Thread: Bath re-enamelling

Why not do a ring around to re-enamellers in the yellow pages? Then you will get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

I paid $100 a few years ago to have a vanity basin 'repaired and re-enamelled' and I use those terms very loosely. A crack in the bowl was ineptly filled (the repair was visible in the finished product) and the surface you get is just enamel paint, NOT the original baked enamel your bath came with. There is a very big difference in terms of longevity. After a week to cure, the new finish on my basin scratched off with a fingernail. A good thing to some extent, as the idiot had put overspray everywhere.

While the poor repair and lack of skill with a spray gun were the fault of the operator, a painted finish is still nowhere as durable as the original baked enamel finish and you could be in for some serious disappointment if you intend to actually use a bath 'restored' with this process.

I just took a look in the yellow pages to find these services carefully advertised as 'Bath and basin resurfacing'. It appears that as consumers, we are perpetuating the myth that it is a comparable finish to original by calling it 're-enamelling'. I did notice one company ad claims their technique is 'a fusion process, not a paint'. At least that sounds like they have something better to offer. The 'painted finish' franchise I used was advertising on the same page, though, so they are obviously still ripping people off.

The only way I would ever consider this again in the future was if I could take the item to a company specialising in high temperature oven baking and get done properly with a coat of real enamel - if such a company actually exists.

I've avoided mentioning company names for obvious reasons. PM me if you want to know who I used (and suggest you don't). I left enough clues for you to find and make some enquiries about whether the other one I mentioned is any good.

Apologies for downplaying this so much.
Best of luck. I'd be most interested in hearing how you go with it.
Mick

I got some quote about 18mths ago in Melbourne. Around $500 was the average. I didn't end up going ahead with it. Can't comment on quality, etc.
Cheers
TM

Most of the refinishing of baths etc these days isn't truly re-enamelling....it's essentially painting. But it's fairly impressive paint.

Be that as it may......for the price I was quoted to refinish an old cast iron sink (about $580) I basically decided it wasn't worth it. Old mate suggested that a bath would cost upwards from $800....

From my experience I think you may well be pushing s**** uphill with a pitchfork in trying to find someone who does real re-enamelling.

As mentioned in a previous thread, most of this stuff ends up being paint, and it does not go the distance.

The way in which enammeling is done is that the item to be enamelled is made 'red' hot and powdered glass is then applied. The object is re-heated, the glass melts and there it is - a very rough guide.

I would google up bath manufacturers and see if any of them do it. But be aware if they do it will be a one only and so I think the cost would be fairly steep

Regards

Colin Howkins
Graceville Qld

Originally a new steel or cast iron bath would be finished porcelain Enamel. It's often used on the interior of ovens and on stoves.

As Colin has described it it done under special conditions and is an industrial finish which is not possible unless you have major expensive equipment. It is also very dangerous, people working in these factories work under a strict set of working and can not work for more than a few hours before being releived by others.

The steel or cast iron bath is heated to red hot and then sprayed with the porcelain enamel which fuses with the metal to form a strong surface which is extremely difficult to damage.

On a bath or other metal surface the only easy way to damage it is by striking it with a sharp blow with a good sized hammer or similar object. I have seen You may have used an enamel bowl with this material on it and noted that if you dropped it the right way it would result in a large chip being formed. I remember as a kid getting old enamel bowls and turning them upside wacking them with something hard and listening for the enamel bouncing around inside as it flew off the metal.

To resurface them properly the paint used is 2 pack Polyurethane enamel the same stuff they use on jumbo jets, good quality boats, and in the trucking industry ( such as concrete mixers). Its also widely used on race cars especially on onces subject to a lot of abrasion such as dirt track midgets.

This material is the hardest most durable paint available that can be generally sold andand applied and is pretty good at scratch resistance but not as good as the original. it only works properly if its done correctly. First you have to key the original finish by removing the gloss with abrasive.

Then you have to apply suitable primer to gain maximum adhesion and finally spray the polyurethane paint onto a well filled and rubbed surface so the end result looks and acts like the original one.

Done properly it will will give good results and can save a lot of costs as you can revitalise your bath without having to demolish the bathroom to do so. As one normally only adds water and then washes oneself in the tub there should not be any reason why it won't last a long time.

Jumbo jets are painted when new and its often 20 years before they get a respray and they are flying day and night at 500mph through snow, heat, rain, dust and they still look good so the paint should and does work if the painter puts it on properly.

I would have thought to do properly, in your bathroom- mask up all surounding areas, put in portable exhaust system prepare the surface, and spray with the proper air fed mask by a reputable company would be in excess of $800 -$1000. But thats a lot less than the alternative of a new bathroom.

powdercoating is an option I have read about- though not exactly faultless or easy.
If you can find a powdercoater willing to do it, then you can either try to patch up your chips/cracks (making sure to sand for adhesion), or remove ALL of the old enamel, sand, fair, and then powdercoat the lot (for a much better finish)

We just bought and had an old antique iron bed frame restored and extended to a queen (length and width), sandblasted and powdercoated. The powdercoating itself cost maybe $300-400 out of the total $1300 price. Absolutely Superb finish.

Wow. Thanks for the great replies. I never had any idea there was so much to it.

If there is a couple of chips in the enamel and around the plug is there something that can be used to patch these that isn't too hard to get or use?

Pollyanne,

You didn't tell us if this is a bath fixed in a bathroom or an old one you have purchased to instal. Powdercoating would only be an option if the bath is not installed.

Powdercoating is a process which applies a powder paint which is then melted into a paint finish by placing it in an oven and heating it to around 200 C.

Any chips would have to be sanded out and any filling needed would need to be able to withstand the temperature as the enamel is fairly thick and as suitable fillers are not easily available the marks may show. Sandblasting would be difficult as the enamel is so hard it could cost a lot to remove it all.

The chips can be easily filled if the bath is painted, there are several fillers or primers to do this but they can't be heated to
200 C. Around the plug hole would be easier to repair if the drain fitting is removed and the finish applied before putting it back in. It would eliminate the possibility of the edge getting water in it if the finish is under the drain fitting not up to its edge.

If you can eliminate the chips as a noticable fault powdercoating could be applied but the final surface is far weaker than the 2 pack urethane and would show wear/scratching quickly. You would also be more likely to have a less smooth/glossy surface as a finish.

Make some enquiries and see what is said. From what has been posted you should be able to tell if you are dealing with someone who can help you or is trying to rip you off.

I would only be considering doing this to a bath if the bath was a great old deep comfortable one far better than those available new.

Powdercoating is NOT an option for water holding objects or below the waterline applications.....because unlike two pack paint and glass enamel, powdercoat is not totally impervious to moisture. Resistant absolutely but not impervious so it is not a good idea for below the waterline applications. Moisture will eventually get between the coating and the base and corrosion will set in....

Chips in enamel baths etc. can be fixed using plain old 2 pack paint from an auto shop but the paint matching is the really difficult part...

We got our bath done a few years back for $700. Took them a few days. Did a good job of fixing old chips etc, although with two young children and a renovation happening since then, we would have been better to hold off for a whilst.
Cheers
McBlurter