Let's be clear. "Reglazing" doesn't exist. It's a paint finish, not new fired on enamel. It is a waste of money. You can buy a new tub for the same price and won't need to worry about bath mats removing the paint, or it peeling in about 5 minutes around the drain.

"There is a newer procedure that is "green" and not as "chemically smelling.""

First off - I agree with GreenDesigns - it's junk. Epoxy paint. If the finish is good - don't ruin it - live with the different color (keep the shower curtain closed.

Secondly - the use a fairly strong acid - to clean the tub before painting. I don't think anything about it is 'Green'.

I'll disagree. We have a tub in the main flr bathroom that is only occasionally used. It was an extremely depressing shade of green, with the glaze worn off from too much pumice-loaded Comet cleanser over the years.

Because the floor (also depressing, cracked, and in a combo of yellow and green) had been tiled in around the unusual shape of the tub, we would have had to replace the entire floor in order to change the tub.

Money was tight, so in 2003 we opted to refinish (paint). Picked a nice neutral almond. The company came in, ground the finish off, spray-painted the tub. They were very careful about taping, including the window next to the tub.

They said it was basically similar to car paint, a 2-part epoxy paint. They left a vial of touch-up paint but you can use the commercial appliance touch-up paints sold at HW stores if they're a color match.

Basic points are:

- Touch up any nicks right away. I've never had any, although we've had brushes and suction safety bars fall in the tub any number of times over the last 13 yrs.

- LET IT CURE PROPERLY. All paint pretty much requires 30 days to fully cure. Baby it along until then. Since this was a second bathrm, we just ignored it for a month and stuck with our master shower.

I did have to run out and buy a shower mat for it. It has suction cups, but (when anybody uses the tub/shower) it's taken up immediately afterwards and not allowed to remain on the bottom. Once repainted, the surface is a high gloss and it is really slippery!

I do try to use the tub (for showers) at least once a month, to help keep the drains clear. We have low-flush toilets and after three successive sewer clogs caused by TP not able to get flushed all the way out due to lowered water flow, I figured we needed to use this second bathrm a little more often.

Normally I'm all for being green, but honestly, in this case you want the toughest, strongest paint possible. It'll stink to high heaven for 36 hrs, but was the savings of time/annoyance worth $350 for us?

Absolutely, positively, YES. 13 yrs, no problems, still going strong.

Old bath:

Refinished in almond, new Cultured Granite surround (sorry for the pinkish tone; it's actually a warm cream on the walls). We ended up putting a W2W washable bathroom carpet down for a number of years before we finally replaced the floor:

I agree that it has a place, if properly done and carefully used.

We purchased an antique sink and actual porcelain reglazing was not an option. So we had it professionally refinished. It was probably the most expensive of the quotes I got, but seeing some samples of the finish and the preparation, it seemed like the best choice. As I understand he uses an epoxy that is cured by a light (think gel manicure). This was done in their shop, not in home.

I have had it for a year and the finish still looks new. This is our 'daily driver' bathroom sink. My only complaint is that it seems to pick up any stain, eg spill a little cough syrup or wash marker off your hands and it takes it like a magnet. Fortunately a paste of barkeepers friend (no scrubbing) wipes it right off.

Now I have heard horror stories about in-place bathtub refinishing not lasting. Or if it does, maybe it's got 10 years of use (which is nothing compared to an actual reglazed piece). But it sounds like for you, the new white finish and limited use might be the best scenario. However, there's no way I would use a 'green' service, I agree with the PP you probably want as caustic as legally allowed in your state!

Lets talk about lead in the old bathtubs. Or....just replace it and not worry about it.

http://leadsafeamerica.org/bathtub/

The lead in bath tub glaze is only an issue if the glaze chips and the chips are ingested with the bath water (see the USC report linked from the link above).

Dermal absorption of lead is possible. It's a good idea to just remove ALL lead from your home. Ingestion and inhalation are more common when dealing with lead paint.

Unless it's a new bathtub that's chipped and just needs a repair....I personally wouldn't even consider reglazing ....onsite....an old tub. If you remove a claw foot tub and take it to a baked on enamel refinisher...ok.

That's just my opinion.

It's virtually impossible to remove all lead from an old home where it is present. It is absolutely possible to live safely with it, though.

kats7372 that looks exactly like the sink in my 1928 house! Is it short?

Finally, I have seen in home reglazing jobs that lasted a long time, and those that didn't. I think it's worth a shot.

"Finally, I have seen in home reglazing jobs that lasted a long time, and those that didn't. I think it's worth a shot."

Until you get the entire room finished and the finish fails miserably and then you a hell of a mess..................

@er1998, It's probably somewhat short, but I am 5'4" and it's my bathroom so I'm happy. It's actually dated 1914 underneath. Making it technically too old for my 1928 house, but I fell in love with that base!

@debbie1000, a good point to keep in mind is that the refinishing of the tub is the LAST thing that will be done, except for caulking where the tile/wall meets the tub itself. I think you just want to really vet your refinisher and see samples of his work.

Dermal absorption of lead applies to organic lead (tetramethyl lead) not paint chips or other lead sources.

nosoccermom: this is for you... please read...or anyone considering keeping an old tub.

http://www.mommypotamus.com/lead-leaching-bathtubs-the-dirtiest-secret-in-your-bathroom/

Thanks for that link, Nicole. That is interesting. Sounds like reglazing is one option for encapsulating the lead; also not ingesting tub water.

Jeez nicole, that article even has fluoride twist. Tin Foil Hat Alert!

Well, I all I can say is that I prefer getting get my science information from scientists, not Mommypotamus.

OK....here it is by the lead Safe America Foundation...

http://leadsafeamerica.org/bathtub/

I had my 1940s bathtub reglazed (only bathroom in house), because the original finish had worn off in the center. No peeling, and it's been 3.5 years. It does require babying. There is a low spot where water collects, and the surface has turned dingy, but I'm afraid to scrub it too hard. And we do have to touch up nicks on occasion. We didn't get the nonskid bottom, and it is fairly slippery without it, but I assume it is easier to clean that way. I use Scrubbing Bubbles.

Is there any way you could incorporate the almond color into your color scheme?

Also, an article from yesterday on retro renovation: http://retrorenovation.com/2016/05/02/understanding-potential-lead-hazards-old-porcelain-enamel-bathtubs-sinks-ceramic-tile-any-age

We had ours reglazed/painted - not sure what they did, but I do know they sandblasted it and applied something that smelled so toxic they wouldn't let us in for a few days. We were doing a whole house reno, so it sat and cured for months. Looks gorgeous and my dd uses it daily. Not sure if it will last, but it sure seems to be holding up so far. My DH had tried to paint it before this with a kit from the big box store. It was a disaster. You could see brush marks and it turned a dark yellowy colour then started peeling - awful.

It probably won't make a difference, but the board/staff of the Lead Safe America Foundation don't have any scientific background. So I stick with experts at the CDC, FDA, or other university research institutes.