How to Redo a Bathtub With Cement Overlay

Replacing an old or worn out bathtub can be cost-prohibitive. Rather than spend money on a new tub, you can set your cash aside for other repairs and renovations and update your bathtub with an alternative treatment. The application of a cement overlay allows you to completely resurface your bathtub and freshen its existing look or give it a different look altogether. When you use a cement overlay you can customize your bathtub's appearance so it complements the rest of the bathroom decor or becomes the showpiece in the room.

Nonabrasive cleaning solution
Clean cloths
Plastic drop cloths
Painter's masking tape
Utility bucket
Cement-based resurface compound
Paddle mixer
Trowel
Paint sprayer
Epoxy primer
Acrylic paint

Instructions

- 1
  Clean your bathtub with a nonabrasive cleansing solution in preparation of the resurfacing process. Scrub the interior of your tub with a quarter-sized amount of cleanser applied to a damp cloth. Rinse your bathtub surface with water. Dry it with another cloth.
- 2
  Secure a plastic drop cloth to the wall around the bathtub with painter's tape. Place another drop cloth on the floor.
- 3
  Fill a utility bucket with cement-based resurfacing compound. Mix it according to the directions supplied by the manufacturer using a paddle mixer to create a smooth, lump-free mixture of the cement and water.
- 4
  
  A small trowel makes the process of smoothing cement simple.
  
  Apply the cement compound to the interior surface of your bathtub. Create the cement overlay by spreading 1/4 of an inch of the cement compound smoothly and evenly over the tub surface with a trowel.
- 5
  Smooth the cement compound to the bathtub's edges to avoid leaving a ridge. Let the cement overlay cure as it dries for at least 24 hours.
- 6
  Prime the cured cement overlay with an epoxy primer. Spray back and forth with a paint sprayer to create a thin first coat. After the first coat dries for six hours, spray the second coat of epoxy primer and let it dry for eight to 12 hours.
- 7
  Apply urethane-based acrylic paint in the same manner you applied the primer. After spraying the first thin coat let it dry for 12 hours. Apply two to four more coats of acrylic paint to the cement overlay to achieve the depth of color and luster you desire for your bathtub.

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