Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most common frequently asked questions we are asked about bath resurfacing or re enamelling:

What areas do you cover?

We can resurface or re-enamel your bath or bathroom suite if you live anywhere in London. So Chelsea, Richmond, Notting Hill, Central London, City of London, Twickenham,Knightsbridge, Kensington, Kingston-Upon-Thames, North Finchley, Enfield, Ilford, Lambeth, Hounslow, etc are easily covered by our technicians.

We can also resurface your bath if you live anywhere in Surrey, Hampshire, Slough, and Hertfordshire. We have technicains who can do the work in situ if you live in Bracknell, Sutton, Epsom, Esher, Ewell, Weybridge, Woking, Farnborough, Aldershot, Windsor, Ascott, Fleet  etc.

In the North West of the country we are available in Manchester, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Sale, Oldham, Stockport, Bolton, Salford, Alderly Edge, Edgerly, Ashton Under Lyne, Irlam, Rochdale, Huddersfield, Warrington and all surrounding areas. We do cover as far as North Wales, Liverpool and Leeds.

All of mainland UK except for some parts of Wales and Cornwall. So we do do Bath resurfacing in Bath as well as Bristol , Cardiff, Newport etc. Do call us or email us at thebathbusinessuk@hotmail.co.uk if in any doubt.

We are very busy doing work daily in the South East of England. So now we are able to take on a lot more work and provide a higher level of service in Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Worthing, Eastbourne, Portsmouth, Lewis, Hailsham,Hastings, Horsham etc.

We also service Kent. We can re-enamel or resurface your bath or bathroom suite in situ in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Edenbridge, Canterbury, Folkestone, Deal, Ramsgate and even Dover.

In Scotland we cover the whole of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Falkirk and the surrounding areas as well as the Hawick, Kelso (The Scottish Borders) and Aberdeen.

We do also cover the Midlands. So Birmingham, Leicester, Sutton Coldfield, Stafford, Burton Upon Trent, Derby, Stoke-On-Trent etc.

We do resurface baths and bathroom suites in most of the UK. You can email us at thebathbusinessuk@hotmail.co.uk or call us on 07967 333 030 to verify.

How long will it take to do the resurface or re enamel my bath?

Resurfacing will normally take between 5 and 7 hours. If the bath has been re-enamelled before it will take closer to 7 hours. If you want us to resurface a sink and toilet at the same time it will definitely be a full day’s work. All of our technicians have at least 10 years experience so they are FAST because they know what they are doing and have been resurfacing baths for many years.

We resurface your bath that day. We spend time preparing the bath and the bathroom. We are fully health and safety compliant. We don’t make money by doing 2 or 3 baths a day, rushing or skimping on preparation, safety or materials. We do your bath that day and make sure we do a great job.

When can I use the bath again once it’s been resurfaced?

This answer off course applies to when you have had a shower tray or basin resurfaced as well.

Once the bath has been resurfaced we ask you to leave it for a further 8-12 hours. If you have our famous Rolls Royce treatment then the bath is able to be used within an hour of us finishing. However, frequently the silicon seal needs a few hours to set so we ask that you leave the bath overnight. You can relax in your luxury bath the next morning. If you have a roll top bath and we resurface it without resealing and you decide to get the Rolls Royce treatment then you can use your bath that evening.

How long will the new surface last on my re enamelled bath?

Properly cared for the bath will last in excess of 15 years. We have re enamelled baths over 20 years ago that are still going strong and look great. We have also had baths that have been badly chipped by tenants in the first 2 years and needed to be resurfaced again. With normal care and wear and tear we would expect the resurfaced item to last for may years. We can give great advice on how to care for the bath so it does last many years. Call our office on 01342 324 577 for any advice on this.

What cleaner should I use on my newly resurfaced bath?

Resurfaced baths are very easy to keep clean.

Do not use abrasive cream cleaners. Over time they dull the surface.

