Cast iron bathtubs and steel bathtubs tend to look the same, but they are different. Take your fist and knock on the side of the tub. If it feels and sounds like you’re hitting a solid rock, it’s probably Cast iron. If it goes dong or feels a bit hollow, it’s perhaps steel. There’s not much of a difference in the refinishing process; however, the conditions will vary widely. If a cast iron tub is old, it tends to get what we call rain grooves or erosion, like the side of a mountain after significant rain. Deep grooves are running down the hill. The tracks will show badly after a high gloss refinish. If there’s chipping or other wear, it needs to be filled in, like dents on a car.

On a steel tub, the main problem is the thinness of the steel. Once there’s a chip, the rust will grow and start a full-fledged rot. The rust is alive. Sometimes very difficult to remove all of it. Again, this all has to be removed and filled in before we can do the refinishing. We’ve taken some pretty bad tubs and made them like new ones, but the price will reflect the work’s degree.