Bathtub, Shower, Tile, Refinishing
"I did not not really expect my bathtub to turn out absolutely perfect. I thought it would have a rough texture but was willing to accept that because I could not afford to replace it. I was oh so wrong! My daughter came in town last week and asked how long the tub replacement took!!! She had no Idea it was refinished "
Mary Anne
Dallas, Tx.
Bathtub Refinishing Dallas Area
Bathtub Refinishing not only involves knowledge of prepping the surface, pattern of application and the correct mixture of the application. Bathtub Refinishing relies on experience. The experience gained through the years helps any one that is willing to learn from not only the successes of past projects but past failures too.
In my 22 years in business I would love to set here and say I have a perfect record. However, I promise you I wont lie to you. I learned several years ago that for me, being an owner / operated business was the only way to go. I had employees that would do great looking work but I learned real quick making something look good is literally half the job! Making a surface look good and last through daily use for many years to come, now to me that is a success story.
The problem I had with employees was just the simple trust issue. I always felt like If you paid people well, paid them on time and allowed them to put family before work then in turn they would be loyal. Well, that was a lesson I learned the hard way! I had employees that would use less coating on the job so they could then do side work and use my product on their work. Instead of 5- 7 coats on a tub they would put 2. Which looked good, the problem with that is if the film thickness is not built up then the coating gets weak spots and gets a worn out look. Of course by the time this all takes place and They have been paid for the job and quit and it is really a sad endless cycle of just trying to figure out what in the world is going on! Now, I know if this is happening to me it has to be happening to other companies so I just decided after the 3rd time this happened, to simplify things by doing the work myself! It was a nice feeling when I was able to do a job to my specifications, know I did the very best job I could do for the customer and have the customer absolutely love the job! This however, did make me wonder, how other companies could hire help and produce a quality finished product? The truth is, I don't believe they can. I have been in business for 22 years and when I come out to do a job I bring that 22 years of experience with me! I seen an advertisement the other day from a company that had been in business 38 years..... However, when that guy comes out to do the the job how much experience are they bringing with them? A two week training course? A day, A year, is this the first paid job they have done? I can promise you this much. True Bathtub Refinishing is not rocket science.... However, it does involve skill and knowledge that ONLY comes through experience. For example :
In my 22 years in business I would love to set here and say I have a perfect record. However, I promise you I wont lie to you. I learned several years ago that for me, being an owner / operated business was the only way to go. I had employees that would do great looking work but I learned real quick making something look good is literally half the job! Making a surface look good and last through daily use for many years to come, now to me that is a success story.
The problem I had with employees was just the simple trust issue. I always felt like If you paid people well, paid them on time and allowed them to put family before work then in turn they would be loyal. Well, that was a lesson I learned the hard way! I had employees that would use less coating on the job so they could then do side work and use my product on their work. Instead of 5- 7 coats on a tub they would put 2. Which looked good, the problem with that is if the film thickness is not built up then the coating gets weak spots and gets a worn out look. Of course by the time this all takes place and They have been paid for the job and quit and it is really a sad endless cycle of just trying to figure out what in the world is going on! Now, I know if this is happening to me it has to be happening to other companies so I just decided after the 3rd time this happened, to simplify things by doing the work myself! It was a nice feeling when I was able to do a job to my specifications, know I did the very best job I could do for the customer and have the customer absolutely love the job! This however, did make me wonder, how other companies could hire help and produce a quality finished product? The truth is, I don't believe they can. I have been in business for 22 years and when I come out to do a job I bring that 22 years of experience with me! I seen an advertisement the other day from a company that had been in business 38 years..... However, when that guy comes out to do the the job how much experience are they bringing with them? A two week training course? A day, A year, is this the first paid job they have done? I can promise you this much. True Bathtub Refinishing is not rocket science.... However, it does involve skill and knowledge that ONLY comes through experience. For example :
- the mixture has to be mixed different on humid days then on drier days.
- The temperature of the surface absolutely will effect the coating being applied.
- The application pattern has to be changed on every odd number coating or weak areas in the coating will occur.
- If the mixture is applied too 'rich' it will dry spray causing rough patches.
- If the mixture is applied to 'Lean' it will sag and not thicken and cure evenly
- If the catalyzed hardener is too thick it will cure rubbery, too thin it's brittle and cracks.
Bathtub Refinishing is not Rocket science. However, science is involved!
If the surface is not properly prepared which involved etching to expose the pores and create microscopic scratches then even the best coating in the world, mixed the correct way is not going to last. The reason is simple, Synthetic porcelain is a hard, thick solution. However, science has engineered the coating so when properly mixed it becomes a liquid glaze. This is done so that when the surface it etched the liquid will melt into those scratches and pores and become an integral part of the item being refinished. If this process is not done then really all that is happening is nothing more than bathtub painting. I say this because painting puts a coating on top of another surface. Bathtub Refinishing bonds a coating to the old surface. I chemically weld a new surface not onto, but IN TO the old surface.