Most liquid cleaners such as “Flash” are fine and one of the easiest things to use is washing up liquid. If you live in a hard water area or if the bath has build up some dirt then washing up liquid won’t do it. Don’t be afraid to use a stronger cleaner such as FLASH or to use a Lime scale remover such as VIAKLE.

Use  a soft cloth. Greenies or abrasive cloths will scratch your new bath. You shouldn’t need them now the bath is resurfaced. Make sure you throw them away!

We have not tried and tested every single cleaning product so it is always advisable to do a test on a small area of the bath before you go ahead and use a knew product. We have found modern liquid cleaners tend to be fine- but do test if you have not used it before on your newly resurfaced bath. Our technician can advice you more fully on the day.

With hard water areas it is also advisable to dry the bath after each use. Then the limescale does not get a chance to build up.

Bath that have had the Rolls Royce treatment are even easier to clean. Many clients report they use no cleaner but simple rinse the bath down with the shower attachment.

What preparation should I do to the bathroom before you arrive?

We just need the bathroom cleared. All your perfume bottles, shampoo bottles and towels etc should taken out of the bathroom or put away in a medicine cabinet or such. The technician will be masking your whole bathroom. If you can put away anything that might get in the way that would be very helpful.

If you are mid renovating the bathroom, such as tileing then you should complete this before we arrive.

When is the best time to get the bath done, before or after I re tile?

We have resurfaced a bath and the tiler or plumber later damaged the new bath. It is very upsetting for the client, the tiler and us when this happens. Off course we can repair this damage if it happens but this is just an unnecessary additional expense for our customers. There is a sequence that best avoids this.

We would recommend you get any work such as tiling done prior to us arriving to resurface the bath. If you are planning on replacing taps or the plug/waste we would also recommend you do this before we resurface the bath. If you are wall-papering always do this after we have resurfaced the bath. Such things as new flooring can be done before or after we arrive to resurface the bath, depending on personal preference. New paint around a bath or even old paint can come off very easily with masking paper. Painting is best done after we have resurfaced. Let our technician know if you have just painted and he’ll do his best to avoid damage. However we cannot be held responsible for damage to new paint or paint being pulled off due to masking paper. Similarly wallpaper, particularly if it has been in the bathroom for a while can come of with masking. Our technician will do his best to avoid this but unfortunately in some instances it is inevitable. If you have the whole bathroom wall papered then it is best to email us pictures. Sometimes we can figure out a way of masking the room and can reduce the risk of damage- but we would need pictures. Send them to thebathbusinessuk@hotmail.co.uk

Should I replace taps or waste prior to the bath being resurfaced?

It is not necessary to remove your taps or waste in order to have you bath resurfaced. However if you If you want to renew your taps or waste then it is best to do so prior to us coming to re enamel the bath. Sometimes the new taps or waste are a slightly different size. You can off course change them afterwards but if the bath is damaged by the plumber you will end up paying for a repair.

Do I need to take the taps and waste off the bath or basin so you can re-enamel or resurface my bath for me?

No you don’t. We will simply mask the taps and waste for you. If you do want to change your taps or waste it is best to get a plumber to do so before we resurface your bath or wash basin. Really just to avoid any accidents occurring in refitting the taps or waste after we have re enamelled the bath.

Can I use a bath mat after bath resurfacing?

We strongly recommend you do not use a bath mat. The suction pads are very very strong and continual use can cause damage to the bath. Often we resurface baths due to the damage and staining a bath mat causes!

If you would like a non slip area applied to the bath we can do this for you. This is very effective. The only downside is, due to this area being rougher, naturally it can dull quicker than the rest of the bath. However, if you are used to the benefits of a bath mat then it would be advisable to have us apply the non slip area to your bath or shower tray for you.

Can you change the colour of the bath?

Our most popular request is to re-enamel the colour to white. We can even change the whole bathroom suite to white if requested. We can also colour match your bath to a coloured suite or change it to any colour you wish. We can even do the whole suite black!

