Yes. A cultured marble tub, shower, vanity top, sink, or countertop can certainly be refinished. The outcome of the process, if done by an expert, would be astonishing. As a matter of fact, in most cases, it could look even more modern and beautiful than the original appearance from the manufacturer and the lifespan is usually very long.
What is cultured marble?
Cultured marble is a man-made composite material that combines pulverized natural marble and one or more types of synthetic resins and dyes. The mix is introduced into a mold where it is heated, compressed, and vacuumed. When the item comes out of the mold it is a little porous and has a matte finish, which is why after curing it is covered with a protective clear coat to make it shiny and smooth.
Cultured marble was used for a long time to manufacture shower pans, tubs, vanity tops, countertops or even walls. Over the years the cultured marble manufacturing process evolved into something that is now called “engineered stone” where other types of stones are used, like Corian or Quartz.
How long have cultured marble tubs, shower pans, vanity tops, sinks, and countertops been around?
Cultured marble tubs, shower pans, vanity tops, sinks, and countertops have been around for decades. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of these items have been manufactured in the United States during all this time. You can find shower pans, vanity tops, and countertops in many different types and sizes: small, medium, large or extra large, while when it comes to bathtubs you can mainly find them in three types, standard, soaking and roman. Roman tubs have been produced in much larger quantities than the other kind of tubs combined and come in different models.
Is it cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, sink, or countertop refinishing a wise choice?
Cultured marble, due to the sound way it is manufactured, is a great material with outstanding properties. It is very versatile as well as more flexible than many types of natural stones like marble, it has a uniform internal structure and it does not have hidden cracks or flaws that may exist in natural stone.
These properties, along with many others, make cultured marble tubs, cultured marble shower pans and cultured marble vanity tops, and cultured marble countertops very durable fixtures that would always be a good idea to keep, either if you are remodeling the bathrooms or even if the fixture itself looks old, dingy, dull or stained and you’d like to give it a facelift. So, the question would be: how do I make it look new again to be able to keep it? The answer is: by refinishing it.
In any of the two cases mentioned above (remodeling of the bathroom or deterioration of the cultured marble tub, shower pan or vanity top) refinishing would come in as a great life savior for these old fixtures when time has left its mark on them. The refinishing procedure not only would it help you keep your valuable tub, shower pan, or vanity top but it would also allow you to save tons of money and avoid weeks of dust. Among other additional advantages, you will not have to deal with plumbing and demolition among other hassles associated with the construction route.
How much does it cost to refinish a cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, sink, or countertop?
Refinishing a cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, sink or countertop is always the most inexpensive alternative of all, especially if you compare it to the option of replacement. The price to refinish a cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, or countertop depends on different factors like region of the country, size of the fixture, condition, and whether it’s been refinished or painted before or not. For example, a 5-footer cultured marble roman tub in Southeast Florida normally ranges between $450 and $500 if it has no damages and has never been painted. Some of those roman tubs have steps or backsplashes, which would have separate costs.
Can you change the color of a cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, or countertop?
Cultured marble tubs, shower pans, vanity tops, sinks or countertops can be refinished in any color, regardless of their original color. In fact, the color options are unlimited. However nowadays white and beige are the most popular ones, being white over 90% of our jobs. Besides the solid color option just mentioned there is also the choice of granite look or faux granite which is more popular for vanity tops and countertops and not that much for tubs or shower pans.
How long does a refinished cultured marble tub, shower pan, vanity top, sink or countertop last?
The answer is: in an ideal scenario not less than 8 to 10 years, but the fact of the matter is that the durability really depends on 3 main things: how well the surfaces were prepared, what is the quality of the products used, and how well the tub, shower, vanity top or countertop is taken care of.
Preparation of the surfaces for the refinishing of the culture marble tubs, shower pans, vanity tops, sinks or countertops
To avoid peeling, bubbling, flaking or other adhesion issues the surfaces must be prepared very carefully. As part of this prep, they must be sanded down thoroughly, and deep cleaned. All the grease, soap scum, or dirt must be removed completely. Besides that, all the irregularities must be evened out, among other crucial steps.
What quality products must be used to refinish cultured marble tubs, showers, vanity tops, sinks, or countertops?
To be able to obtain the highest level of success and durability this procedure requires professional-grade industrial-quality products. This kind of products are not sold to the public and you can only have access to them by hiring a professional. When you do, make sure you hire a company with a solid reputation that works with the right products.
How to take care of refinished cultured tubs, showers, vanity tops, or countertops?
Cleaning and maintaining refinished surfaces in general, whether they are cultured marble or not, take a whole lot of common sense. But besides that, there are certain instructions that the resident must be very well aware of. One of the most important ones we must mention, when it comes to bathtubs or showers, is to avoid mats or appliques. For all the other fixtures (including tubs and showers as well, of course) instructions, like not to use pure bleach or abrasive materials to clean them, are some of the ones that also make the top of the list. We recommend clicking on the following link to be redirected to an excellent article we have on our blog for more complete and detailed information regarding care and maintenance instructions for refinished surfaces.
If your property is located in South Florida and you are looking for a cultured marble sink refinishing company, or a cultured marble tub resurfacing service company, feel free to click on the button below or fill out any of the contact forms on this page to be able to speak with an expert about your specific situation.