The Tub King Blog - Tub Talk: bathtub refinishing

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Why Buy a New Cast Iron Clawfoot Bathtub Instead of an Antique Vintage Tub?

Recent Customer Installation of New Cast Iron Clawfoot Tub

You’ve just purchased a Victorian Era styled house or wish to build or remodel based on the style and are looking for a tub fitting the period. In early America, when main bathrooms came in to style, the cast iron clawfoot tub became the standard. Known for their durability and temperature retention the cast iron bathtub became the hallmark soaking tub used through several generations.

Why did they fall out of favor?

in 1883, both the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company (now American Standard) and Kohler began the process of enameling cast iron bathtubs to form a smooth interior surface. For a time, only the wealthy could afford the cost of a cast iron bathtub but when they started mass producing the tubs it opened up availability to home owners of lower income levels. Which was great, however, the sheer weight of the tub limited the type of houses the tub could be put in and generally only on the first floor. In many cases, having a properly reinforced floor to accommodate a heavy tub may not have been in a homeowner’s budget or consideration when building or purchasing a home back then. Other materials and lighter weight options eventually began to enter the scene and take over the market. Slowly the beautiful and timeless cast iron bathtub disappeared as an option to purchase “new”.

Why did it take them so long to emerge back in to style?

Actually, the clawfoot tub never really lost its allure to home buyers and remodelers who cherished the look and the period of American history they represent. For many years it was nearly impossible to find a brand new cast iron bathtub and buyers started turning to the secondary market. Availability of new tubs in the U.S.A. was impacted by the amount of lead content in the tubs manufactured at the time as well as the fact that the American National Standard plumbing codes changed. The change in the code essentially prevented vintage cast iron tubs from passing plumbing inspections on new builds and bathroom remodels.

Take a look at the placement of the overflow and faucet holes on a vintage tub.

Now take a look at the placement of the overflow and faucet holes on the new cast iron bathtub.

The revised plumbing codes required the placement of the overflow to be at least on-to-two inches below the rim of the tub, where the incoming waterlines come through the faucet. This is a precaution against a drop in pressure in the water line, such as a break. With the faucet being above the rim the bathwater is prevented from being siphoned out, back through the lines, which would contaminate the fresh water supply. https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/ibr/iapmo.upc.2009.pdf

In an online article, This Old House states, “For an average cost of $350 to $500-a fraction of the $1,200 to $5,000 expense of a new cast-iron or steel tub installed — refinishers can make an antique fixture look brand new.” This may be applicable to a homeowner who has an existing cast iron tub which requires refinishing to bring it back to life as the owner is not remodeling or building a new home. If the tub is not part of the original structure the story and estimates may prove significantly higher, perhaps even more costly than purchasing a new clawfoot tub and fixtures.

Essentially, an antique cast iron clawfoot tub found on secondary seller sites such as Craigslist would have to be retrofitted to accommodate modern plumbing so as to pass inspections. This would require, not only, a thorough refinishing of the inside and outside of the bathtub but also a significant cost in plugging the existing holes on the face of the vintage tub. Both the plugging of the holes and the refinishing or reglazing of the bathtub results in a tub that is now not original porcelain on the surface. Once a the tub has been refinished or reglazed the owner now has to be concerned with cleaning chemicals and sharp or heavy items which may damage or discolor the new surface. Inevitably the tub will have to be professionally resurfaced much more often than a new porcelain cast iron bathtub.

Here at Tub King, in Jacksonville, Florida, we routinely refinish vintage tubs, farmhouse sinks, and other items. We are also the only approved refinishing/resurfacing trainer in the entire United States for Midwest Chemicals. We have a great love for the antique cast iron tubs and thoroughly understand the allure of wanting to have that “feel” and “look” of the past, which is why we sell brand new cast iron clawfoot and pedestal bathtubs for new home builders and home remodelers. In the end, what you “think” is a higher cost saves money and headaches down the road when deciding whether to purchase a new or buy a vintage tub.

When pricing the purchase of a new tub or considering the expense of retrofitting and refinishing a vintage tub, consider the long term savings of buying brand new and visit www.tubking.com or calling us at (800) 409-3375.

