6 Things You Should Know To Prepare To Have Your Bathtub Refinished

Having your bathtub refinished can drastically increase the comfort and aesthetic appeal your bathroom has to offer. However, it's important to be well informed before the process takes place to make sure the job gets done right.

The following are six things you should know to prepare to have your bathtub refinished.

1. Any leaks in your faucets need to be fixed beforehand

Leaks in faucets create a lot of problems for contractors working on a bathtub refinish. For this reason, they need to be repaired before refinishing. Even slight dripping in faucets or any damage to shower diverters must be corrected.

Leaks and drips create problems during refinishing. Any moisture leakage could make it difficult to completely stop water flow while onto caulking and other construction substances that need to dry out during refinishing.

2. You should clear items away from your bathtub

Items like toiletries, rugs, and shower curtains should be cleared away from a bathtub before the contractor arrives. This speeds up the refinishing process and ensures that none of your toiletries or other bathroom items will because damaged during refinishing.

3. Bathroom refinishing requires space.

If you are considering having a bathtub refinish performed, you should know that the refinishing process is not possible when you have other fixtures like vanities and toilets located too close to your tub. 

If there is only a very narrow gap between your bathtub and other furniture pieces and fixtures, you will have to move these fixtures for the coating application on your tub to proceed properly during refinishing. 

4. Bathtub refinishing should be done last

Most contractors recommend doing the bathtub refinishing last. If tasks like painting or setting tile in the wall around the bathtub are part of the remodel, it's likely that substances will end up dripping on the newly refinished tub surface and ruin the work if the tub is refinished first.

5. It may be important to match up colors

It's important that all of the surfaces of your bathroom are evaluated before refinishing to find a tub or tile color that will match up well with the rest of your bathroom. Contractors these days can offer custom colors that will be sure to match up with your existing fixtures.

6. The tub needs to be thoroughly cleaned

Your contractor should include a careful cleaning of the bathtub surface as part of the refinishing process. This cleaning should also include an etching of the surface to remove any stuck-on soaps or oils. 

You don't need to clean your tub yourself before refinishing and can rely on your contractor to handle this task.