Mini bathroom redo

I had been wanting to attack this bathroom since we moved in. It's all white tile with a grody white plastic shower pan and brass fixtures. Overall, it's not a bad space-- super tiny, but with a massive skylight and a window so it's bright and airy. The shower tiles were installed in the 90's I believe, and while I'd love to gut the whole thing, and install something to my taste, the style matches the house, doesn't look all that dated, and is in pretty good shape. 

If we had $5,000 extra lying around I'd tackle it. But mostly, I just couldn't stand that shower pan and knew there had to be some quick fix that I could do. It was covered in grime-- and not even our grime, the prior owner's dirty feet stains or whatever the heck it was. And it wouldn't come off- believe me, I tried scrubbing, I tried bleach, expensive cleaners, even paint thinner. 

I was thinking that the bare minimum to bring this bathroom at least up to my cleanliness standards, we'd have to replace the shower pan, which would require probably removing tile and a big old mess. I considered paying $200 to have a teak mat made for it and just cover it up. 

A couple years went by and I found a company that resurfaces old bathtubs and showers and even tile-- for hundreds of dollars. This was a very serious consideration..... UNTIL... searching Amazon one day I came across this super awesome epoxy paint from Rustoleum meant for this very thing. I'd normally be skeptical but the reviews were all so good. So for about $30, it was time to tackle the nastiest spot in the house!  

Icky shower pan, before. Prior owner's name is Gary.
This has been dubbed "Gary Grime." 

I first searched the big box stores for the product-- and only found a different brand which got lousy reviews on Amazon. So I went with the Rustoleum off Amazon in the green package, in white. I have to say, the real work is the prep. Taping off, removing grout, cleaning and sanding. I followed the instructions to the letter.


Close up. Ew. 
The first coat was nerve wracking-- this stuff is caustic so I used a big carbon-filter respirator mask and had a box fan going at all times. Can't expect to wash or reuse anything that has touched the paint, so each coat required a new brush, so there was a little extra expense. The first coat was put on with a 1 inch brush so was a little slow going. You paint it on and can't really go back over it because it gets sticky really quick. I started from the back and worked toward the front, giving it an hour to dry between coats. 
First coat, a tad worrisome. 

The second and third coats were better, but I was working at sunset, then in the dark so had to use a huge light. I would recommend doing it with the most daylight possible because there's not a lot of room for touchups. As always, I was my biggest critic and it was not perfect. There were a couple paintbrush hairs, a tiny run and a couple of visible brush strokes. But, once it dried completely, the tape was taken away and I stood up, it was gorgeous! Super white, and still shows the texture of the pan. I think the pan is fiberglass, but I can't be sure. The overall effect is great, and my only complaint is that the shower tiles now look dingy next to it. There are still mini flaws if you want to get down on your knees in the shower but from standing it really does look brand new. 
After! 

With a new white shower curtain and a new rug, the brass fixtures really don't bother me anymore. I touched up the vanity with some grout paint and that looks refreshed as well. I would highly highly recommend this product-- it literally saved me hundreds, if not thousands. I don't have a new bathroom, but we have a clean, livable bathroom for many more years. I'd like to update the fixtures and put in a new mirror and light fixture over the vanity, and possibly a glass shower door in the future. But that tile should last, and it's been a few months and while the pan still has a slight chemical odor when you shower, it looks new and hasn't cracked or peeled. 
Shiny clean! 
See how the tile grout now looks dingy in comparison? Always another project...


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