Need a Job? How to Find a Good One That Requires No Experience

By Alan Knight

Photo Credit: blog.thomasecon

How many people are really out of work? The accurate answer is surprisingly difficult to ascertain. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the official unemployment rate as of February 2015, is 5.5 percent. For reasons that are highly political, official unemployment figures are greatly under-reported. There are other factors that should enter into the reporting. For example, there are discouraged workers (those who have given up on looking for work.) There are those employed part-time but not able to secure full-time work, and there are others who are marginally attached to the labor force. In reality, then, the actual U.S.unemployment is up around 11 or 12%.

Those who are fresh out of high school and college are finding full-time employment more difficult to find. Many are educated but over-qualified for the few entry-level positions that are available.

Photo Credit: winsome.hubpages.com

While many professional careers do require formal education and years of experience, there are high-paying jobs out there that don't require a college degree or prior experience. Let's look at some of the better paying jobs that don’t always require a college degree or vast amounts of experience needed:

Security Guard

Working as a security guard can mean a lot more than just patrolling the local mall for unruly punks. You might work as a protective sentry for an embassy, a secure cash transporter for firms such as Brinks, or even a member of the Homeland Security team at an airport. A high school diploma is sufficient for most of these jobs, but requirements vary and could include passing a drug test, having a clean criminal record, and perhaps even obtaining a firearms license. Annual Salary Range: $18,000 - $39,000.

Bartender

Photo Credit: cocktailjockey.com

You don't need a formal education to work as a bartender, but you should go to a bar tending school. Working behind a bar can be difficult, as each shift requires dealing with an imbibing public from different walks of life. Some locales have laws in place where a bar or bartender can be held responsible if a patron drinks too much, so there is the added pressure of monitoring how much alcohol your customers consume. The ABC Bar Tending School lists locations around the country.

Delivery Drivers

Whether national, regional, or local, companies need delivery drivers. As long as you have a clean driver's license, you’re eligible for these jobs. You sometimes don't need prior experience for many of these jobs, and they often offer a lot of scheduling flexibility. Starting with a company as a driver can also help you get your foot in the door, with opportunities to work towards a higher-paying position such as in sales, a shift manager, a terminal manager, etc. Annual Salary Range: $17,000 - $46,000.

Photo Credit: pinterest.com

Bill Collector

Experts project the employment rate for bill collectors to grow by approximately 19% in the next 10 years,and most of these positions only require a high school diploma. Job requirements include effectively communicating over the phone and having good customer service skills. Previous bill collection experience is sometimes not required. Annual Salary Range: $22,000 - $48,000.

Sanitation Worker

Garbage collection may not sound as attractive as some other non-degree jobs, but the pay is good and the opportunities are abundant. You’ll need to wake up before the crack of dawn to start your work day, but you get most holidays off, receive good benefits, and you get to exercise a bit on the job when you work as a garbage collector. Requirements include being physically fit, capable of lifting heavy items, and the ability to drive a garbage truck. You can begin looking for a job in this field on a waste management company's career site. Annual Salary Range: $20,000 - $60,000.

School Bus Driver

Photo Credit:makeafuture .ca

You must have the patience of a saint if you want to drive children to and from school every morning and afternoon. Additionally, you need a clean driving and criminal record. Bus drivers usually work twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, and get all the same holidays and days off that students enjoy. Oftentimes no previous experience is required to become a school bus driver, and the job can come with benefits as well as a decent salary. Annual Salary Range: $16,500-$40,000.

Cable TV Installer

Cable TV and Internet installers can make decent salaries. Previous experience is not required for employment, and on-the-job training is provided. A good rapport with the public certainly helps make this job easier. Annual Salary Range: $21,500 - $52,000.

Semi-Truck Driver

Photo Credit: pinterest.com

The majority of your time will be spent away from home, but being a truck driver certainly has its rewards. These jobs offer good pay and benefits, and little or no previous experience is required for employment. You have to get trained and licensed to drive the big rigs, but most trucking companies pay for your training and assist you with getting your commercial driver's license. Medical exams and background checks may also be required, depending on what substances you might be hauling. Annual Salary Range: $27,500 - $67,000.