Can you change the colour of bath, sink, toilet or shower tray?

Yes. This is proving increasingly popular. Most people do replace the w/c but they like to resurface their wash hand basins as it is in keeping with their bath. Sinks also look great when re-enamelled. Our customers are very happy with the transformation.

How do you go about changing the colour of a bath, sink or shower tray?

Generally the colour required is made on-site, matching it to an existing coloured fixture. This is quite a time consuming process so it adds a little bit to the price compared to restoring a bath to white.If you don’t require or need you bath resurfaced to match existing fixtures, but just want it coloured (for example, someone requested their bath be resurfaced in black) then the colour can be obtained ready made and this brings costs down.

Can you resurface or paint the outside of the bath?

If you have a roll-top style of bath, then usually the outside of the bath is painted, often in a strong, bold colour. This is something you can do yourself as the finish on the outside is not as critical as on the inside. The outside is not going to be immersed in water. So although the bath will look fantastic if we resurface the outside for you it is not necessary to use our materials or our specially trained technicians to do so. It is something you can do yourself. If you do plan on doing the outside yourself, we would recommend not using a high gloss finish as the outside of a cast iron bath is often quite rough and pitted and a glossy finish will just highlight this. A satin finish should look much better. Also,doing the feet in a different colour helps to draw attention to them, and if you have clawed feet or the like (some of these baths can have quite impressive feet with a surprising amount of detail) then a different colour is really worth considering. Of course we can also resurface outside the bath for you if you wish. We can do it in whatever colour you desire.If the outside of the bath has been left outside and is in a poor state or has rust on it then, as well as sanding the bath, it would be advisable to have it primed with a metal primer. When we come to restore a bath in situ we simply do not have time to do this. Most primers have to be left for several hours before any further painting can occur. So if you do want us to also prim the bath it would mean the job would be a two day job rather than one day.
When we restore baths in our workshop we can produce a super smooth finish on the outside of the bath which is striking to look at. We can also produce a bespoke finish or design for the outside of the bath.

What’s the difference between re-enamelling, resurfacing and refinishing?

Re-enamelling is an extensive process whereby the bath is taken away and re-enamelled as it would have been done originally. The enamel is vitreous enamel which is a type of glass. The bath will be heated at a very high temperature to melt the vitreous enamel and bond it to the bath. It’s not a cheap option.

Bath Resurfacing is a process of repairing any damage to the bath such as chips or lime scale damage. Then a priming agent is applied. Once this is done the new surface is applied. It should be sprayed on. The new surface is not a vitrious enamel. It’s a special hard wearing paint. It was initially developed for use on aircraft. Durability is it’s calling card. It is also very flexible and very difficult, although not impossible, to chip.

As far as The Bath Business is concerned we use the best system there is to do the job. Many other company’s use the same system and products as we do.

We pride ourself in excellent workmanship and preparatory work. We also take time to polish the bath once done to ensure a very smooth, shiny and easy to clean surface. We feel, due to the time and care taken to do a good job The Bath Business are the best company to do the job.

We have a very effective bonding agent that ensures the new surface adheres to the old and stays there. The new surface is very, very, very hard wearing and not prone to the damage that can be caused by modern cleaners. Resurfacing can be done in-situ.

In the early 90’s when we were first resurfacing baths most resurfacers did describe what they were doing as “re-enamelling”. Not to be deceptive but just to communicate what they were doing. Since that time a couple of new company’s have sprung up that do re-enamel. Therefore resurfacing as a term became more common. However some company’s do still say they re-enamel when they are really resurfacing. Even we say we are re-enamelling sometimes, just from habit.

If someone says they can come and re-enamel your bath in-situ they mean they can resurface it.

Refinishing is the same process as resurfacing a bath in situ.

Do you need to bake the bath to get a hard finish?

