To put in a new tub or to glaze the old one...it's the same dilemma I'm in. This is what I can share with you right now. 1. I got an estimate of 15 hours x $50. just to put in a new tub; that's excluding the cost of the tub and plumbing. I'm getting another estimate on Aug. 6. 2. I called several refinishers. The quotes ranged from $275. to $425. to refinish a cast iron tub. One company called Todd's Porcelain and Fiberglass Repair etches the tub with acid and then sprays an acrylic based paint. The other one is Miracle Method. They don't etch the tub but use a proprietary bonding agent. They said they use an acrylic urethane enamel that is similar to the paint used on aircrafts. Both companies quoted $425.00 with a 5-year warranty. Both said the finish should last longer than 5 years...so I asked why can't they guarantee it for more than 5 years. Todd's offers an extended 2 year warranty for $69.00. I would also appreciate any help.

Well, today I took the plunge and painted my ceramic tile insert border in the tub surround. I got product advice and product from Benjamin Moore store. First I made sure there was no residue on tiles; wiped with rubbing alcohol. I taped off the ceramic tile border above and below with frog tape. Then i painted the tile two coats with a medium grey chalk paint to seal the tile and prepare the surface for the metallic silver paint I was going to use. Then 2 coats of the silver metallic chalk paint. Once dried, a top coat of clear, flat gloss non-yellowing polyurethane. Removed the frog tape and voila; an insert tile border which went from a dusty rose to a metallic silver! Looks like it has always been there!! Will post pic soon!

I'm afraid you've bought into some bad inspiration. Concrete is good for sidewalks, roads, foundations, and industrial construction. Maybe I'm being narrow-minded, but I can't see it having any place in a bathroom. Others have mentioned its negative characteristics. That concrete surround has to be heavy, and I hate to think how it will crack and shift in the years ahead as your house settles. My first thought was that maybe you could have it plastered over with something like water resistant exterior grade stucco or rendering - I have no experience with stucco, however. From what I can tell in the photos, though, a thick layer would raise the top of the surround above the bathtub lip. It might work if you could raise the tub. Tile might be better, as someone else mentioned, but again you'd have to raise the tub. I suspect you're stuck with what you have, unless you want to tear it out and start over. But I'm not an expert. Maybe others will have good ideas.. These home improvement television programs and websites that hand out such "inspiration" are not a force for good, IMO. They exist solely to move money from your pocket to theirs and their sponsors'. It looks as if you're another of their victims. :( Good luck. I hope you find a solution.

I wouldn't use White Dove in my home. I like a cleaner white, but I also use some stronger color than other people use. My absolute favorite white is one that can be matched by Benjamin Moore, It is Devine Color Icing. Sherwin Williams bought out the Devine Color line and won't color match. It is very close to BM Cotton Balls. I used it in my last home and am using it in my current home. Pics of my last home can be seen on zillow https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/873-Julie-Ct-San-Marcos-CA-92069/16685740_zpid/?view=public That said, the best way to pick colors for your home is to start with the colors you love. Pick colors that make your heart sing when you see them. Pick colors that make you feel like a 10 when you wear them. You want your home to make you feel joy when you walk into each room. I usually pick 3 "Colors" for my home and then pick lighter and darker, brighter and grayer shades of the colors. I use some color in each room. Second step is to pick how you are going to use those colors in each room. Will they be the main wall color or an accent color or the color of the sofa or chairs? Which rooms will have more of one color and which will have more of another. How do the colors flow from one room to the next. After I decide on the "Colors" I pick a neutral that works with the colors. For me this is usually a taupe, but that is because I love smokey purples and teals and deep wine reds. For you this may be gray or beige or taupe or greige. The neutral has to work with the colors. The last color decision is white. Which white works best with the colors and the neutrals. Extra White is a blue white and would not look good next to my taupe. Chantilly Lace is a very neutral white and works with most colors as does the Devine Icing. If I were painting all the walls in my home Dove Wing and wanted a very monochromatic color scheme I would pick White Dove as the trim white, but that is really not my style. I am really not that sophisticated and even if I were I would probably pick something more like SW Creamy and SW Pure White if I were going for the white on white monochromatic look. Hint - look in your closet, look at the things that you have bought for in your home that you absolutely love - art, vases, candles. Look at your jewelry, scarves, accessories. We generally buy things that bring us joy and make us feel happy, so it is a great place to start.