Real Estate Brokers & Sales Agents

The most successful brokers have established a large referral network and have return business. In other words, it takes at least a few years to make significant income in the field. But the potential is there to earn a great deal of money, and you only need an agent license to get your foot in the door at a real estate firm. To become eligible for a license, you must take an approved pre-licensing course and then pass the state exam. You can then affiliate with an established broker and work your way towards getting your own broker's license. Annual Salary Range: $30,000 - $200,000+

Taxi Driver

Photo Credit: thetravellady.wordpress.com

Specific licensing requirements for taxi drivers vary from state to state, but include being over 21 years of age, having a clean driving record, several years driving experience, and passing a background check. Generally, taxi drivers pay to lease their cabs from a cab company, keeping all the income they receive from their fares. Work hours can be long and often include nights, weekends, and holidays, and the work can even be dangerous at times. But with no previous experience needed and the ability to set your own hours, being a taxi driver can make for a relatively comfortable career choice. Annual Salary Range: $17,000 - $67,000.

Bathtub Refinisher

Photo Credit: reglazing.com

Years ago, the idea of painting a bathtub for a living would’ve been considered a ridiculous notion, but today the business of bath and kitchen refinishing has grown into a multi-million dollar industry. In reality, it involves much more than just painting. The concept is to replace a worn-out finish on a bathtub, sink, or kitchen counter top with a new finish. The activity is highly detailed, with specific steps to properly clean and etch the surface, and then apply the new finish through the use of a professional spraying process utilizing specialized equipment. It enables the homeowner to save quite a bit of money and annoyance by avoiding having to tear out the old fixture and replace it with a new one. It could save a family up to 70%. Annual Salary Range: $20,000 -$200,000.

Those who have been truly successful have taken the time to learn the trade by attending a professional Refinishing School. There they can get not only classroom time, but precious hands-on instruction, so that when they go into a customer's home, they can provide professional results. Tub King, Inc., in Jacksonville, Florida provides such a course one weekend each month.

Photo Credit: tubking.com

For the past decade, people from all over the world have traveled to Jacksonville, Florida to attend its bathtub and kitchen refinishing class. Previous participants have hailed from Canada, Colombia, Spain and Germany and, of course, from throughout the U.S. Typically, the class runs Friday and Saturday, unless the class size is larger, in which case, it is continued into Sunday. The class usually runs for a full eight hours each day with a free lunch included. It's taught by Tub King’s Operations Manager, Mike Turner, who has been instructing the class for well over a year.

During the class, participants learn about the entire refinishing process, repairing damaged bathtubs, spraying the tubs to make them look new, refinishing countertops, and more. The students are taught the various skills and then are able to practice in real-time during the class. It’s here they’ll actually get hands-on experience in learning how refinish a variety of Clawfoot bathtubs, countertops, sinks, cabinets, etc. Furthermore, the course offers hands-on instruction in:

An Overview of the Refinishing Industry
How to Select the Right Equipment
Proper Preparation
What are the Most Reliable Coating Products
How to Refinish Porcelain (sinks and tubs)
Striking Gold in Antique Clawfoot Bathtubs
How to Refinish Fiberglass
How to Do Spot Repairs
What are the Most Effective Cleaners
How to Refinish Kitchen Countertops
How to Refinish Appliances
How to Refinish Ceramic Tile
How Refinish Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinets
How to Create Multi-speck Patterns
How to Refinish Concrete
Bathtub Conversion (for Walk-in Tubs) for seniors
Truck Bed liners (which is a separate business all in itself)
How to Properly Set Up Your Business
A Review of the Best Marketing & Advertising Strategies
Using Key Strategies to Obtain Work for Months

Photo Credit: tubking.com

At the conclusion of the class, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion as a trained refinishing professional. After receiving a Certificate of Completion from Tub King's course, students can start their own bathtub and kitchen refinishing business. With the purchase of a professional spray rig, approximately $700 of materials, they're now a professionally equipped, well-trained contract laborer. Not only are they now skilled to refinish tubs, but also counter tops, ceramic tile, appliances, sinks, and cabinets. Whether as a part-time or full-time job, this could expand your income far beyond just being able to refinish your own tub.

