UPDATE: See the tub in its new home here!
It’s actually way easier than I thought!
When we decided to install a “baby” clawfoot tub in the upstairs guest bathroom, we found an old, very dirty, rusty tub that fit the bill. We discussed several colors, but ultimately decided to keep it simple and go with black. We figured it’s easier to change out shower curtains and bath linens than to repaint a tub!
Step 1: Clean out the inside, then flip the tub over to paint. We used the shop vac to vacuum out all the dirt and dust, then Comet to clean.
{My pretty mama hard at work.}
Step 2: Scrape all the paint, rust, etc. that you can off the outside of the tub. We used a wall scraper and sanding blocks, but you could also use a pumice stone.
Fun fact- the tub was made in August 1924.
Step 3: After the tub feels as smooth and even as possible, paint on a coat of Rustoleum primer. We went with brown since we were painting a dark color.
Step 4: Once the primer has dried completely, paint with Rustoleum in your color choice. We went with interior/exterior gloss black. Add more coats as necessary.
See, I told you it was easy! (Update: see this tub in it’s new home here!)
Next up, the master bathroom tub. We’re going with a high-gloss white for this one.
A big thanks to my mom and mom-in-law for all your help with this project! :)
UPDATE: You can see the complete transformation of our black and white guest bathroom here!
very, very nice!!!
Looks great
Hello! I just wanted to let you know we really love your blog and seeing the work you’re doing with your house! We’ve nominated you for a Liebster Award and you can check out our post about it here: http://gardeniasandmint.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/11-questions-liebster-award/
Christa & Regina
http://www.gardeniasandmint.wordpress.com
I have a claw foot tub, but the enamel on inside is really damaged. Do you recommend a product to refinish the inside of tub?? My husband says get rid of it but I want to reuse and preserve the history.
Repairing and refinishing the inside of a tub is a job for the professionals. We had to have a newer tub refinished and while it wasn’t cheap it was a lot less than replacing the tub. Enamel is a somewhat difficult surface to work with for the typical DIY-er. But if the tub is going to be replaced in the short term anyway, go for it.
There are other websites that say you can refinish the inside with epoxy paint. Just make sure to get all the rust off, first. Apparently it lasts almost ten years. A professional re-glazing should last much longer, but absolutely keep a cast iron tub if you have one.
Hi Toni, thanks for stopping by! Here’s a pretty good tutorial for reglazing an antique tub: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-reglaze-a-clawfoot-tub/index.html. We used a pumice stone for cleaning off built up grime and rust on the inside and it worked really well. I hope this helps! :)
Wow…looks awesome. Love that you were able to preserve such a beauty:) found at cast party wed. pinned. have a great week.
Thanks for stopping by, Rachel! :)
Great work! Thanks for sharing!
I would have never guessed you could paint a tub!! Learn something new everyday!!
Thank you for joining in on #ThrowBackThursday!
Glad you enjoyed it, Angel! :)
I used to have one of these bathtubs, but my tub didn’t look as good as yours. Pinned! Thanks for being part of our party. Please come and show off on Monday at 7 pm. We would love it. http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks for having me, Kimberly! Looking forward to the link up tonight! :)
I love this! So jealous of both of your tubs. I so hope I can get one for my future dream home! Thank you for sharing with Making Monday!!
Thanks, Gracie! We were thrilled that we were able to reuse them! :)
That tub is absolutely gorgeous! Even though I am not a “take a bath” kind of girl – I adore claw foot tubs. You did an amazing job of refinishing it and should be very proud of yourself (and your wonderful mothers)! Thanks for sharing at #throwbackthursdaylinkup
Thanks for popping by, Heather! Strangely, I’m not a bad person either…but I do love this tub! :)
Looking at the before pictures, I don’t think I would want to tackle that project, but the end result looks really good!
Hi Holly! It really was pretty simple, and only took about a day. You could definitely do it!
Wow – it looks great but it should after all that hard work!
Thanks, Afra! :)
Great result!
Did you guys hang a shower curtain rod for the baby clawfoot or will it be just a bathtub? I am having the worst time finding an attractive shower rod for a 48″ tub.
Hi Kristy! We went with this conversion kit (http://www.signaturehardware.com/bathroom/shower/gooseneck-clawfoot-tub-shower-conversion-kit.html) and have been so so happy with it. This is where we are showering for the time being, so it’s getting a lot of use and holding up great! You can see it a little better here: https://www.the702parkproject.com/2014/02/13/shower-time/. Hope that helps! :)
Perfect! Thank you :)
Whoa thats so awesome! If you ar enear here I wouldve come to help. This is my thing! Thanks forsharing #magicmoments
I’m visiting from the SITS Girls. Wow, what a difference – your claw foot tub is gorgeous! You’re so lucky to have one.
Thanks for visiting, Marie! :)
I’m blown away by this! I have always yearned to have a clawfoot tub. Yours turned out amazing!
Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life
Thanks so much, Cindy! We were super excited about this tub! :)
What an incredible transformation! I love that you painted the bottom black. Very classy. Thank you SO much for sharing at the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop. You will be featured this Sunday @ 8pm C. Hope you have a lovely Memorial Day weekend :)
Thanks for having me, Katie, and for the feature! We were so excited with how this one turned out! :)
What a very gorgeous tub! I like your idea of keeping it a neutral color. Looks like it was a lot of work, but sooooo worth it!! :)
hugs x, Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Definitely worth it, Crystelle! :)
what a fantastic job you did with that bath!
thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments
Thanks, Jaime!! :)
Oh wow, love the tub, it looks fabulous. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
Thanks so much, Marty! :)
Wow, what a transformation! I would have never thought to scrape, sand and paint a tub. Thanks for linking up to the DIY’ers!
