Stained and Discolored

As a home inspector I receive a lot of questions about repairs and renovation, especially about the two most important rooms in the house. Yes you guessed it, the bathroom and the kitchen. The condition of these two rooms is important to the resale value of your home.
Here is a good example of a bathroom renovation question:

Question:
I recently bought a colonial home. Everything was perfect, except the bathroom – it was old and dingy. I thought that I could spruce it up with a fresh coat of paint and a good cleaning, but that was not the case. The bathtub is nice on the outside, but badly stained and discolored on the inside. I’ve tried everything under-the-sun to try and restore it back to its original luster, but so far nothing has worked. I’m starting to consider either painting the tub or installing an acrylic bathtub liner over the old tub. Is there a downside to doing either one of these?

Answer:
I understand your frustration. Over time bathtubs can get old and dingy, making it more of a battle to clean then it is worth. And if you’re frustrated now with the look of your bathtub, then I do not recommend painting over it. Paint will cover up the stains temporarily, but over time it will begin to chip, peel and fade – potentially making your tub look even worse than it already does.

I think installing an acrylic bathtub liner is a good way to go. Acrylic bathtub liners come in a variety of sizes and colors, so you can easily find the right fit for your tub size and bathroom décor. Plus, acrylic liners resist mold and mildew, which is a nice bonus if you are constantly battling this problem in your bathroom.

Acrylic bathtub liners are available at most hardware stores and through professional bathtub liner carriers. Honestly, the only difference between the two is if you decide to purchase the liner at a hardware store, then you will more than likely have to install it yourself; where as a professional carrier will install it for you – usually within a day!