Tub King’s well-lauded refinishing class empowers students to work for themselves to change and improve their lives as a qualified, certified refinishing professional. Upon completion, students can “put up their shingle” and earn a decent income by providing their professional services, whether it’s in commercial, residential or doing antique work.

Equipment and coating materials can be obtained inexpensively and there are many avenues for advertising that are affordable. In fact, Tub King also offers its students discount pricing on requisite equipment and materials as well as advertising assistance; so in addition to offering expert hands-on training, the class also addresses marketing techniques to help its students’ get started with their refinishing business. We offer marketing assistance in the form of brochures, advertisements, and flyers.

Tub King also has a very active referral program. Every class graduate is added to Tub King’s database of certified refinishers. When someone from another state contacts us to find out if we’d recommend a professional for any of their refinishing projects, we help them get in touch with one of our graduates who’s nearby them.

Learn More About Tub King's In-Depth Refinishing Course

In this article, I provided solutions to the issues surrounding our nation’s current unemployment figures. I then recommended several possible non-degree career tracks such as security guard, truck driver, etc. I especially discussed Tub King’s internationally acclaimed Bath and Kitchen Refinishing course, going into detail about the once-per-month course’s hands-on curriculum, and also mentioned some of the things Tub King does to facilitate our graduates’ business success. If you found this article useful, please share it with your family, friends and co-workers.

If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog.

If you’d like to receive a Free Walk-in Tub Buyers’ Guide, fill out the form below.

If you’d like to receive a FREE Clawfoot Tub Buyer’s Guide, fill out the form below.

Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get back to you. It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you.

Thanks again for visiting with us.

Click Here to Learn More About Tub King's Refinishing Classes

Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. HIs companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan@tubking.com.

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Related articles

Should I Learn Bathtub Refinishing?

By Alan Knight

Courtesy of uglytub.com

For over 20 years now, bathtub refinishing has been an option for restoring and beautifying ugly bathtubs. I recently read an article that raised the question, “Is bathtub refinishing a scam?” The article concluded, “No, it is not a scam, it is simply an option.” Those interested in the subject are concerned for one of a number of reasons:

1. Their bathtub is an out-of-date color and they want to modernize it. Old colors that date back to the 50s include: blue, pink, green, yellow, red, various earth tones, and black.

2. The bathtub is missing porcelain, or is chipped, scratched or cracked.

3. The bathtub is dull and has lost its shine.

4. The tub is stained and simply looks dirty.

Courtesy of www.fluentd.org

Just a few years ago, most people had never heard of Bathtub Refinishing. It was thought that the only answer to an ugly bathtub was to simply jerk it out of the bathroom and replace it with a new one. That's certainly an option, but unfortunately an expensive one. When you really do the research, you'll find that removal and replacement with a new tub involves several expensive steps.

First, the old tub must be removed. That means it will have to be detached from all plumbing and its connection with wall tile and floor tile. Who is going to do this? The homeowner is ill-equipped to undertake such a thing. The tub may weigh upwards of 300 pounds if it is made of cast iron or steel. If it is made of fiberglass, it will make a tremendous mess. Greater yet, if it is a fiberglass shower surround model, it may require you cut it in pieces using a power saw, just to get it through the bathroom door and out of your house. A major undertaking, to say the least.

That's just the tub. You also must consider repairing the floor and the tile wall. Once all that is repaired and the bathroom cleaned up, you must go shopping for a new tub. That's not an inexpensive choice either. It will require delivery to your home. It must fit in the existing space occupied by your previous tub. All the plumbing hook ups must be made including the drain, which can be very temperamental. The tile and the floor must be repaired and painting may be required in the bathroom. Once you've done all this, the price tag is most likely much more than the cost of having the tub refinished, plus you have lost a lot of your own personal time persuing the project.

Courtesy of www.comedycentral.nl

Many do-it-yourselfers have had the misconception that refinishing a bathtub was a simple process that anyone can do. Maybe they have visited Lowe's or Home Depot and seen a refinishing “do-it-yourself” kit in the paint department. Unfortunately, it rarely works. First, the materials sold are not the quality needed to have pleasing, long-term results. It requires a person to use a brush or roller to apply the coating products. Again, the results are not going to please the average person. There is a huge difference between spraying an application and rolling it on. You might say, “I know how to use a sprayer.” Maybe, but is it the right system? The only system that works with the quality of a fine finish, similar to the original, is an HVLP rig. That stands for High Volume, Low Pressure, and requires a professional to apply it.

