How to Recoat a Failed Tub Refinishing Kit

You're not the first person this has happened to.

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you have a failed tub refinishing kit (or failed professional refinishing job) on your hands - peeling, bubbling, flaking off in sheets, or just looking nothing like the photos on the box. You spent a weekend (and a couple hundred dollars) on it, and now you're back at square one. That's frustrating. It's also a lot more common than the brands selling those kits would have you believe.

The good news: your tub isn't ruined. With the right prep and the right coating, you can strip what's there and start over - and end up with a finish that holds up.

This page walks through what likely went wrong, what it takes to fix it, and how a Bathworks kit is built differently from the one you used the first time. We won't promise you a guaranteed result - refinishing is hands-on work and there are real variables involved. But we will tell you everything we know about how to successfully refinish your surface this time!

Why a failed tub refinishing kit isn't your fault

Most of the bathtub refinishing kits sold at big-box hardware stores and on Amazon use a coating chemistry that's just not well-suited for the job. They're typically a one-part acrylic - meaning everything is pre-mixed in a single can or aerosol, no activator, no measuring, no pot life. That's appealing because it sounds easy. The trade-off is that the coating never fully cures into a hard, durable film. It dries by solvent evaporation, like wall paint, instead of by a chemical reaction that locks the coating into itself.

A tub is one of the most demanding surfaces in your house. It sits in hot water, gets scrubbed with harsh cleaners, has body oils and shampoo residue working on it daily, and lives in a high-humidity environment. A coating that hasn't chemically cured doesn't stand up to those conditions for long. When we get calls about a failed tub refinishing kit, the symptoms almost always fall into one of these patterns:

• Peeling and lifting - usually starts at the drain or around the faucet, anywhere water pools
• Yellowing - the acrylic resin breaks down under UV from bathroom windows and chemicals
• Bubbling - moisture trapped under a coating that isn't actually bonded
• Scratching off with a fingernail - the coating cured thin, soft, not hard

The other half of the problem is prep. Every refinishing kit on the market relies on the user doing the prep work - cleaning, etching, drying, masking. Most kits include a basic cleaner and call it a day. They don't tell you that bathtub surfaces (porcelain, fiberglass, cultured marble, acrylic) each require different surface preparation, and that getting this step wrong is the single biggest predictor of coating failure. It's not that you did the prep wrong - it's that the kit didn't give you the tools and/or information to do it right.

None of this is your fault. You followed the instructions on the box. The instructions were either incomplete, prep wasn't thoroughly completed and/or the coating chemistry was working against you from day one.

What it takes to fix it

Recoating over a failed tub refinishing kit is more work than refinishing a bare tub - but it's absolutely doable. Here's what the project looks like:

Step 1: Strip the failed coating

This is the part most people skip and the part you shouldn't skip. You need to get the old coating off - if you can. If you coat over the old finish that hasn't properly bonded, the new finish will fail in the same places. 

Stripping methods:

• Razor Blade scrapping - this is the first approach we recommend - remove what you can, and sand what you can't
• Mechanical sanding with coarse grit on an orbital sander - porcelain (40 - 80 grit), all other surfaces (120 - 220 grit)
• Chemical strippers rated for epoxy/urethane removal - read labels carefully, ventilate aggressively, use all personal protection equipment, use with caution & at your own risk (not recommended for indoor use or by Bathworks)

Step 2: Repair any damage

Once everything is stripped, you'll see whatever damage was hiding underneath - chips, gouges, rust spots on cast iron tubs, hairline cracks. These need to be filled and sanded smooth before any new coating goes on. Our Chip Repair Kit is recommended for this exact use.

Step 3: Etch the surface

This is where the EZ-Etch step comes in if you have a porcelain, ceramic, cast iron, or steel tub. Etching microscopically roughs up the surface, so the new coating has something to mechanically grip - it's not just chemical adhesion, it's physical interlocking. Our EZ-Etch Kit is a separate product specifically designed for hard, non-porous surfaces; it's stronger than the TSP cleaner included in our standard refinishing kits. Fiberglass and acrylic tubs don't need this step.

Step 4: Clean and dry, completely

Any residue - soap film, body oil, dust from sanding, water from rinsing - between the etched surface and the new coating is a future failure point. Wipe everything down with the cleaner included in the Bathworks kit, then let the tub dry. Follow the instructions provided in your kit.

Step 5: Mix and apply the Bathworks coating

This is the part that's different from what you did the first time. The Bathworks coating is a two-component crosslink polymer (proprietary) - that means there's a resin component and a hardener component, and you mix them together right before application. Once they're mixed, a chemical reaction kicks off that ties the coating together at the molecular level.

The kit includes a full instruction sheet with pre-measured mix ratios, pot life, application technique, and recoat windows. Two coats are recommended. Total application time is typically between 3 - 4 hours.  Dry-time is between 24 - 48 hours.

How a Bathworks kit compares

We're not the only ones selling tub refinishing kits, and we won't pretend the alternatives don't exist. Here's an honest comparison of what's in the box.

The honest summary: the big-box kits are cheaper up front and easier to grab off a shelf. The Bathworks kit costs more, requires prep work, and asks more of you as the applicator. What you get in exchange is the same coating chemistry that professional refinishers charge $700 - $1200 to apply.

Which Bathworks kit you'll need

For most projects involving a failed tub refinishing kit, the kit you want is:

Bathworks Roll-On Refinishing Kit with Non-Slip - cover a standard 60 sq ft tub with two coats, includes the TSP commercial cleaner, non-slip additive, all tools & accessories, and full instructions.  Available in White, Biscuit, Bone, Almond, Red, and Black (specialty colors upon request). 

Bathworks Essentials Refinishing Kit with Non-Slip - covers a standard 60 sq ft tub with two coats, non-slip additive, and full instructions. Available in White, Biscuit, Bone, Almond, and Black.

You also need, depending on your tub:

• EZ-Etch Kit - if your tub is porcelain, ceramic, cast iron, or steel. Skip this if you have fiberglass or acrylic.
• Chip Repair Kit - if you have chips, gouges, or rust spots to fix before recoating. 

If you're not sure what your tub is made of or what you'll need, give us a call at 1-800-872-8827. Our customer service team is here to help you at every step.  

Frequently asked questions

Will the new coating last longer than the old one?
With proper stripping, etching, and application, customers regularly report many years of enjoyment. 

What if my tub is fiberglass / acrylic / cultured marble?
The Bathworks coating works on all of those - but you can skip the EZ-Etch step for fiberglass, acrylic or cultured marble. Those surfaces don't require etching.  For all others, EZ Etch is available on our website. 

How long does the whole project take?
Application time is typically 3 - 4 hours, Dry-time 24 - 48 hours.  

What if I have questions partway through the project?
Call us. 1-800-872-8827, M–F 8:00am - 5:00pmEST and Saturday 10:30 - 3:00pmEST. 

We're here to help.

Refinishing can be intimidating.  While we can't do the work for you - we can support you to see that you get the best outcome possible.  

Pick up the phone before you order if you have any questions about which kit you need, what your surface is, or whether the project's even worth doing. Join our refinishing family and let Bathworks help you where others could not! Your success is our success!

Bathworks - Munro Products
1-800-872-8827 · info@munroproducts.com
9150 Clarence Center Rd, Clarence Center, NY 14032
Manufactured in the USA since 1972.