Anybody know about touching up tub enamel?

[fudge stripe cookays]

We've got a little bald spot in our one tub. Can we touch this is up?

I mean can it be done, is it feasible, and can we do it ourselves vs having to pay big bucks for it?

We're still sprucing up the place, but now the "money shot" bathroom(as reprehensor calls it) shows up my Shakespeare bathroom, and I need to do some small scale refurbishing.

The master bath is still in progress, but at long last the tiling is done! (Thanks to DU's own LiberalUprising, who did a FANTASTIC JOB! Call him if you're in the Metroplex area)

Now, we just have to have our new plumbing fixtures and new toilet put in, have our new shower door enclosure installed, finish painting, and put our mirrors back up with lovely mouldings around them to dress them up. And of course the towel racks, knobs and other hardware.

Don't worry, I took lots of before pix, and plan on taking just as many afters (if not more!)

:hi:
fsc

[NMDemDist2]

1. i saw on a "Design to Sell" show the host went a got a few small

bottles of paint specially for tub/sink touchup. she got several then mixed until she had a good match

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. So it CAN be done.

This is encouraging! I love Tanya and Roger. That man can perform miracles. He is my idol right now (my new and improved linen closet being a case in point).

:D

[NMDemDist2]

4. it was Lisa LaPorta IIRC

but yes, it *can* be done

:hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

5. Ah you're right.

I'm thinking of "Sell This House" on A & E.

But I watch both shows whenever they're on!

[Warpy]

10. There is enamel and there is epoxy

My experience with epoxy is that it's nasty stuff. It's got loads of toxic fumes and it really doesn't wear all that well. I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible to do adequate surface prep for the damned stuff.

Both the enamel and the epoxies made for patching tubs, sinks and appliances are self leveling, meaning they'll fill in the ding to the point you'll have to look for it to find it.

You'll be able to get a much closer color match with the enamels, I think.

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. Thanks warpy.

'preciate it!

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. Here's a link if anyone else is in thhe same boat....

http://www.a-home.net/remodeling/bathrooms/porcelain-bathtubs.htm

I'll check at the hardware store this weekend and see what I can find.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. It can be done ....... but ........

First, the original enamel on a sink or tub is very high fired and is akin to glass (which is why it chips instead of just wearing off). There is simply no way to replicate or repair this finish.

What is possible is to use a high build enamel paint to cover the scratch, chip or wear spot. The problem is, the repair will be obvious. Not as obvious, of course, as a black chip in a white enamel tub, but obvious enough to be noticed.

If you confine the repair to small spots and apply the paint carefully, you can minimize the obviousness. What you just can not do is belnd it in over a larger area. the margin of the repair will always be a hard line against the underlying 'porcelain' (fired enamel).

I've used a product named 'Klenk's' and would recommentd it to anyone. It is a hard epoxy paint that is used to refinish an entire tub, not just cover chips. It is very high solid/high build, self-leveling while liquid, and reasonably durable.



http://www.klenks.com/klenkspages/tubtile.html

The downside is that this is at best a temporary fix. I used it years ago in an old house we owned. The tub was simply worn out with the finish gone near the drain (as happens with many old tubs from the 1920s). I redid the tub with this stuff and it looked great. We sold the house about three years later and the tub still looked 'okay' but it was already starting to wear through. Paint simply is not as good as fired enamel. But this was an excellent stop-gap, and could probably be redone to buy even more time.

One cautionary note - it needs about a week to cure and the tub can not be used during this time.

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. Thanks stinky!

Figured you would chime in with some good advice. Do you know if HD or Lowe's carries Klenks, or is it something we need to specially order online?

All we really need is a short term solution. Since we're trying to sell the house, I'll let someone else deal with the long term implications; I just want something to cover up the chip. And I used to be an art major, so I have great confidence in my ability to do a good job. I'm just looking for the best products out there. And I knew DUers would have some good hints.

Coincidentally, our new master bath is almost done, so when we have a shower to use (waiting on the new plumbing and shower door right now), the guest bath tub will have time to cure.

:hi:
fsc

[Stinky The Clown]

8. According to their web site, it is widely available .....

.... Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, etc. .......

[fudge stripe cookays]

9. Groovy.

Was going to check the website later on when I got time. Knew you'd probably know offhand.