Top Tips for Painting a Bathtub

The first step of the process is to make sure that your bathtub is paintable. If it’s made of acrylic, you’re already winning, because cast iron is rarer and a bit more of a challenge. Once you’re confident your tub is suitable, you’re ready to start your prep by rubbing down the outside of the tub to create a rough surface for your paint to adhere to effectively. You can use fine sandpaper for this part of the DIY, or gently rub down with wire wool. 

 

After the sanding process, you’ll need to make sure the tub is clean and dry. If there are any stains or dirt on your tub, use a mild detergent and warm water to remove them. Let your freestanding bathtub dry completely before carefully covering all fixtures with masking tape. All done? Time to move on to the next step. 

 

Photos: Benjamin Moore Abyss 2128-20; Breath of Fresh Air 806; Napa Vineyards 427. Advance Satin Finish 

Prime, prime, prime! This is a very important step in most home decorating projects when it comes to paint, so make sure you don’t skip it, or your beautiful paint will simply chip off the bathtub and you’ll be back to square one. We recommend using a primer that matches the premium paint brand you’re using for your topcoat, and we’ve put together a few examples of primers that some of our top brands recommend. If you’re not going for one of these brands, make sure you get some good advice on which primer would be suitable: 

 

Little Greene – Intelligent ASP 

Eico - Grepp V Primer 

Farrow & Ball - Metal primer & undercoat 

Benjamin Moore - Fresh Start primer 

 

Two or three thin layers of primer will work best to make sure you achieve a smooth, even finish. 

 

Photos: Image supplied by Farrow & Ball. Tub in Paean Black No.294 

Once you’ve primed the surface you can move on to choosing a stunning topcoat colour. Don’t be tempted to use tester pots – they won’t be the correct finish for the job. Here are our recommended finishes for some of the major premium paint brands to create the best topcoat for your tub: 

 

Little Greene Paint Company - Intelligent Eggshell or Intelligent Gloss 

Eico - Flat Eggshell 

Farrow & Ball - Estate Eggshell or Modern Eggshell if you’re looking for a little more of a sheen. 

Benjamin Moore – Advance Satin 

 

Photo supplied by Eico Paints 

A 100ml sleeve is perfect to achieve the smoothest finish possible and a good quality synthetic brush works well for tricky areas. If you don’t have a roller and are opting for painting the whole tub with a brush, you’ll want to avoid brush strokes by starting at one end and working toward the other end as you go along. Apply two or three layers of paint, leaving each layer to dry and be sanded with fine sandpaper in between each application. 

 

Images supplied by Little Greene. Bathtubs in Boxington, Mister David and Harley Green  

With high quality paints, you won’t need a sealer but we’d recommend leaving the finished tub to cure for one to two days, to make sure the paint sets hard and you end up with a durable finish for your brand new work of art! 

 

If you have any questions about the process or want more information – do get in touch with us. Or you can visit us at our South London showroom – Eltham DIY for some free, bespoke advice about your DIY bathtub project. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter and check out the socials for more interiors inspiration, tips and advice.