How to Paint an Ugly Bathtub

Learn how to paint an ugly bathtub. Find out how to have a tub re-glazed or cover it with a tub insert.

LESLIE: Tina in Iowa, you’re next on The Money Pit. What’s going on at your house?

TINA: Well, I am wanting to know what to use to paint a bathtub.

TOM: Hmm. We don’t recommend painting bathtubs.

TINA: (chuckling) Oh, come on. (chuckling) I want – I’m remodeling my bathroom and I – the bathtub is just – it’s still good.

TOM: Right. Structurally it’s good, right?

TINA: (overlapping voices) The only thing is it’s pink.

TOM: Yeah. Oh, it’s pink? Oh. (chuckling) Well, then we definitely painting a bathtub.

TINA: (chuckling) Thank you.

LESLIE: But you don’t paint it. You have it professionally resealed or recast.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Yeah. Well, glazed. Re-glazed.

LESLIE: Glazed. Thank you.

TOM: Yeah. And you can – you can – there are like sort of do-it-yourself glazing kits. But they don’t seem to last that long. So you’re going to probably want to contact a glazer.

LESLIE: And you don’t get that smooth look either. When you have it re-glazed, it’s the same like shiny finish that you don’t see any brush strokes; you don’t see how it was applied. It really looks professional and beautiful. If you try to do one of these yourself, you’re going to notice all sorts of user errors, if you will.

TOM: And the other thing you can consider would be a bathtub refitter. This is like an insert that fits inside the bathtub and sort of changes it to be from like a metal tub look to sort of a solid surfacing look. You know what I mean, Leslie? We see these at the home shows all the time.

LESLIE: I’m not a fan.

TOM: You’re not a fan? You don’t like them?

LESLIE: You know, it’s – in some cases, I’ve seen acrylic refitters …

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: … where they’re actually acrylic with Microban and they’re good materials. And then I’ve seen kind of junky ones. But it’s really – it’s an insert that fits over everything. It’s a cost effective solution. But it does make your tub smaller.

TOM: Yeah, that’s true. Because it is about – oh, at least a half of an inch thick, I think. But those are a couple of options for you. We wouldn’t recommend the do-it-yourself kits. You could probably either go with a pro or consider a refitter. You know, none of them are as good as replacing the whole tub but it might be less expensive that way.

Alright Tina, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.