LOW COST TUB REGLAZING-THE TRUTH BEHIND THE COST

A high demand for the tub refinishing industry has opened the doors for a slew of new and upcoming service providers. While some of these providers may be well qualified there are those who are trying their hand at this process with only the knowledge that is supplied with the instructions that come with a DIY kit from the local hardware store.

The DIY kit instructions only require you to clean your tub or tile with Ajax, wet sand, tack the surface and then paint with a roller, brush or low pressure sprayer such as an HVLP. If you were to follow these instructions the time frame it would take to refinish a tub would be approximately 2 hours, the total overhead for the job would be roughly $50.00 and if the refinisher charged a minimum of $225.00 he would be making a profit of $175.00. If he did 2 jobs a day $350.00 would be a good profit margin for one day.

The truth is this, these products would be somewhat satisfactory if some additional preparation steps were taken, and these steps would include acid etching and priming or applying a silane adhesion promoter. Many refinishers will skip these steps for the sake of getting the job done faster so they can move along to the next job. Applying a silane adhesion promoter or priming the tub with a quality primer alongside etching and preparation is probably one of the most critical components for a successful finish that will last for years. A proper tub refinish job should take 3-4 hours.

So, let’s put this in some basic financial terms so you can get a reality check on what the truth is behind the cost and this is per tub only.

• Quality epoxy primer or silane - $10.00

• Polyurethane finish - $10.00

• Etching solution - $3.00

• Filler for any repairs and filling inconsistencies - $5.00

• Solvent for cleaning and degreasing - $6.00

• Paper and tape - $8.00

• Caulking - $2.00

• Plastic - $6.00

• Labor – 4 hours @ $75.00 per hour = $300

TOTAL=$350

These are rough estimates and does not include if the tub has ever been refinished before which would require additional steps and cost more, or, if the refinisher is running specials. So, the truth is you can expect to pay between $350 and $500 for a proper tub reglazing job.

These estimates do not include traveling cost because we assume the owner/operator is eating this cost from his profit? You can rest assure that if your provider is taking less than 2 hours to complete the task he is surely cutting corners and you will definitely be paying to have it refinished again at a greater expense than to begin within a very short period of time. This is the truth…

If you need a quality job done call Southern California’s AB Ceramic Tile Regrout and Reglaze Systems. We specialize in tub refinishing; tile refinishing, countertop and vanity refinishing, re-grouting and grout cleaning and sealing. Call us today toll free 1-866-722-3301 or visit us on the web at http://www.regroutpros.com/