What to choose- Refinishing or Liners
If you feel like renewing your bathtub but don’t want to deal with the mess of replacing one, then there are a few options for refurbishing the tub through a bathtub cover. These two options of bathtub cover share an attractive feature, and that is that the bathtub you already own shall stay in place. The refinishing of the tub is where a company comes and cleans, patches, paints, and sands the existing surface. The coating that is specially made for a bathtub is added on to the tub to provide a new bathtub. Liners on the other hand act as a cover to the bathtub whereby the new liner surrounds the old bathtub.
If you are looking at appearance pleasing, then it is always suggested to choose the tub liners as the bathtub cover would cover the old surface and look good especially if you have had an old rusted, scratched or dented bathtub. However if you have bought a bathtub that is unique, not only would it be difficult to find a bathtub cover but it will also cover the uniqueness of the old bathtub; this is where the refinishing will allow you to keep your old bath tub with a new surface.
The bathtub cover and the refinishing, both render a clean look after the finishing has been done. Refinishing is just a bit messier during the process, as there will be a lot of dust, noise and the bathtub will have to be covered along with other things in the room. The bathtub cover or the liner involves no paint and very few solvents making the process a lot easier. The process of refinishing your bathtub can be intrusive and time-consuming which might not suit some people.
As the costs are concerned, a bathtub liner is more expensive as compared to refinishing the bathtub. You cannot really design your own bathtub cover as there is no market for it whereas you can easily refurbish your bathtub without hiring a professional. The results may be less satisfactory but you can at least save the cost of hiring a professional.
The negative about having a liner as a bathtub cover is that as it has layers, water night infiltrate within the liner causing gaps to develop. This might result in the replacement of the complete bathtub. The most significant advantage of having a liner is that it delivers longevity if it is correctly installed.
This is a personal choice which should be exercised with ease. The decision should be made with careful thought as these are long-term investments being made by an individual.