Are you trying to decide whether you should refinish the items in your bathroom or replace them?
Having trouble deciding if it is better to refinish or replace? Refinishing is often the most cost and time efficient remodeling option. But depending on your situation, it may be better to replace.
Bathroom remodeling has what seems like endless options and depending on your budget can go from inexpensive to very expensive quickly. The reason bathtub refinishing is so popular is because a bathtub is typically installed in a home before the drywall is even installed, so removing and replacing a bathtub is costly and can sometimes cause more damage to the rest of the home. Refinishing can be an excellent option to freshen up the look for many items in your bathroom without removing and replacing them. For what items can be refinished click here.
The oldest and most durable bathtubs are made from porcelain coated cast iron, which by their nature are very heavy and are difficult to move. And due to their long lifespan, the surface of these tubs can become worn, scratched, rust-stained or chipped, while the structure of the tub itself remains solid for many more years of use. In most cases, a bathtub is still in decent shape; it just isn’t that bright, white look that the homeowner is looking for. Refinishing this type of bathtub can give it that “new” bright, white look you need without the hassle or cost of replacing.
But what if my bathtub has a crack or rust?
We can easily fix chips, scratches, surface rust and small cracks. However, damage that is more structural in nature; i.e. cracked due to insufficient support during installation, or major rust due to deep chips or holes in a porcelain tub can pose some challenges to refinishing. While it is possible to do repairs of this nature, it is hard to gauge how long the repairs might last. So for some situations, replacing is the better option. Read more about what to do for damaged items here.
Major structural damage?
While we can repair a vast range of damaged items, sometimes the damage is due to a serious structural flaw. We liken a repair like this to putting a bandage on a broken arm. It may look like it is helping, but in actuality you are going to keep running into problems until it is replaced.
If you like the shape and size of the item, but not the color or luster, then refinishing is the better choice. But if you need to change the texture of your surface (i.e. Heavily textured tile or raised designs on a surface) or the size/shape of the item no longer works for you, replacing is likely the only option.
If the items you are thinking about having refinished are in good structural condition, and the shape and size still works for you, refinishing is an excellent choice to give you an updated, fresh look. However, if your item is heavily damaged, is the wrong size or shape and just isn’t functional for you anymore; replacement may be your better option.
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