The day you bought your home, you probably did not anticipate there would come a time when you would have to replace the family bathtub. Your bathtub might have signs of wear and tear, which could include scratches, ugly stains, or just the finish appearing duller than when you first purchased your home. After all, the bathtub has probably been there since the home was first constructed, regardless of how long ago that took place.
Your bathtub wearing out is an inevitable fate. There is pretty much no way to keep it from happening. You could stop taking baths, but even then a drippy faucet could leave water stains or rust around the opening for those fixtures on the surface of the tub. Eventually, you will have to face it that your bathtub is just washed up, and you need to either replace or refinish it.
Replacing Your Bathtub
You could choose to rip out the old tub and put in a new one. Replacing your old tub is not always the most efficient solution. Tubs are set back into corners. You could find yourself in the middle of a whole remodeling project for your bathroom if you choose to pull out the tub and replace it with a new model. If your budget will allow for this, however, then you should definitely consider it.
There are quite a few benefits to replacing your bathtub. They include:
– Being able to change out the bathtub surround
– Replacing a standard bath with a whirlpool model
– Easy to maintain your same look if just switching out the tub
– Opportunity to change out the tile surrounding your tub
– Upgrading from a stand-alone shower to a full-size tub
– Easier replacement of faucets and other tub-related fixtures
– Add years of life to your family’s bathroom with a replacement tub
Another benefit to replacing your tub is that if you are renovating your bathroom in expectation of living in your home through your golden years or have an elderly family member who plans to move into your family’s home, then you can replace your current tub with one that has handicap features, such as a built-in safety step or handrail, to prevent slips and falls in the bathroom.
Refinishing Your Bathtub
Refinishing your bathtub is a good option for people who want the look of a new tub but lack the budget to afford a whole room renovation. Some homeowners like that refinishing or relining an old tub to make it look new again is less hassle overall than renovation the entire bathroom.
Refinishing an existing bathtub offers so many benefits including:
– The job can often be completely done in under a week’s time
– The cost is less than that of a brand new tub in most cases
– A professional can refinish your tub with less chemical fumes
– Refinishing can repair cracks, chips, and similar imperfections
– Add years of life to the bathroom at the fraction of a cost of a new tub
There are problems that can follow a refinishing job, such as bubbles in the finish, fading, an uneven or sticky texture, or roughness to the exterior of the refinished surface. If this occurs, just contact the professional and he can use his experience to provide you with answers to your questions.
What to Ask when Hiring a Contractor
Now that you know why and how to upgrade your tub, it is time to find the person to do the job. You do not want just anyone coming into your home and doing the work, and that is why it is important to get information like reviews and references. You need to know if they do background checks on their employees, and ask if they are licensed and bonded to complete work in your geographic area.
You also want to know the experience level of the people working on upgrading your bathtub. Will they be able to use your same faucets or do you want to upgrade to new ones? How long will the job take? And most importantly for some families, how much will it cost? When it comes to getting an estimate, have one written down in the style of a formal agreement. This will help reduce the risk that when the job comes to a close, you are hit with surprise charges on the bill.