How Long Does Tub Reglazing Really Last? Expert Answers
What Shortens the Life Fastest
Nothing kills a finish quicker than harsh cleaners. Bleach, Comet, Scrubbing Bubbles with bleach, drain openers… all of them eat the coating alive. Use only gentle stuff and your tub stays shiny for a decade and a half. Treat it rough and you’ll be shopping quotes again before your kid hits middle school.
Poor preparation is the second biggest killer. If the old surface isn’t etched and bonded properly, the new finish lifts like cheap wallpaper. Good crews spend hours prepping. Bad ones slap and pray. Guess which one peels first.
What Makes It Last Forever (Or Close Enough)
Premium coatings matter more than you think. The aircraft-grade stuff the pros use cures rock-hard and shrugs off everything but diamonds. The $99 kit from the hardware store starts yellowing and scratching the first month. You get what you pay for, every single time.
Daily habits add years too. Squeegee after showers. Fix dripping faucets fast. Run the fan so steam doesn’t sit there cooking the finish. Ten seconds of effort daily beats ten grand on a new tub later.
Real Year-by-Year Breakdown
Years 1–5: Looks straight out of a showroom. Years 6–10: Still gorgeous, maybe one tiny nick from a dropped bottle. Years 11–15: Slight dulling in heavy-use areas, but one buff and it’s brand new again. Years 16+: Either refresh it or keep rolling; plenty of people do.
The Heavy-Use vs. Light-Use Difference
A family of five hammering it daily with hot baths and toys? Expect a solid 10–14 years. The guest bathroom that sees action twice a year? People regularly push past 20 and still post “just refinished… 22 years ago” photos online.
When the best crews around bathtub refinishing Newark work on their own homes or their mom’s house, they reglaze. They don’t rip it out. That should tell you everything.
Pro Tips to Push Past 15 Years Easy
Clean weekly with dish soap or Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser only. Never let abrasive pads touch it. Ever. Place a soft mat down if bath time gets wild. Catch chips early with a tiny touch-up kit; stops them spreading.
Bottom line? Treat it like the $8,000 tub it now looks like instead of the 1978 disaster it was, and you’ll be bragging about your “new” bathtub while everyone else is still saving up for replacement. That’s the real secret nobody advertises.

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