Hey everyone! My wife and I just bought our first house, and during the move-in, we noticed some paint peeling in the bathtub. It looks like the previous owner painted the tub, and now there are a few spots where the paint is chipping away on the ceramic surface. The paint is a bland white, and it's flaking off in large, thin chunks. We're considering just using the tub as is and removing the flakes over time, but I'm worried about the paint getting on us and if it poses a slip hazard. What's the best way to safely strip this paint without damaging the ceramic tub underneath? Here's a [picture](https://imgur.com/a/GYRPKhk) for reference!
3 Answers
It’s possible they were just covering something up if the tub looked bad before. You might want to take a sample of the paint to your local paint store for identification. That way, you could get the right type of paint stripper. Just double-check that it’s not some sort of old finish instead of regular paint; in my old house from the 20s, we had a finish that looked like paint but wasn’t quite the same, and it didn’t last as long as I hoped!
Yeah, it sounds like a cheap DIY job. They probably didn’t prep the tub properly—sanding it first would’ve helped a lot. Citristrip could do the trick, just do a small test patch first. And don’t forget to check what materials the tub is made of; knowing if it's fiberglass, acrylic, or metal will help in deciding how to go about it!
It sounds like they might've used the wrong type of paint on the tub, probably cheap stuff that’s peeling off. You could try using Citristrip to remove it, which is a good option for this kind of job. Just make sure to test it on a small area first to see how it reacts. Also, if it's a metal tub, you might want to be careful of any heat gun methods because that can potentially damage the tub. Good luck with it!