No. Several years ago the products used to re-enamel a bath could often take as long as 5 days to cure. This meant that the customer was put at a great disadvantage as they would be without the use of their bath for almost a week. So baking did become popular. This speed cured the bath so it could be used that night or at the least the following day. However it does not make the new surface any harder. In fact there are arguments in favour of leaving the surface to cure naturally. Basically the systems used to re-enamel your bath have advanced to the point that 8hrs is all that is required to leave the bath before use. So baking is no longer a necessity.

The Bath Business can heat dry your bath and then polish it for you to get a really excellent, smooth finish. The bath could be used within an hour however we still ask that you leave it a further 8 hours before use however. The material used to resurface your bath are designed to withstand high temperatures.

Can I dye my hair in the bath?

No you can’t. Hair dyes have pigments of colour and by nature they are designed to penetrate. If you dye your hair in the bath the dye is very likely to penetrate the surface and stain the bath. If you do dye your hair at home we strongly recommend you do not do so in a newly resurfaced bath.

Do you always have to the bath resurfaced in situ? Can I send you my bath to have it resurfaced?

No we don’t always have to resurface in situ. If you would like us to resurface the bath in another room in the house the room would need to be completely empty of all furnishings and flooring. If the house is having a lot of work done in it then it would be best to wait and have us come at the end of the work schedule. It is by far easier to resurface in the bathroom rather than another room so this would be our preference.

We can resurface your bath or other sanitary wear in our workshop. For most people bath resurfacing in situ is the preferred option. It saves them having to take the bath out , redecorate, etc. However sometimes someone is completely renovating their bathroom or they picked up a really nice old bath or sink somewhere and it is not currently plumbed in. In this instance sending the item to our workshop to have it resurfaced is often a preferred option. It means any redecorating or renovating can be done without the bath or bathroom suite being in the way. Also sometimes a sink or toilet can be easily un plumbed and sent to us.

Our workshop is located near our head office in West Sussex. Call or email for directions. If you need help finding a courier for larger items such as your bath let us know. We can chase up quotes for you.

Why resurface? Why not replace?

Most people who have old cast iron baths, roll top, slipper baths etc would not want to replace it with a modern bath. So re-enamelling is a good solution to making a quality bath look and feel new.

Replacing a bath with a “cheap” bath rarely works out that way. Unless the new bath is the same size as the old one there can be additional decorative costs. Tiling and flooring may need to be replaced. Add to that the cost of taking away the old bath and fitting the new. What might look like a couple of hundred pounds can turn out to be a lot more.

The last consideration is the hassle involved in replacing the bath. It can be quite a few days of work with different workmen- tilers, carpenters etc coming through your house.

When you resurface the job is completed that day. You have a lovely looking bath with minimum disruption to you.

Is Resurfacing or re-enamelling environmentally friendly?

Making a new cast iron enamel bath or an acrylic bath does require a lot of energy. So the carbon footprint is obviously bigger if you have a new bath made rather than restore an old bath by resurfacing it. There is place for both products. We love restoring old baths to their former glory but we can also appreciate new designs. Reputable companies like ourselves and vitreous enamelers are constantly striving for ways to improve their product and also reduce the carbon footprint.

Does it smell whilst you are doing the job?

We have a whole Health and Safety system that takes care of the smell at the same time. We extract out of the room. You would still smell our fillers- they smell. But with good ventilation you won’t smell anything. If the ventilation is not perfect the smell can linger for an hour or two. We have had people be very surprise we have finished the job as the last time they had someone in to do such a job it did smell. Our system is very, very good. We do think we may be the only company that has set this system up.

Some people are very sensitive to the smells. If so let the technician know before hand and he will tell you before he starts to spray the bath or shower tray etc. Then you can go out for a walk if you wish. Similarly if you have young children and you wanted to take them out for a walk whilst the technician was working just let him know before hand and he’ll tell you when he is about to start spraying.

Do you clean up after you?

