Bathtub Ghosts - Fixing the Bathtub

I research the heck out of any project I take on.  Including this one.

So I did what I usually do and scoured the internet. And I scoured some more. Many, many hours over several days. The only thing I found out was that no one else has ever had this problem before.

I'm talking about this:

Bathtub footprints of homeowners and renters of 25 years past.  I don't know who they were (and don't want to know), but perhaps one of them weighed 1000 lbs.

There is just standing water that stays there for days if no one uses it.  I dried it all out and poured in water to see how much these dents could hold... 1 1/2 cups!!!  The dents are also rough patches in the tub, meaning they are porous and a breeding ground for bacteria. Ew ew ew.  It made it hard to feel clean while showering... can you imagine taking a bath in that?

The best option would be to replace the tub, but since it's a whirlpool tub, it gets verrry pricey.  Plus, it would involve removing and replacing a ton of tile since it's surrounded on all four sides.

It's also not an attractive color.

This is where I took a DEEEEEP breath and came up with a plan that could either
a) ruin the tub and have us spending $$$$ anyway, after probably many frustrating hours of sweat, tears, and lots of dust, or
b) save $$$$ by not having to do any of that.

So, I bought Bondo ($31) from a local autoparts store.  It's used for body filler for rips or dents in fiberglass.  I had to buy the big kit because we're filling in pretty significant dents.

And then for the step that gave me tendinitis... Sanding.  Through the gel coat, down to the fiberglass.  My power sander and I became the best of friends.

I wore a dust mask, but it didn't seem to matter.
Dust EVERYWHERE.  My nostrils and entire bedroom included.

So that's what fiberglass looks like!

First I cut 2 pieces of fiberglass mat per dent.  Then I mixed the Bondo with the appropriate amount of hardener per the instructions.  And THEN, with every finger and toe crossed, I started to apply the Bondo and matting.

Looks SCARY, doesn't it?

And then, it was done. And it certainly was NOT pretty.

This is after sanding it down after it had hardened.  Bondo is
not fun to sand.  At all. 

Stephen waited to get to this point to tell me he had lost faith in this project and was expecting to buy a new tub.  Thanks, babe.  Even though I agreed, I didn't admit it out loud.

With the dents fixed, it's time to move on to refinishing... yay!  Stay tuned next Monday for my review of Rustoleum Tub & Tile... (are you nervous for this tub? me too.)

Have you ever encountered a problem that wasn't found on the internet?

Post by Emma