Bathtub Tap Refresh
Sometimes the price of things makes me want to cry. Bathroom fixtures are so expensive. I wanted to replace the one on my bathtub but the black Taps I wanted were upwards of $800. Honestly, I just don’t understand it. So, I decided to try paint my old ones first. I figured even if they lasted a year or two until I could save up some money for new ones. SO, that is what I decided to do.
From this… to this
Materials needed:
Dupli-color automotive primer *
Dulpi-color automotive paint *
top coat (recommended but personally didn't use it on mine)
tape
plastic
sandpaper
* found in the automotive section of Canadian tire, not in the spray paint section.
*Very important*
Do NOT use a spray paint that is not an automotive paint. From my personal experience, many brands claim you can paint metal and plastic with them, but over time the paint will become tacky and start to come off if it sprayed onto a surface that is handled repeatedly. I find this products great if your spraying something like a light fixture that will never be handled, but from personal experience, I have used Rustoleum stray paint on door handles and this is what it looked like over time.
Lets start prepping!
1) I firstly removed the handles from the tub. If you are able to fully remove them off the tub then that would save you a lot of time masking everything off and covering it with plastic.
However, the type of tub I have, you have to lift the whole tub off to get at the taps, so I thought it was best to leave them In place and work with them where they were.
2) I used G tape, to mask off around the base of the handles. Also be sure to mask off the screen of the tap where the water comes out, so you don't clog it up with paint.
3) use plastic to cover the surrounding areas to prevent overspray from getting on walls and other things in the room. I may have gone a bit overboard on my plastic job but I didn't want to take any chances.
4) before I sprayed the primer, I lightly sanded the taps and the base of them with a 220 grit sandpaper. Be sure to wipe off any residue before spraying your primer.
5) spray a light coat of primer, let it dry according to instructions, and re coat.
6) Once the primer is dry, its time to spray the black paint. In the photos you don't see the actual handles. I painted those in my garage. Its also recommended to seal with a top coat as well. I personally did not on mine.
7) once everything is dry, carefully remove the plastic and the tape and reinstall the handles.
I let mine dry, untouched for a few days just to be sure it was fully dry before using.
It's really as simple as that. I am so happy with the result, and it saved me a ton of money. So that's definitely a win in my books.
Please let me know if you guys have any questions about the process.
Cannot wait for our next DIY together
Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram, facebook, Pinterest.
XO
Amber