Thanks for stopping by, Ashley! It was surprisingly easy!
Featuring Friday at Bacon Time!
Thank you so much for sharing at Redouxinteriors. I can’t believe the difference from the before. The tub is absolutely gorgeous in the after.
Awesome! I can’t believe the transformation! Following you on bloglovin now!!! laura
Thanks for visiting and following, Laura! Glad you’re enjoying the progress! :)
Wow, beautiful. One thing I couldn’t tell did you use Rustoleum spray paint? I think they also make traditional paint … And if you used traditional paint, did you use a roller or brush? Thanks!!!
Hi Jessica! We did not use Rustoleum spray paint…it was out of the can. Because we had to do it inside that just seemed more logical for us. We also used a brush instead of a roller. Thanks for stopping by! :)
I love your tub
I’m proud to say I just redone mine,
A wonderful gift from my daughter.
I also painted mine glossy black.
And couldn’t be happier.
I did it in one day and now the floor
And we have a brand new old bathroom
Wow, it looks like new. Awesome work! BTW, last time I painted my tub, I used a roller, have never tried using brush for that.
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Hi My name is Kristen, && I know this posting is almost a year old. But I came across this in search for finding best options to re-due my claw foot tub.. I am wondering what type or brand of paint you used for the interior mostly… … but exterior as well. I love it looks great & classy as all above have stated !! && would like to mine exact colors. My biggest problem right now with this tub tho is the inside drives me nuts cause it was previously painted by prev home owners… & its chipping/ chips every time is cleans or rinsed with high pressure after a shower.
I know this reply may not be answered, cause its close to a year later. But if seen id greatly appriciate the advice && look forward to starting my project ; )
Thank you.
Kristen
Hi Kristen! Thanks for stopping by! We actually got lucky and didn’t have to do anything with the inside of the tub other than a deep cleaning. It was in pretty good shape, so we just used comet powder, a pumice stone, and lots of elbow grease to clean it. We used Rustoleum paint for the exterior. Here’s a good tutorial for reglazing the inside of a tub: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/bathroom/how-to-reglaze-a-clawfoot-tub
Hope that helps! Good luck!! :)
Great job, I have a questions about the inside of the tub. What did you do to refurbish it? Do you use it regularly and how is it holding up? We have acquired a claw foot in good shape with the exception of the inside which looks like someone “attempted” to change colors and there are runs and some unknown substance on the upper lip. Any info would be appreciated.
Hi Kevin, thanks for stopping by! I’ll refer you to the comment above by Kristen. We did not refurbish the interior, just scrubbed it. You can see my sources and a helpful how-to link above.
This tub has held up great for us! It was the only functioning tub/shower in the house for a while, so we used it regularly and had no problems. Good luck with yours!! :)
We are doing our claw tub by stripping it first. What if all the paint won’t come off after stripping it and what would be a good color for primer if we are going to paint it maroon or burgundy on the outside. We will have the top done professionally.
Hi Diana! We weren’t able to get every last bit of paint off when we were stripping it. We used a pumice stone and just tried to buff if out as much as possible. I could only find primer in white and brown…if you are going with a darker color, I would suggest using the brown. Good luck! I’d love to see it when you finish! :)
I was able to strip as much as possible from our claw tub.We found a dark red primer from Rustoleum paint .Will the paint hold up when l spray it on the outside or will it peel? We will have the inside done professionally. How many cans of maroon spray paint will l need to paint the outside ?
We are stripping the outside of our claw tub. What if all the paint doesn’t come all off and what would be a good color primer if we are going to paint it maroon or burgundy
Hi Diana! We couldn’t get every last bit of the paint off. We just sanded and buffed as much as possible so there were no rough edges. If you look closely though, you can see where some spots are higher than others. But that just gives it more vintage character, right? :)
The only Rustoleum primers I was able to find were white and a dark reddish brown. Not sure if that’s the one you’re talking about. I would definitely go with the brown if you plan to paint it maroon or burgundy. Shoot me a picture when you finish. I’d love to see! :)
I was wondering if I should roll or use a brush for the bottom side off the tub. My wife wants
White gloss. I will be using a primer as well. All sanded what should’ I clean it with before
Painting?
yes wondering brush or roller as well????
How has it held up with use. Hot and cold can cause some paints to crack..Want to use Rustolum.
Hi Martha! It has held up really well. We did not do anything to the interior of the tub…I’m not sure how it would hold up if the inside was painted. But Rustoleum on the exterior is awesome! Just make sure to sand and prime it first. Good luck!
This is some really good information about how to paint an iron clawfoot tub. It is good to know that it would be smart to sandblast the tub before painting it. That does seem like a good thing to be aware of when you want to reglaze a tub.
Wow! The final result is amazing! It looks much better now.
This is a very informative post. It contains very helpful information.
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Hi! I’m going to follow in your footsteps and paint the exterior of my tub too. I’m curious; how is it holding up after 10 years? Thanks!