During a series of visits, the bottom of the guest bathtub began to flake and peel. My assumption is that one of the previous owners damaged the tub and tried to fix it cosmetically with some type of paint. We don’t use this bathroom, so the issue didn’t reveal itself until the tub was wet for several days.
The tub is cast iron. Having it re-enameled is cost-prohibitive and we could be without the tub for multiple months. Based on my research, the best option for our needs is a DIY product, Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit.
I scraped and sanded the damaged areas until they felt smooth to the touch. Following the instructions, I mixed the included epoxy + activator, and applied it using a small roller and brush.
The acrylic epoxy was incredibly thin, running like water, when first applied. After a few minutes it began to thicken enough to spread it normally. The coats were not opaque enough to cover the bad spots the first time through, so I waited the recommended amount of time and reapplied.
When I went to apply a third coat, I found this:
My best guess is that the activator acted as a paint thinner once it sat on the surface long enough and bubbled up the remnants I had not been able to remove earlier. While frustrating, it highlighted areas that would likely be problematic later on.
I allowed the tub to dry overnight, then scraped and sanded the rough areas again.
Finally, I ended up with the following:
Is it perfect? No. The instructions said to apply the epoxy using a roller or a sprayer. As I mentioned, I opted for a roller. If I had used a sprayer, the finish would likely have been smoother. I also had an issue with the drain. That area has some damage that doesn’t show up in the photos. I tried to remove the drain in order to repair it, but the drain is stuck in place to the point that the tool designed to remove it tore the metal. Ultimately, we are talking about replacing this tub with a claw footed one, so the current solution works for now and guests likely won’t notice it isn’t the original finish.