Posted ByPat O'Connor on December 05, 2000 at 09:41:10:
In Reply to: 6' Clawfoot - good condition posted byAmy on December 02, 2000 at 08:13:52:
: I have a 72" clawfoot tub that I'm not sure what I want to do with. It is in fairly good condition there is a bit of porcelain missing on the rim by the faucet but the tub itself appears to have very few if any scratches. The outside seems to have been painted white including the clawfeet. I have two friends that will take it off my hands (to put in their pastures as horse waterers) if and when I decide to get rid of it but from talking with a few people that doesn't seem like a good idea. Can anyone help me determine it's age?? Recommend a way to refinish the chipped porcelain? Give me an idea of it's value?? Should I strip the paint from the outside and clawfeet to increase the value??
: I'm in Northeastern Colorado and would consider selling it for the right price.
xxxxxx
Restoration is simply the process of taking something old,worn or well used and trying to recreate what it would be like if it was brand new. With Clawfoot Baths this is done alot. There are three areas of restoration. 1. The Inside 2. The Outside 3. The Feet. I will go over each area but everyone's restoration is different because everyone's bath may be in a better or possibly a worse state than another.
1. We have the Feet (I will go in reverse because I am going from easier to harder areas) To restore the feet, you have to have them all (of course), if you are missing one or all there are posts here that can help you with your options. You must remove all of the paint, rust or other coatings on the feet, a wire brush works well, you can use a paint stripper on them also, we soak them in stripper sometimes and them brush them down. After they are clean and all residues are removed,(solvents work well, such as a wash grade shop solvent), be careful and we always insists that all safety precautions and safety gear is used such as gloves, safety glasses, and a respirator. Follow all precautions on any chemical's label that is used in cleaning the bath. Once all residue is removed you can coat them with any paint you choose, they all stick differently and a good reliable metal primer is best applied first. We use our porcelain substitute Glazecoat, this patented product is a hard enamel and our patented process makes the coating stronger than anything available to someone doing it themselves. But conventional painting if done carefully will satisfy you if that is what you want. Also you can have the feet plated, cost is anywhere from 65.00 to 75.00 dollars per foot. Usual choices are polished brass, chrome, nickel, and sometimes brushed nickel.
2. The Outside of the Bath, well good luck here, this for some would be a very hard task, but if you are asking for step by step instructions then I am sure you are up to the task. I will tell you are process and you can apply part or all the steps. First the outside is cleaned of everything, we try to bring our baths down to the metal on the outside, sandblasting is used by some, we prefer heavy grinding and finish sanding. We also like to apply several coats of a polyester material that helps to create a nice flat smooth finish, when we are down we have to be able to put our hand up to it and see the reflection. They look good! Then we use a porcelain substitute on the outside, not just a water resistant paint , but a water proof glazing enamel, for the do it yourself enthusiast a oil based enamel can create a very homey appeal, and some use different types of artwork to add a special effect.
3. Hardest for Last The Inside of the Bath, Home owners really truly cannot do this and have it called refinished, all coatings that claim to coat porcelain and you can just put it on, will not give you a very long life and usually you will not be happy with the look also. There are professional services that claim they will refinish your bath, beware, every product used for refinishing is a little different, some are worse than others, Bathcrest has the only Molecular Bonding Product, Through a series of layering and applications of a patented product, the electrons of Bathcrest Coating share the same space as the electrons of the Surface of the Bath. This is called a covalent bond and is the strongest bond know to glass. All other products in refinishing are mechanical bonding and lay on the surface like a paint, there protection is there shiny layer, once that shiny layer is broken, nicked, chipped, water penetrates and rapid adhesion failure usually occurs, the coating can lift in large or small sections. With our coating even if you get a chip or nick you have a molecule by molecule back up. So all you end up with is just a nick or a chip. It is not that theses other coating are fraudulent, they can give you a life, you just have to treat them very carefully.