Types and Sizes of Bathtubs

Bathtub Refinishing 101

Bathtub materials are not created equal.  There are actually 4 different types of material that can be used in manufacturing a bathtub:  porcelain, acrylic, fiberglass, or cultured marble.    

A porcelain tub has a base of either steel or cast iron, and is the most common type of bathtub found in homes built before the 1970s.  A "standard" size porcelain tub is in the shape of a 5 foot rectangle, and is usually surrounded by 3 walls of tile or other material that is separated by a caulk line.  

Acrylic and Fiberglass bathtubs can also be the same 5' standard size, but they can also be oversized (like a garden tub), or part of a wall unit where the tub and the surrounding walls are all one piece of material, not separated by a caulk line.

Cultured Marble bathtubs are typically always oversized, and almost always found in a Master bathroom.  These types of tubs are can be jetted, and have steps, ledges, and shelves.

Pricing varies on these bathtubs depending on the amount of damage and whether the tub has been refinished before.  See minimum pricing and more detailed information just below. 

Wherever there is damage in a bathtub, all of it (nicks, cuts, chips, scratches, rust, stains) must be repaired before the bathtub can be refinished in order to guarantee the work.  

Over time, bathtub finishes will naturally develop pinholes, pock marks, dimples, or other kinds of flaws that may or may not be seen with the naked eye.  Some porcelain bathtubs are manufactured with anti-slip bottoms that have been sandblasted into the porcelain finish, so they are even more prone to these inherent flaws.  Once we start to spray on the new finish, these flawed areas may begin to appear.  To help reduce this problem prior to refinishing, we fill in these flawed areas with Bondo to build them up, then gently sand them smooth as part of the prep phase.  We call this process "skinning" the tub, and it is part of the repair process.  

Please note our warranty is specifically related to the two things under our control:  workmanship and product defects.  Rust repairs on porcelain bathtubs are warrantied for the original repair only, because steel tubs may continue to rust from the inside out.  Also, we cannot guarantee that cracks or holes won't reappear later in a bathtub due to the underlying source of the damage (possibly a house shift, improper initial installation, water leak, or previous damage to the same area) being unknown and unresolved. 

Our service areas extend to most of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. Jim's home base is in Colleyville, so he generally services the cities of Argyle, Bedford, Carrollton, Colleyville, Coppell, Euless, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Justin, Keller, Lewisville, Northlake, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club, Watauga, and Westlake. 

David's home base is Dallas, so he generally services the cities of Arlington, Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Garland, Grand Prairie, Hutchins, Irving, Lancaster, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson, and Rowlett.  These cities indicate our maximum travel range.  Outside of these areas an additional travel charge would apply, or if Jim and David crossed service areas.

Call Debbie at 817.305.0300 or email debbie@sharprefinishing.com if you're unsure whether we travel to your area without an additional travel charge, which generally ranges from $25-$50 per day.

If you need Bathtub Refinishing and live in the DFW area or one of its surrounding cities like Argyle, Arlington, Bedford, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Colleyville, Coppell, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Euless, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Highland Park, Highland Village, Hurst, Irving, Justin, Keller, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mansfield, Mesquite, North Richland Hills, Northlake, Plano, Richardson, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Rowlett, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club, University Park, or Watauga, you are in our service area.