Affordable Upgrades: Tub & Shower Liners
“…I’m happy to say we can usually install an acrylic replacement tub and acrylic bath walls in just 1½ to 2 days for a fraction of the cost of tearing out the old bathtub and walls.”—Jerry Gerstl
There are a couple of options you can look at when you have a leaking or rusting steel or cast iron bathtub. You can either buy a new, replacement tub, incurring the expense of the tub and the related tear-out and repair expenses, OR you can re-line the tub, keeping your present tub by improving it with an acrylic liner. Jerry Gerstl, Owner of RENEW-IT Tub Lines of Madison
Re-lining the bathroomtub appeals to many people for various reasons.
♦ Expense—liners are a fraction of the expense of a new tub, plus there are costs associated with removal and repair of the walls around the tub.
♦ Convenience—a tub liner can be replaced in one day – not days or weeks depending on the amount of change the homeowner wants in their home.
♦ Safety—the process takes one crew a single day as opposed to potentially multiple contractors (tear out, install, tile, floor, etc). The less people in and out of your house the better.
♦ Walls—new walls can be installed to further update the look of your bathroom, transforming the entire look.
♦ Showers—in place of the tub a shower stall can be installed, including matching new walls (see photos above)
It’s important for people to understand that the technology for liners has changed substantially in recent years. For example, in the 70-80’s, tubs were commonly ‘reglazed’ or refinished with a top layer of paint that was an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane enamel. It made bathtubs look brand new. The main drawback of this process was that it was a temporary solution; the paint could peel over time.
Built To Last
Renew-It’s commitment is to use a durable material to renew bathtubs. Acrylic tub liners are the answer. An acrylic tub liner is a new bathtub custom-made to go over steel or cast iron tubs. Steel and cast iron have a porcelain enamel shell baked onto them to provide the bather a smooth surface. Over time porcelain can chip then becoming porous,making it hard to clean. That is where acrylic excels in that it has a durable, glossy surface, which will not chip, crack, dent, peel or rust and is very scratch resistant. Acrylic is also extremely easy to keep clean because it is non-porous and will retain its gloss for years if no abrasive cleaners are used.
One Solution Does Not Fit All
“One thing we will not do is place a liner over a fiberglass unit tub because the fiberglass doesn’t have the structural integrity to support a tub liner,” says Gerstl. “Unfortunately for the homeowner, the fiberglass unit must be removed, disposed of and a new acrylic tub is installed in it’s place.”
