Can I Paint A Fiberglass Tub

Do yous have a bathtub or sink that has yellowed over time? You would love to supersede it just you don't necessarily have the budget to do so? Fiberglass will yellow especially if it simply then happens to be exposed to natural lite like our master bathroom garden tub had. There is a frugal way to update your bathtub with Rust-Oleums specialty spray paint (this is non an Ad only personal experience). Read on to learn more before you lot determine whether or not this is right for you.

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Below you can see how dirty our bathtub became. Years exposed to natural light caused the one time white fiberglass garden tub to turn a dingy yellow.

It only wasn't in our upkeep to supervene upon the bathtub. So I went on the hunt to encounter what others had done to update yellowing fiberglass bathtubs.

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I learned that others had painted their fiberglass tubs or sinks with Rust-Oleums Epoxy specialty spray paint.

One had spray painted their vanity sink. But over time and with heavy apply, it started to bubble around the drain. This was a similar outcome when I had applied a faux wood graining technique to our main bathroom counter. Even with polyurethane, it didn't hold up to the water.

Tip 1: Before you lot paint your bathtub, buy the right product

There are two different Rust-Oleums Epoxy spray pigment. One is an Appliance product while the other is designed for Tub and Tile. The first is an option and is more than affordable—around $4 bucks a can at Walmart. The other costs more but is designed specifically for heavy water exposure. It runs nigh $19 dollars a can. At that place is also the option of paint in a tin can where you could use a brush and roller. This would exist a more toll effective option ($24 for a quart) if you needed to update your shower and the tiles.

There are of course other products. I chose Rust-Oleums considering it is readily available at stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and even our local hardware store.

I went with the Appliance spray paint because our tub NEVER gets used. We have a hot tub so filling this garden tub with h2o doesn't make sense. It took ii cans for our size tub with at least three coats of paint.

Tip 2: Take the time to prep the room before you paint your bathtub

Read the characterization on the tin can before you determine to practise this. It's pretty toxic and y'all will want to be able to vent your space. I opened both windows in the bath as well every bit our bedroom window and had the bathroom vent on during this process. You lot will also want to invest in a spray paint mask.

Another important step is to make sure you prep the surface to exist painted (follow the directions on the label) as well as protect everything y'all do not want spray residue to touch. The image below gives yous an idea of what I mean. The residue volition touch on whatever surface not protected. I had taped the faucet, drain, flooring area every bit well as covered the toilet. I wasn't every bit worried well-nigh the area around the tub or the walls as these were going to be redone anyways.

Before yous apply the commencement coat, double bank check that your surface is make clean with absolutely no grit, hair, or lint. Information technology'south tedious merely you volition be glad you took the time to make sure the surface was clear of any residual or particles. To exercise this I offset done the surface with vinegar and water. Avoid soap and water equally soap leaves a oil like rest which paint may not adhere to. Then I dried it with a towel. After it was completely stale, I then took our vacuum and sucked up any hair, sawdust (married man works in the woods), and pet dander. After that I gave it a good looksey to make sure at that place wasn't anything all the same on the surface. A viscid cheesecloth would work really well. Unfortunately I didn't take 1.

Tip 3: be patient when painting your bathtub

It's important to allow each coat dry before applying the next layer. The first application should be a light coat. The side by side a scrap heavier with the final coat smoothing out the look. I gave it about 45 minutes to an hour between each coat.

Another tip is to resist the urge to set up an imperfection when the paint is wet. This will cause more of a mess. If you end upwards with a drip, let it dry and so use fine grit sand newspaper to polish it out before applying the next coat of paint.

Before Garden Tub Makeover

Here's some other view of what our master garden bathtub looked similar before the epoxy spray paint.

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After: Garden Tub Makeover

And hither'south what our garden bathtub looks like now that information technology has been spray painted with Rust-Oleums epoxy Appliance spray paint.

Looks sooo much amend. Information technology's like it is brand new (except for the bleed which is some other story)!

Other updates included:

Sanding and painting the top with black paint left over from our Mainstay bookcase hack HERE.
Adding peal & stick wallpaper to the base of the tub (left-over from the accent wall makeover).
Swapping out the curtains for these ones which were fabricated from a shower curtain that was cut in half and hemmed to fit the window.

Our full cost for the tub update: $10

Materials Needed

2 cans Rust-Oleums epoxy Appliance spray paint
Mask for spray painting
Painters tape
Plastic sheeting to protect surfaces
Lite grain sandpaper

At that place yous have it. An affordable way to update a stained, dingy bathtub with paint. Time will tell on how well it holds up to the lord's day calorie-free. Simply for now, you just can't beat a 10 dollar makeover that has such a huge impact on your bathroom.