Give Your Old Bathtub An Inexpensive Makeover

Do you have the same light peach colored bathtub you originally installed in the 1980s when your first child was born? Although it may have been seen as "cutting edge" back in the day, you are probably in desperate need of a makeover. Your trusty bathtub has served you well so why not reward it with some proverbial bathtub botox or facelift? 

The first thing you can do to give your old bathtub an instant revamp is to change the surroundings. If buying a brand new bathtub just isn't reasonable for your limited budget, you can add minor touches around your bathroom to give the impression of a bigger transformation. For example, you can paint the wall a new color, buy a new shower curtain, place some rugs and towels that match that a color scheme that you have established or add other little embellishments throughout the room. This technique is the least expensive and oftentimes, produces the best results.

If your bathroom itself is looking fine and the only culprit behind the design setback is your old bathtub, then there are still some cost effective methods to fix it. First you can restore the tired surface of your bathtub by doing a quick refinish. You don't have to sand down your whole porcelain bathtub to repaint and gloss it over; instead, you can pick the problem areas and work primarily on those parts of your tub. The key to a durable bathtub refinishing is by properly cleaning, preparing and bonding it. If you purchase a good non-toxic bondng agent, you can fill in the porous cracks and dents in your old bathtub. Executed correctly, you can afford your tub an extra 10-15 years. After you are done, you can go over it with a matching color that goes well with the rest of your old bathtub.

When you decide to go the inexpensive route and do it right, you won't regret not spending all those extra dollars on a brand new whirlpool bathtub because you will swear that you already have one.