commonly recommended that a homeowner not invest in a cast iron tub unless they can pursue an enamel coating.

Enamel is considered ideal for its classic, smooth look and its ability to evenly distribute thermal energy from hot water. Sometimes, enamel will be molded into aesthetically appealing patterns along the edges or exterior of the tub. This is rarely ever seen with any other material. Extended value and durability Heat transfer and insulation Cast iron tubs, particularly those coated with enamel, are considered very visually appealing. The iron used in a cast iron tub, when visible, tends to be dark and look very sturdy. It gives cast iron tubs the look of longevity, which many homeowners appreciate. As luxury items, more care is put into the overall design of a cast iron tub. Very few tubs made of cast iron are sold with function prioritized in a manner that is exclusive from form. Cast iron tubs that have been decorated with filigree and other fine elements are easier to find than lower-end bathtubs. Tubs made of cast iron tend to be quite durable. Bath tubs as fixtures tend to be sturdy enough on their own.

The most common reasons to replace standard bath tubs involve gradual wear and tear or contamination with mold, rather than structural integrity. Cast iron tubs take this a step further with their solid metal cores. They are virtually immune to internal damage, and the sturdiness of the underlying metal makes it difficult for enamel coating the service to be stressed and cracked. With cast iron cores and very few gaps in their overall construction, cast iron tubs are also greatly resistant to damage from mold and moisture. This makes them good long-term investments. Heat transfer is the advantage that sets cast iron tubs apart. It takes some time for a cast iron tub to heat up when a bath is drawn. However, once the tub is full of hot water, it will stay hot for some time, usually far longer than a standard bathtub. The metal core absorbs and retains a lot of thermal energy. Once it gets warmed up, the water stops losing energy to the tub, which can be a major problem in standard designs among those that would like to enjoy a long soak.

The weight of a cast iron tub is considerable. This makes it very difficult to ship and transport. This is also a major factor in their low availability. They are hard to find stocked in showrooms because they are difficult to move. Cast iron tubs can be difficult to install due to the weight. Free-standing tubs are far simpler in this regard as long as they can be transported. However, this also calls into question the safety of installing a cast iron tub. They may not be advised or allowed on a home or apartment's upper stories due to their weight. Finally, cast iron tubs are not energy efficient for short-term use. While they retain heat excellently after they have warmed up, they require a great deal of hot water to do that, often hotter than would be required for a standard tub. This problem grows considerably the larger a tub is, with a much wider gulf between smaller, personal tubs and more luxurious larger models. It can become costly to fill a large tub with sufficient hot water to keep it heated, and they are effectively unsuitable for quick, short baths.