If you really want to have your tub refinished, there are only two choices:

1. Hire a professional from a reliable refinishing company to do it right. Make sure you check them out beforehand. Try to get references, and if you can, speak to someone who has used their services. The customary charge to refinish a bathtub can range from $300 to $600,based upon the amount of work that must be done. Believe me, the price is well worth it. Don't try to do something that you are not trained to do.

2. Learn from a professional training center how to refinish your tub. You might be thinking this is too expensive, but really it's not. For as little as $495, you can learn to refinish your own tub (as well as cabinets, counter tops, etc.), and turn it into a business.

A tub being refinished at Tub King.

One such school in Jacksonville, Florida, taught each month by Tub King, offers a convenient three-day seminar around a weekend format to train the layperson to refinish bathtubs and other items. The reason you need professional training is because everything you need to properly refinish a tub is highly specialized. (See our previous blog, "Invest in Yourself for the New Year.")

Among the equipment you'll need, as mentioned before, is an HVLP Spray Rig. This means the low pressure ensures the coating material goes onto the tub surface and not into the air where the smell and over spray can enter the rest of the house.

All of the coating and other materials that we teach you about (and use when we refinish a tub) are professional grade.

Let's start with the cleaning products. Not just any cleaner can properly prepare the tub for refinishing. It must be good at removing soap scum, oil, grease, as well as dirt. The tub must also be properly etched. That means a mild acid must be applied to the porcelain to rough up the surface and make it more receptive to the coating. The exception would be that if the tub is made of fiberglass, then the process of etching would take place by sanding the surface. The tub would then require another cleaning using a solvent or a high-grade isopropal alcohol solution.

Courtesy of www.thecuresafety.com

The first phase of coating requires a high-grade spray-on primer that dries quickly. Only then is the surface ready for the application of the professional top coat. The very best topcoats are acrylics. They will hold up much better than expoxies. This is also applied using the HVLP Spray Rig. The very best available can only be purchased from bathtub refinishing companies or specialized chemical companies.

During this entire process, many preparations must be made. For example, the tub must not only be cleaned, but any repairs must be made before starting. This is a science in itself and is something that comes only through proper training.

Furthermore, the entire area around the tub must be covered with masking paper and masking tape. The floor must be covered and anything else that might come in contact with over spray. The technician involved in the refinishing process must protect him or herself as well. There should be proper ventilation in the bathroom. A fume extractor with a sufficient length of hose should be used and the technician must wear the proper protective gear, such as a high-quality respirator. Proper skin covering should also be considered.

Check out this video about making your own well-paying job.

You might say, “This is an extremely involved process.” Yes, it is, and that's why you should either hire a professional or get professional training yourself. You could actually go through the training process for about the same price as a bathtub refinishing.

And there is one added bonus. After receiving a Certificate of Completion from Tub King's course, you can start your own bathtub and kitchen refinishing business. With the purchase of a professional spray rig, approximately $700 of coating materials, you're now a skilled contract laborer. Not only would you now be trained to refinish tubs, but also counter tops, ceramic tile, appliances, sinks, and cabinets. Whether part-time or full-time, this could expand your income far beyond just being able to refinish your own tub.

In this article, I discussed what’s involved in refinishing a bathtub and properly preparing the bathroom in advance of the project. I explained the factors and costs and show that for many, it’s worth taking a professional refinishing class to make sure the job is done right. Taking the class provides a special bonus: You're now prepared to do this for others and make money doing it.

If you’d like to receive a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here. Or, if you’d like to receive a FREE Clawfoot Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here. >

If you have a comment, please type it in the Comment section below. Of course, I encourage you to share this article with your family, friends, and colleagues.

Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed below and I’ll personally get back to you. Thanks for reading; it’s been my pleasure to share this information with you.

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Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. His companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. To contact Tub King directly, call (800)843-4231 or email alan@tubking.com.

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