DIY re-enamelling of a bath - Tubby or not tubby?

[Lino expert]

Anyone tried the stuff and, if so, how were the results?

[John]

Looks good in the adverts but bloody difficult in reality. If you're in the north-west, I can thoroughly recommend this guy

He resurfaced a 50-year old cast iron bath for me and it's absolutely brilliant.

John

[Lino expert]

guy

resurfaced a 50-year old cast iron bath

Darnit, couldn't be further away if I tried, bound to be pricier too - but thanks anyway :o)

[robgraham]

OK, we're possibly even further away, but we had a guy out from Edinburgh to do ours - =A3200 and excellent. That was 4 years ago and I have absolutely no complaints. I wouldn't have tackled it as he had all the spray gear and face mask, etc.

Rob

[Lino expert]

Ooh you're further than a far thing, but handy to know about the gear

- sounds like it's not such a walk in the park as it maybe first seems.

[John]

Ooh you're further than a far thing, but handy to know about the gear

- sounds like it's not such a walk in the park as it maybe first seems.

I've stayed in hotels where the re-coating is flaking off.

[Edgar]

8> I've stayed in hotels where the re-coating is flaking off.

We have had our bath re-coated twice. The first time it was supposed to be some fancy coating (not paint). It took them three attempts to get a satisfactory finish - once it was gritty, next time the goo slumped and made an uneven bottom. The final go worked and lasted for quite a few years until it started developing blisters. I patched it a few times and then decided to have it done again. The next company were much quicker. They used some kind of acrylic paint and didn't need the heat lamps and so forth that the others used. Before long this surface started blistering too. They came back and repaired it but it kept happening. Eventually I sanded down the blisters and sprayed the damaged part with appliance paint from B & Q or Screwfix. That has held up for some years now. It isn't invisible but it's only because the repaired surface is slightly proud and the masking ridges show.

Neither company could really convince me that they knew what was going on but the second one suggested it might be shampoo that was causing the trouble. We've been very careful with shampoo since and so far seem to be clear of problems.

If shampoo does that to bath paint I wonder what it does to us.

Next time it needs doing I think I might try doing it by building up that appliance paint in lots of very thin layers.

I don't change the bath because it's a good size, comfortable and a previous owner tiled it in. Replacing it and making good would be a big job.

Edgar

[Lino expert]

PlastiKote-type stuff? Do you reckon that would work?

[Edgar]

8>

That's the stuff I used. "Plasti-kote 619 Appliance Gloss White".

Edgar

[Lino expert]

Aha! Useful. I'll investigate that, thanks.

[geoff]

In message , Lino expert writes

Yes I have

Following an initial problem of a stuck roller which buggered things up (they sent me a new kit FOC), I "Tubby'd" my bath about 5 years ago. I still have a good finish which hasn't peeled or deteriorated yet

I think the secret of a successful finish is all down to good preparation, i.e. a lot of hard work

[Jan Wysocki]

Yes. Easy to apply. Not hard to get a good finish. I followed their suggestion of mixing it all, then putting the surplus in the freezer until needed.

What's difficult is preparing the bath! I tried to remove all the limescale, but discovered that the "enamel" also comes away.

After about 18 months of use it became apparent that Mr. Tubby wasn't properly bonded to the underlying surface, if you looked critically. I left the house over 5 years ago, so can't comment on further longevity.

Aside: (Until then I'd assumed that steel baths were still vitreous enamelled:-( I'd love to find a current manufacturer of vitreous enamelled baths, preferably cast iron.)

Jan at t a r a s o w k a dot o r g

[Sazzle]

replying to robgraham, Sazzle wrote: Who did you use in Edinburgh?

[alan_m]

Please look at the date of the original post. You are probably now asking the question to his grand children.

[tabbypurr]

Come here via a saner portal than hoh or most regulars won't see your posts. This is news:uk.d-i-y

NT

[Brian-Gaff]

Actually, the date is quite clear on the web site, the problem is that the site files by month, not year so old posts get regurgitated all the time it seems. Brian