“How to paint a bathtub? Can I do it myself or do I need help?” was the first question that popped in my mind when I was faced with this dilemma. Our bathtub was almost three years old and these three years had taken a toll on its paint. It began to peel off, mostly not because of over usage but I feel because the paint used on it originally was not of such a good quality. In fact I remember the first signs of its spoilage started in only a couple of weeks after we got the tub installed in our bathroom. So I am pretty sure that the paint chipping and fading was not just due to the passing of time but also because of the fact that the paint used in the first place was of a low quality. The people who painted it just did not know how to paint a bathtub.

Of course, I myself was also not an expert bathtub painter therefore I needed to either get help in the form of someone who was an expert in this field, or to do it myself. Since I was definitely not going to buy a new bathtub or give someone good money just to paint it therefore the option was simple I had to do it myself. So if I were to do it myself then I definitely needed to consult a ‘do-it-yourself’ book or an internet site that would at least give me the basics.

So I logged on to the net and simply typed ‘how to paint a bathtub’ and got these multiple options of sites which were beckoning me to visit them and learn about bathtub painting. From these, ehow.com was one such site which simply listed down the necessary steps required for the process, and this site was the one which I finally stuck to get my answers. The details were simple and to the point – easy enough for anyone to follow.

In summary the site said that in learning how to paint a bathtub all one needed was to follow the simple instructions carefully and be patient, and actually finally have a bathtub that looked as good as new. The steps were simple and are recapitulated below:

1.    Use an alcohol based chemical cleaner to scrub the entire base of the tub. Rinse away the cleaner and let the bathtub dry completely on its own. This might take time so here is where you have to be patient.
2.    Using a palm sander, sand down the entire surface of the bathtub.
3.    Cover the surfaces on the tub, like the faucet, which you do not want to paint.
4.    If the tub is made from porcelain or tile, apply a bonding agent on the tub and let it dry for five minutes.
5.    Use epoxy paint in a spray gun and paint the surface a minimum of two to three coats. A paintbrush can also be used.
6.    In the end finish it off with a few coats of an acrylic top coat with an interval of half an hour between each coat.

I finally learned how to paint a bathtub. It was simple, easy and yes I had to be a bit patient. The tub finally looked like it was just bought and installed – as good as new. So when anyone asks you if you know how to paint a bathtub give them these simple instructions and let them remain grateful to you for life.