Rub A Dub Dub

 Our guest bathroom was looking pretty good. I had painted the tiles with Beth and changed the small room from a 50's style monstrosity to a slightly more sophisticated wash room. Most of the pink was behind paint, but the tub and the tub surround were still haunting the room from behind the (shower) curtain. Something had to be done. Even a website such as Save the Pink Bathrooms couldn't stop me.

First, I started off by using the same technique that I had used on the rest of the tile on the shower surround. I had been paying attention to how the rest of the bathroom had been dealing with moisture and feel pretty confident in how it will hold up. I primed and painted the tile, which only made the pink bathtub stand out more.

Primed for action!

Then, using the leftover paint from refinishing Beth's tub with her last week, I decided to give the the same process a try on ours. I was a little worried, to be honest, because their tub had been white and ours was a darker color. I wasn't sure it would cover that well, so I figured it would need way more coats than were left in the can. Thankfully, the process turned out better than expected.

First, I used #1 size steel wool on the entire tub. I scrubbed pretty hard in a circular motion to get it looking like this. The kit originally came with #000, but #1 is what I happened to have had in the garage. I felt like it worked really well, though, and didn't damage the surface more than scuffing it up to receive the paint.

Yes, the steel wool will give the tub a gray-ish tint. That's okay, though, because it will be covered up with your first coat.

I then used some tub and tile cleaner on the entire tub, rinsed, and dried the tub. I repeated the steel wool/washing steps three times (like the instructions said), then taped off the tub from the surround and the floor to give clean edges and avoid splashes.

There was slightly less than half of the can of paint left. It is a little more watery than normal latex paints, so you really have to pay attention to slopping it on versus using thin coats (which is what are recommended).

I would also recommend using a better quality, new brush that is made for the paint. I used a nicer brush that was clean, but because it was meant for latex, not oil -based paints, it felt as though it seized and became difficult to work with pretty quickly.

When the first, thin coat had been applied, it was looking so much better already.

As per the directions, I had to wait and do the second coat between 2 and 4 hours after the first, otherwise I would have to wait until three days after the first coat for the entire tub to completely cure. I began applying my second coat 2 hours after the first, but unfortunately ran out of paint. I did manage to cover the interior portion of the tub with little issue, though, which is where most of the water will be anyway. I was then able to remove my tape and allow it to cure.

I will have to get another kit to finish the outside and possibly recoat the interior just for my own peace of mind, but thankfully that doesn't have to be in the near future. Working on a tub is hard on your back and I am definitely not looking forward to having to apply the 2.5 and 3rd coat.

After the second coat, the pink was a little less obvious. This is what it looked like after the first.

Overall, I'd give the Homax Tough As Tile Refinishing Kit and A+. It covered the horrible pink really well and for a fraction of the cost. If you'd like more information on the product, you can visit their website or even Beth's write up of her experience with it on a white tub. She says that showering in it feels super sturdy and not like paint at all. Honestly, I'm just glad I can end a post with something like this.

Oh, and of course, this.