Replace or refinish your bathtub? It depends on your budget and the extent of damage

Have you found scratches or even larger cracks on your bathtub? Or do you simply no longer like your bathtub and long for a change at any cost?

In neither case is it absolutely necessary to start tearing up the whole bathroom. You can continue to indulge in your favourite baths; there are two solution options, and it's up to you whether you choose the cheaper refinishing or the more demanding but more striking replacement.

It's not just about the bathtub. Think about the details.

When you're thinking about refinishing or replacing the bathtub, take into account not only the condition of the bathtub itself but also its surroundings, such as bathtub taps, tiling, pipework, drains and water meters. If they were in poor condition, you would have to dig into the bathroom again in a few months anyway. It is therefore much simpler to take care of everything at once.

Similar advice applies to access panels, which are most often located in the bathtub surround, behind the bathtub, in the shower or behind the toilet and give us access precisely to water meters, drains or risers. Today there are even ones whose presence in the bathroom you won't even be aware of until you need to use them. Well-chosen access panels built in under the tiling on a bricked-in bathtub or wall do not disrupt the appearance of the bathroom in any way.

1) Replacement: longer, more demanding, but with the option of a bigger change

The first option is a complete replacement of the bathtub with a new model. It must be mentioned at the outset that if you choose this alternative, you won't avoid more demanding construction work, especially if you now have the bathtub built in and bricked in. Unlike refinishing, replacement takes longer and is more financially demanding.

In return, however, you can choose a whole new look for the bathtub and experiment with its placement too. Perhaps you've longed all your life for a corner bathtub; removing your old rectangular one will make it possible. You can also change the bathtub surround, which will change the overall look of your bathroom. With the choice of a new bathtub then comes the key decision of which type to choose.

In which bathtub will baths be the most pleasant?

The advantage of acrylic bathtubs is above all the option of choosing various shapes and sizes; they are very pleasant and warm to the touch. On the other hand, they have a soft surface and are thus more prone to any physical damage. Cast-iron bathtubs hide a certain retro touch within them, especially when you opt for a freestanding bathtub on legs, which instantly becomes the design centrepiece of your entire bathroom. Besides that, cast-iron bathtubs keep the water warm for a long time, so after filling you can enjoy long baths.

Long service life and high resistance to damage and scratching are the pride of enamelled steel bathtubs. These advantages are, however, offset by a limited choice of sizes and shapes. This is caused by the special technology by which enamelled bathtubs are produced. Bathtubs made of composite materials, which combine the advantages of the materials used, are also frequently sought after. They will last you a long time, are pleasant to the touch, and you'll also be able to choose shapes and sizes.

2) Refinishing: a compromise between price and appearance

Refinishing represents the cheaper approach. Besides the price, it is also favoured by the option of repairing only the specific damaged spot on the bathtub; there's no need to immediately set about repairing the whole bathtub. If you don't need a new bathtub, refinishing is the more advantageous solution for you. There are several methods of refinishing depending on the bathtub material and the extent of its damage.

Local repair

If you discover only a few scratches, scuffs or a small crack on your bathtub, they can be repaired using special repair kits. These serve mainly for acrylic bathtubs, but similar touch-up kits are also available for cast-iron or marble bathtubs. The procedure for refinishing an acrylic bathtub consists of cleaning, sanding and smoothing the damaged spot, topping up the acrylic and re-sanding it into a smooth final form.

A new bathtub into the old one

We'll stay with acrylic bathtubs a little longer. For them and for cast-iron bathtubs a special liner can be used. It is made exactly to the size of your old bathtub and is simply inserted inside! So there's no demolition or damage to the tiling awaiting you; it's a very quick process. At the end, which comes after just a few hours of work, you gain all the advantages of a new bathtub. This procedure can also be used for enamelled or older sheet-metal bathtubs. By contrast, a liner made of plastic or laminate is almost never used; there is a great risk of scratching or even cracking.

A new coating

A bathtub can also be refinished using a new coating. If you set about it, first thoroughly degrease the bathtub with thinner, sand it down using sandpaper and remove all physical dirt and dust. Onto such a prepared dry and clean base a two-component epoxy paint is applied, which will give you a new and smooth surface. The coating must be allowed to dry sufficiently (up to 24 hours) and then repeated in a second layer.

Should you finance a bathroom renovation with a loan, or rather just do a cheap refinish?

Deciding whether to embark on a renovation with the help of a loan is a complex task and needs to be carefully weighed up. An important part is the comparison of loans, which can help us understand the real financial burdens and their impact on our future. Sometimes it can be sensible to choose a loan if it allows us to improve our housing or increase the value of our property. However, it is important to bear in mind that a loan brings an obligation and we should be prepared to repay it. If we are sure that we can manage repaying the loan and that it will bring us tangible benefits, a loan for a renovation can be a good solution. But if we are uncertain about repayment, it may be better to postpone the renovation rather than get into financial trouble. In any case, when deciding, comparing loans and carefully analysing our financial situation is key.