Cast iron tub refinishing in Phoenix
A cast iron tub is the best bathtub ever made: heavy, quiet, and warm once it heats up. When the porcelain wears out, the tub underneath is still good for another lifetime. We give it a new surface.
- Original porcelain worn, stained or chipped
- No need to remove a 300-pound tub
- Glossy white finish in one visit
You cannot buy this tub at a home center anymore
Cast iron tubs were standard in Phoenix homes through the 1940s and stayed common in better-built houses for decades after. You find them in the historic districts around downtown, in Arcadia and North Central, in old-town Scottsdale, Mesa and Glendale, and in Paradise Valley estates.
They weigh 300 pounds or more and were set before the tile went up. Taking one out means breaking it apart with a sledgehammer and rebuilding the wall around whatever replaces it — usually a thin steel or acrylic tub that flexes underfoot and loses heat in minutes.
The iron itself almost never fails. What fails is the surface: the porcelain goes dull and porous, gets etched by hard water, and chips where something heavy was dropped. That is the part we replace.
Is it cast iron?
- A magnet sticks firmly
- Knock on the side: a deep, dull thud, not a ring
- The walls are thick — look at the edge of the overflow opening
- The tub does not flex at all when you stand in it
- The house was built before about 1960, or the tub is a clawfoot
What age does to cast iron porcelain
A worn, gray floor
Decades of use wear the glaze off the bottom. It turns matte and holds dirt no matter how you scrub.
Scale and etching
Hard water bonds mineral scale to the old porcelain, and acid cleaners used to remove it etch the surface further.
Hard-water damageChips and rust blooms
A chip through the porcelain exposes iron, and iron rusts. Brown halos spread from the chip and the drain.
Rust and chipsHow a cast iron tub is refinished
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Sand the whole tub
The entire tub is ground and sanded, not just the bad spots. Old caulk, loose coating and rust come off, and the new finish gets a surface it can grip.
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Deep-clean and dry
The tub is etched, washed, neutralized and washed again, then dried completely — seams included — and wiped down with alcohol. Nothing is left between the tub and the coating.
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Seal, repair, mask
New flexible caulk goes around the tub, chips and rust spots are repaired, and the tile, floor and fixtures are masked.
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Pour the coating
The coating is poured along the rim. It runs down the walls, levels itself and closes over the caulk line into one seamless white layer. 24 hours later the tub is ready.
Cast iron holds the coating well. It is rigid and does not flex, so there is no movement under the new finish — one reason a poured coating lasts so long on these tubs.
About cast iron tubs
Is it worth refinishing an old cast iron tub?
Yes. The tub itself will outlast the house. For $475 you keep the best kind of tub there is and skip the demolition.
Can rust on cast iron be repaired?
Surface rust and rust around chips, yes — it is cleaned out, treated and filled before the coating goes on. Cast iron is thick, so rust-through is rare.
Do you refinish the outside of a built-in cast iron tub?
On a standard alcove tub the visible front panel (the apron) is coated together with the inside. On a clawfoot tub we refinish the inside only.
Send a photo. Get a real price today.
No home visit needed for a quote. A photo of the tub is enough for us to confirm the price and offer a date.
- Text a photo of your tub to (602) 733-0000, or use the form.
- We confirm the price — $475 for a standard tub — and a day.
- One visit of about 3 hours. The tub is ready to use 24 hours later.