Cast iron tub refinishing: keep the tub, renew the surface.

A cast iron tub is worth keeping

Cast iron tubs are the heaviest, quietest and longest-lived bathtubs ever made. The iron itself practically never wears out — what ages is the porcelain enamel on top. After decades of scouring powder and hard use it turns dull and porous, holds stains, and chips where something heavy was dropped.

That is exactly the problem refinishing solves. We give the tub a new surface and you keep everything that made it good: the mass that holds bathwater warm, the solid feel underfoot, and the original fit to your tile and plumbing.

Why replacing one is so hard on an island

A cast iron tub commonly weighs 300 pounds or more. Getting one out usually means breaking it up with a sledgehammer, carrying the pieces through the house or down a condo elevator, and paying for disposal. Then the new tub has to be shipped to Oʻahu, the surrounding tile repaired, and a plumber brought in to reconnect it.

Refinishing skips all of it. The tub never moves.

How we refinish cast iron

1. Deep clean and etch. Soap film and mineral scale come off, and the old enamel is etched so the new coating can grip it.
2. Repair. Chips down to the black iron, rust blooms and the worn drain ring are filled and sanded flush.
3. Pour. The coating is poured along the rim and levels itself down the walls into one seamless layer.
4. Caulk and cure. A fresh flexible seal goes in, and the tub is ready to use in 24 hours.

Built-in, drop-in and freestanding

We refinish alcove cast iron tubs with a front apron (the apron is coated too), drop-in tubs set into a deck, and freestanding clawfoot tubs. Standard shapes only — unusual corner or multi-sided built-ins and tubs with handles molded into the walls aren't a good fit for a poured coating, so we pass on those.

Price

Cast iron costs the same as any standard tub: a flat $635, with repairs, caulking and a 5-year warranty included. If there is a deep rust hole in the metal near the drain, we'll look at your photo and tell you honestly whether it can be rebuilt.