Professional Clawfoot Tub Refinishing - Is it worth it?

Most people that own a cast iron clawfoot tub consider it to be one of their prized possessions. They may find that they are spending a lot of time in the tub, either relaxing with a good book, taking a nap or simply soaking in the atmosphere and trying to get away from the world that is outside of that small area.Unfortunately, there may be times whenever some clawfoot tub refinishing is in order and whenever that is the case, you would want to make sure that you treat your prized possession with the care that it deserves. Here are some things to keep in mind whenever you are doing so.Something that many people don't know about clawfoot tub refinishing is the fact that it is actually only a matter of painting the tub, not replacing any porcelain that may have been damaged. Even so, when it is done professionally, any sort of clawfoot bath refinish project is going to be indistinguishable from a brand-new tub whenever they are compared side-by-side. The finish that you will get whenever you have this project done professionally will last for many years and it will provide you with a beautiful conversation piece, along with an excellent place to soak.One of the main decisions that needs to be considered whenever you are doing clawfoot tub refinishing is whether you are going to do it in place or if you are going to disassemble the tub and have it removed in order to do it off site. One of the main things to keep in mind whenever you are deciding this is exactly how much damage there is to the tub that is going to be repaired. For example, if rust stains and obvious damage are showing on the inside or outside of the tub, it may be necessary to sandblast before you refinished the tub. This is typically better done off-site, as it can be a difficult and messy job to do in somebody's home.You should also make sure that you are avoiding any type of do-it-yourself refinishing kits that may be available. Attempting to do any form of clawfoot tub refinishing with one of these kits is going to result in a less than desirable outcome. The reason why this is often the case is twofold.  First of all, most of these do-it-yourself kits are not going to give you the professional materials that are needed in order to permanently repair any damage that may have taken place in the tub. You will also not have access to a professional sprayer which is what makes these clawfoot bath refinish projects so pristine.For a typical clawfoot tub refinishing project, you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $500. If the tub needs to be removed from the home in order to have extensive repairs, you can expect to pay additional contractor fees in order for this to take place. As they say, you get what you pay for and by making sure that the job is done professionally, you will have a tub in your home that you can be proud of for many years to come.