Can a Bathtub Be Painted & Look Good?
- Ordinary latex paint won't last long inside a bathtub. If you apply common latex, oil or acrylic paint to a tub, fading, chipping and peeling will prove inevitable. For an attractive finish that will hold up to extreme conditions, choose either an acrylic enamel or epoxy painted finish. Each of these coatings provides lasting results in the face of adversity.
- Whether you're planning to paint a fiberglass or porcelain enameled cast iron bathtub, adhesion will prove impossible unless you properly prepare the surface prior to application. Bathtubs are too slick for paint adhesion. Combat this by abrading the tub with sandpaper. Scour the tub until every square inch feels rough to your skin. Don't attempt to paint a non-abraded tub, or significant paint failure will surely follow.
- Even abraded tubs will reject paint unless they're conditioned with an adhesive bonding base. Apply an acrylic primer to your abraded bathtub, which will promote better adhesion and help protect the final finish from premature wear. Avoid plain latex paints, which aren't well suited for surfaces subject to duress.
- Though you can apply paint to a bathtub using a paintbrush and roller, the finish may show subtle roller bumps and brush marks. For best results, apply the painted finish using either a gas- or electric-powered spray rig. If you have experience working with a spray rig, you're likely to generate attractive results as long as you maintain an 18-inch distance between the tub and spraying tip at all times throughout the application process. If you've never used a spray rig before, you may end up with ugly sagging in the finish. Inexperienced painters should hire a professional to paint their bathtubs.
