Refinish your old bathroom for around $150, a fraction of the cost of a new tub with one of these DIY bathtub refinishing kits.
When it comes to an affordable bathroom remodel, you have some options to refresh your space without spending a lot of money. Even if you decide to replace a sink or toilet, replacing an existing tub is not only a big expense, it’s a big headache as well. Or, maybe you have a glorious vintage clawfoot tub that you don’t want to part with but the finish has seen better days.
There are bathtub refinishing kits available that can make your bath tub look brand new and they don’t cost anywhere near the price of a new bathtub. And while these bathtub refinishing kits do require some DIY effort, it’s not nearly as disruptive to your home as replacing a tub or shower.
I haven’t personally refinished a tub yet, although we have a shower we are going to refinish soon. But Lori has experience with the Rust-oleum Tub and Tile Kit for her DIY bathtub refinishing project. It worked out amazing for her harvest gold bathtub remodel and cost her around $150 to complete. That is a fraction of the cost of replacing the tub.
Check out the before picture and head over to the article to see the after (link is in the paragraph above).
There are other kits and brands available depending on your budget and project needs. It is definitely possible to achieve a top of the line finish on your worn-out bathtub without spending a lot of money if you are up for a little bit of effort.
Make sure that you fully understand how much surface area each kit covers so you order enough (some kits are smaller and will require you to purchase more than one to complete your project). Also, make sure to verify the color is what you want. If your toilet is beige, you probably don’t want a white tub. For example, the Rust-oleum kit comes in white, biscuit, and almond so make sure you choose the right color.
In addition to checking for coverage and color, it’s a good idea to thoroughly read all the reviews. The only bathtub refinishers we have experience with is the Rust-oleum, so these aren’t recommendations so much as they are meant to save you some time searching.
Another thing you want to look for is to make sure that the kit will work with your tub material. If you have a tile surround and the tile needs refinishing, then you will need a kit that has a ceramic tile treatment agent so it will stick on the tile. Fiberglass tubs and steel bathtubs may require different kits.
Make sure you understand what you have and what the best option is for your bathroom and the kinds of surface materials you are covering. It would not be fun to through the process only to find out you didn’t choose the right kit for your specific refinishing job and the adhesion of the paint is not holding up.
Another thing to consider before purchasing is the specific steps needed to use the product. Dry time may vary, painting time may vary, prep time may vary, number of coats required may vary, etc. In general, I would think that a better-prepped surface with a longer dry time and more coats are going to give you a longer-lasting finish, but it may also depend on the ingredients in each one along with the bathtub surface material.
8 Bathtub Refinishing Kits from Amazon
These DIY kits are all available on Amazon but may be available in local stores too. Amazon is not always the best value, but it is a great way to research available options, even if you plan on purchasing locally after doing your research.
There may be more availability of products online, but I am all about shopping locally if you can. Sometimes Amazon does have next-day delivery, but the benefit of shopping locally is that you can start your project the same day if you so choose.
1. Rust-oleum Tub & Tile Refinishing Kits
Of course, the easiest thing to do is to just stick with the Rust-oleum Tub and Tile 2-Part Kit because you can see how good the results are in Lori’s post. It’s a great choice if you don’t have time or don’t want to spend time doing a lot of research. You will still need to make sure that this kit will work for your application, but if it does, this is a fairly safe option.
The Rust-oleum kit is from a trusted brand, is affordable, and has thousands of good reviews on Amazon.
But, if you are looking to see what other options are out there, I pulled together 7 additional bathtub refinishing kits from Amazon for you to take a look at below.
2. ArmoGlaze Bathtub Refinishing Kit
This ArmoGlaze kit appears to be a premium kit because it is more costly than many of the other kits. It claims to have a thicker finish, and therefore more durable. A more durable finish would, in theory, last longer so you may pay more upfront, but have a longer-lasting finish that may save money in the long run.
This bathtub refinishing kit is Made in the USA and it claims to be odorless and non-toxic. You will have to wait a bit longer (probably) for shipping as it comes directly from the manufacturer, not through Amazon Prime.
ArmoGlaze can be used to refurbish cast iron, porcelain, plastic, terrazzo, ceramic tiles, and concrete. It cannot be used on stainless steel.
3. Magic Tub and Tile Refinishing Kits
The Magic Tub and Tile refinishing kit covers 75-100 S.F. and is enough for one large tub or two standard-sized tubs. This may be enough for a tub and shower surround, but you will want to double-check with the instructions to be sure.
It is a two-part epoxy paint and works on ceramic, porcelain, acrylic, and fiberglass surfaces.
4. Homax Tough as Tile Kit
The Homax Tough as Tile refinishing kit is a brush-applied kit. One kit is said to cover one standard-sized tub or two sinks. It can be used on fiberglass, porcelain, glazed ceramic tile, countertop laminate, china, and acrylic surfaces.
The Homax kit includes one part Tough as Tile brush on paint, steel wool, prep cleaner, gloves, and a paintbrush.
5. Ekopel 2K Bathtub Refinishing Kit
This tub refinishing kit from Ekopel is one of the more expensive kits but it is low VOC, eco-friendly, and claims to never peel. The description says it will last up to 20 years! There are some concerns in the reviews that the application isn’t as simple as some of the others.
6. DWIL Bathtub and Tile Refinishing Kit
This DWIL bathtub refinishing kit seems to have pretty good reviews and is available for Amazon Prime. There are some nice user-submitted photos and people did seem to have good luck with it. It goes on with a roller and comes in multiple color choices.
The bathtub kit appears to contain enough for a standard tub but they also have a smaller kit for sinks, and larger kits for larger areas making this pretty versatile. It comes with rubber gloves, sand paper, and a foam brush which is nice, but those are relatively cheap items and readily available anywhere. So I wouldn’t necessarily make a decision based on that.
7. Bathworks DIY Bathtub & Tile Refinishing Kit
This refinishing kit from Bathworks is currently available through Amazon Prime and it has some seemingly positive reviews and some nice photos of user-submitted finished products. So it might be worth taking a look at.
One Bathworks kit covers a standard bathtub. If you need to refinish the walls as well you will need at least two kits.
8. RTG Shower & Tub Refinishing Paint
This RTG Supply Company tub refinishing product is made for acrylic, fiberglass, and enamel surfaces. It is available through Amazon Prime and has free returns which is a nice bonus in case the product doesn’t live up to your expectations.
The reviews are pretty good for this kit, and there are some user-submitted photos in the review section as well.
When it comes to choosing one of these bathtub refinishing kits, you have to choose carefully based on your project requirements, budget, and ease of application vs. your level of DIY skill.
You will also want to pay attention to the following:
- Available colors
- Application type (paint type seems to get better reviews than aerosol cans spray refinisher type)
- Skill level required
- Non-toxic
- How many bathtub refinishing kits of the brand you choose that you need to complete your project
- Verify that your chosen kit will work on your specific tub material
One other thing to keep in mind when choosing bathtub refinishing kits is the size of the area you are going to cover. If you do not have enough product with one kit, you may need to buy more than one kit, but a kit may contain other stuff you may not need. Some of the brands do sell the part a and part b components separately which may be more affordable than buying multiple starter kits.
Have you refinished a bathtub or are you thinking about doing it? We’d love to hear from you about your experience!
