Peeling or Previously Refinished Bathtub

A tub that’s peeling, flaking or bubbling has almost always been refinished before — usually with a sprayed coating that was too thin, or applied over a surface that wasn’t prepared. The good news: a tub that was refinished once can be refinished properly. The bad news: the old coating has to come off first.

BEFORE AFTER

Why it peels

What went wrong the first time

A refinish fails for one of three reasons, and we see all of them weekly:

Poor prep. The tub wasn’t etched or wasn’t fully clean, so the coating never bonded. It lifts in sheets, often starting at the drain or the corners.
Thin coating. A sprayed finish is a fraction of the thickness of a poured one. It scratches, wears through and starts to flake within a year or two.
Used too soon. Water on a finish that hadn’t cured. The surface stays soft, bubbles and peels around the drain.

None of this means the tub is finished. The cast iron or steel underneath is usually fine — it’s only the layer on top that has to go.

BEFORE

AFTER

Peeling sprayed finish — before and after

What we do differently

Refinishing a previously refinished tub

The old coating comes off. We sand the failed finish down with a grinder — peeling, bubbling and loose areas are removed, and what remains is taken down until the surface is sound and even. This is the step most refinishers skip; it’s the reason their work peels too.
Etching and neutralizing. The exposed porcelain is acid-etched, rinsed, scrubbed with a soda-based cleaner and rinsed again, so the new enamel bonds to the tub itself, not to someone else’s paint.
Drying, filling, sealing. Dried with heat, wiped with alcohol; chips and pits filled; the tub-to-wall seam resealed; fixtures and tile masked.
Pour-on enamel. A thick, self-leveling coat poured — not sprayed — across the whole tub. It cures into one hard, glossy surface in 24 hours and carries our 5-year warranty.

Tell us it’s been refinished before when you send photos. Removing an old coating takes more work, and the quote should reflect it — we’d rather price it right than surprise you on the day.

BATHTUB REGLAZING COST – PRICING

BEFORE AFTER

OUR SIGNATURE SERVICE

Bathtub Reglazing

Pour-On Method — 10× thicker than spray
5-year written warranty
Ready in 24 hours
Cast iron & steel tubs only
Odorless, safe for kids & pets

STARTING AT: $475 *tax included

GET A QUOTE

Additional services

Caulking

Included, no extra charge

Travel beyond our core area

Varies

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One exception

Tub liners are not a refinish — and we can’t work over one

If the tub has an acrylic liner (a plastic shell glued over the original tub), that’s a different situation. Water gets trapped between the liner and the tub, the metal underneath rusts, and the damage can’t be assessed until the liner is out — and often not fixed even then.

We don’t remove liners and don’t refinish tubs that have had one, even after removal. For those, a general contractor and a new tub is the honest answer.

Not sure what you have? A liner has a visible edge at the rim, often a thin gap at the drain, and sounds hollow when you tap it. A sprayed refinish looks like paint — it chips and flakes, but there’s no separate layer with an edge.

Send us a close-up of the rim and the drain and we’ll tell you which it is.

Second time done right

Peeling tubs are some of our most common jobs, and they come out the same as any other — white, glossy, seamless. One visit, ready in 24 hours, 5-year warranty.

What customers say

Reviews

Excellent ★★★★★ 5.0 | 1 reviews

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Paul G.

★★★★★3 years ago

Great bathtub reglazing service! Quick, professional, and my tub looks new. Very happy with the results. Highly recommend!

↳ Owner's reply

It was a pleasure working with you, and we're grateful for your positive review of our tub reglazing service. Thank you for trusting us with your project!

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