Steel bathtub refinishing in Phoenix
The enameled steel tub is the bathtub of the Valley's building boom — millions of square feet of ranch houses from the 1950s to the 1980s have one. They chip, they rust at the drain, and they refinish very well.
- Chipped enamel and rust repaired
- Pink, blue, green or tan made white
- Far cheaper than replacing and retiling
What a porcelain-on-steel tub is
A steel tub is a pressed steel shell with porcelain enamel fired onto it. It is lighter and cheaper than cast iron, which is why builders used it in nearly every tract home in Maryvale, Sunnyslope, south Scottsdale, Tempe, west Mesa, Glendale and Sun City.
The steel is thin, so the tub rings when you knock on it and the enamel layer is thinner too. A dropped shampoo bottle can chip it. Once bare steel meets water, rust starts under the enamel and creeps outward — most often around the drain and the overflow plate.
None of that means the tub is finished. As long as the shell is solid, the surface can be repaired and recoated.
Is it steel?
- A magnet sticks
- Knock on the wall: a hollow, metallic ring
- The tub is fairly light and may sound “tinny” when water runs
- Chips show dark gray or black metal with a rusty edge
- The house was built between about 1950 and 1990
The four problems steel tubs develop
Rust at the drain
Water sits at the drain flange and works under the enamel. An orange ring forms and the enamel flakes.
Chips
Black spots where the enamel popped off. Each one is a future rust stain.
Dull, scaled surface
Thin enamel wears quickly under hard water and abrasive cleaners, and loses its gloss.
Hard-water damageA color from 1968
Original pastel tubs are everywhere in mid-century Phoenix. All of them can become white.
Change the colorHow a steel 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.
If rust has gone all the way through the steel — a hole or soft metal at the drain — the repair is deeper and is priced separately. Send a close-up photo of the drain and we will tell you which case yours is.
About steel tubs
My steel tub is rusting at the drain. Is it too late?
Usually not. Surface rust and flaking enamel around the drain are repaired as part of a normal job. Only when the metal is eaten through does it become a bigger repair, and even that can often be done.
Why not just replace a cheap steel tub?
The tub is cheap; getting it out is not. It sits under the tile and is tied into the drain. Replacement means demolition, plumbing and new tile — typically several thousand dollars.
Will the new finish chip like the old enamel?
Any tub can be chipped by a heavy impact. But a thick poured coating is less brittle than fired porcelain and is not prone to the spreading rust that makes chips on steel so ugly.
Does the tub's flexing affect the finish?
A properly supported steel tub moves very little. If yours visibly flexes or creaks under your weight, mention it when you send photos.
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.