apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have just completed two bathroom renovations with very tight budgets, so I am sympathetic to the premise of this article in the Times, and the post here.

However, it is a strong overstatement to say that a bathtub is an 800-pound gorilla. It is quite easy to break up even the heaviest cast iron tub with a cheap sledge-hammer, and to carry it down the the trash or dumpster in pieces. We did it ourselves, and it took less than an hour. The sledgehammer was $30 at the Ace Hardware.

The article also overemphasizes the difficulties of matching a new tub to an old space. Many of the tubs on the market (and there are hundreds) will precisely match your previous tub, with little or no re-piping necessary. Home Depot and Lowe's have a number of quite nice tubs for $300, and other sizes matching your old tub available for order.

It's true that psychologically a tub can loom large. But it may not be as difficult to remove an old one as this article implies. I'm a 42 year old female, standing 5'4", and I was able to do it. So can others.

Thanks bronxmaria!

I have 2 neighbors who have done the Re-bath fiberglass cover option and they are fugly! In our neighborhood we have cast iron tubs with grouted tile walls and the fiberglass shells are both expensive and ugly and do not age well. My neighbors 2 doors down had their tub re-glazed and the tile re-grouted and not only does it look like brand new but it was cheaper than the fiberglass shell option.

My tub needs some help and I plan on having it re-glazed this spring and it will cost me around $350 here in Richmond VA.

I did the Re-bath on my tub and was very pleased with the result. You do have to clean it according to the directions - mine sparkles. It was 7 or 8 years ago and it was $750 - I just found the receipt the other day doing taxes. So pricey. People were always surprised to find out it was a liner and just a plain old tub. I did not do the walls, etc. I do not think those look good.

As a side note, the bathwater stays warmer longer in with the liner and the bottom of the tub isn't cold when you step in. For me, those were nice little bonuses.

Unfortunately, the article does not cover what I consider to be the most effective and durable way to refinish a cast iron bathtub -- have it sandblasted and powder coated.

That's what I had done with the old clawfoot tub in my bathroom (seen here). They did the tub, sink, and radiator all at once. The cost was about $1000 for all three pieces, including pickup and delivery (no small feat, the tub is incredibly heavy).

Powder coating is environmentally friendly, incredibly durable, and you can have it done in just about any color imaginable. The only downside is that it must be done off-site, but with a major bathroom renovation, it can be beneficial to get everything out of there for a while, anyway!

the owners of my 50 year old apartment complex has been refinishing tubs and their tile surrounds.......the transformation is amazingly effective

I cringed when I read that someone took a sledge hammer to their old tub. I love old tubs! I can't imagine making trash out of it. I had my tub refinished about 8 years ago for $350 and it looked brand new when they were done! You do have be careful about some cleaning products but that is only a minor sacrifice for such a great looking tub. I really don't think the chain stores can match the quality of an old tub for the same price. I'm about to have it redone again which I'm more than willing to do. No sledge hammer for me thanks.