We always clean up. Sometimes we are asked not to clean the area after us as the person prefers to do so themselves. Just let us know before hand. Our technicians are all trained in bath resurfacing rather than cleaning so they may not be perfect sometimes. If the technician is about to leave and you don’t feel he has cleaned up to your satisfaction please let him know before hand and he will happily rectify this. We do not send our chaps back to a property to clean up so it is important to check you are happy before we leave.

Is there a cancellation fee?

Generally, as long as we are given adequate notice there is no cancellation fee. We understand things can come up, or another tradesperson can let you down etc and we are very understanding of this.

We do have a waiting list and several customers who require our services more urgently than others. If we are given notice of a cancellation we generally can accommodate one of the more urgent requests.

However if we arrive at a job and the customer is not home to allow us access or the customer has decided they want to change their taps at the last minute for example or if for any reason we arrive at the job and the customer decides to cancel at the last minute we do charge a cancellation fee. If you are in the London area the cancellation fee is £100 plus VAT. Elsewhere we can provide the exact figure on request.

How do I choose a bath resurfacing company?

There are numerous re-enamelling, resurfacing, refinishing and reglazing company’s. Many use almost exactly the same system we use. So what’s the difference?

  1. We train all our technicians. None are self taught. They have to watch videos, answer questions, do practicals etc. They have to pass the training, which takes 2-4 weeks before we allow them to go out as approved technicians. Most of our chaps have at least 10 years experience, and many have a lot more. As far as we know there is no set training given by any of our competitors- some have actually sent their employees to us to be trained as they cannot train new personnel. We have a name in the industry now as being the best and a standard to aspire to.
  2. We cover almost all of the UK. You may be limited in who you choose by your location. We are probably the leading and best bath resurfacing company in the UK. This means  we can get to anyone in London, Surrey, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester etc. Additionally it means we have people in the office answering the phone and helping you. We are able to answer your questions swiftly and get the job done for you. If you have any after sasales enquiries we are here to help provide that information
  3. Does the company you are using have recent good reviews left on social media such as Facebook or google? Good, genuine references on a website are a good way of knowing as well as trusting your own instincts. With recent privacy laws no company can or would hand out prior clients details. We have hundreds of emails from happy customers. We can’t give those details to other people though. However if you look at any Facebook review you can find out if the person is real or not. If the person has been in business for many years there should be a splattering of reviews over the time period. Some do effectively disappear from the Net. We used a company called Brownbook for our reviews for years but this is no longer popular. However you can still google and see reviews left for us.  If a company have been around as much as 20 years but none of their clients have left reviews they must not have left a very good impression. We pride ourselves in getting lots of lovely emails and recommendations from our clients.
  4. We feel that as well as using the best products currently available to do the job of resurfacing your bath. Although the fact that our employees are highly trained specialists is more important than the materials. Someone can have the latest computer but if he doesn’t know how to use it then latest is not best. We are extremely particular and precise in our preparation. We are able to have your bath ready to use within an hour of us being there. We don’t think we can be beaten on that. In addition we can also provide the now famous Rolls Royce treatment your bath after we have resurfaced it. Our aim is to be the best bath resurfacing company you could possibly wish to choose.

 

We think the choice is easy. Choose THE BATH BUSINESS!

Is there a Warranty?

Yes. We offer a standard 2 year warranty which can be upgraded to a 5 year warranty for our baths. The warranty covers general loss of adhesion or any other coating failure that can be attributed to workmanship or materials. The basic warranty is a 2 year warranty which, at the end of 2 years can be upgraded to 5 years.

Basins and chip repairs are generally covered by a 1 year warranty but in some instances we may not provide a warranty. For example if we have repaired a structurally damaged wash basin then we would not provide a warranty. Also we do not warranty cracked items as we have no way of telling if the crack is structural or not. If you have given us information so we can send you a quote in writing we will let you know how long the warranty is for your particular job. Please do ask if you are unsure.

Our Warranty does not cover accidental damage or misuse. For example if your tiler dropped something in the bath and chipped it.

CallCall Now QuoteFREE Quote
Scroll to Top