Equipment, Supplies, and Training for the Professional Refinisher
NAPCO Refinisher
According to the trusted cost vs. value study done every year by remodellng.hw.net, full bathroom remodels really don’t pay off well when you sell your house. A midrange remodel costs, on average, $18,000 and returns only $11,800. A high end bathroom remodel costs a whopping $57,400 on average and returns only $33,000. Those aren’t the kind of numbers that entice you to go down that path.
There is an alternative. You don’t have to replace everything in your bathroom. By resurfacing instead of replacing you can save a boatload of money. You get a totally updated look without spending a fortune.
Let’s look at several parts of a cost effective bath remodel.
Vanity Top
You could replace your vanity and sink. It might be a DIY project for some Americans, but not for most. You would most likely end up paying someone to do it. A good alternative is to refinish the top. Yes, you would need to hire a professional, but you would save a lot of money and hassle than replacement. Top refinishers use NAPCO’s countertop resurfacing products to create a stunning vanity top. Using Flintstone faux granite coatings yields the look of stone without the cost or upkeep. If your vanity is damaged, they can use NAPCO’s countertop repair products to fix just about anything.
Vanity Cabinets
Again, replacement is expensive and a hassle. Think about having them refinished as well. Using NAPCO’s refinishing products, a professional can repaint the cabinets so they look new again. A trip to the big box store for new hardware and you have a brand new looking set of cabinets.
Replace a Dated Medicine Cabinet
A lot of older homes have goofy looking medicine cabinets. You know the look; like it belongs in a 1960’s high school gym. And much as you don’t like to admit it, visitors go through your medicine cabinet. The good news is these are usually easy and inexpensive to replace.
Lighting Fixtures
This is another easy and inexpensive change. Replace dated fixtures with something that looks modern. Ikea is a great place for lighting. You can find very modern fixtures at really affordable prices. They look great. Again, this is an easy thing for anyone who is moderately handy.
Tub Refinishing
Before
After
OK, here is the big one. Old tubs frequently look dated; maybe they are yellow or seafoam green. Replacing this can easily cost several thousand dollars, not to mention the total mess it makes of your house. Resurfacing it costs pennies on the dollar. Can you do this yourself? No. Remember when you painted your son’s room? It didn’t come out quite as good as you wanted. Tubs are way more difficult. Leave it to a professional who has had professional bathtub refinishing training . If you want to find out how to refinish a bathtub, you can read about it but it really isn’t for laymen. A professional, using NAPCO’s tub refinishing products will give you an extremely durable finish that looks as good as new. If you have imperfections, a professional can use NAPCO’s bathtub chip repair products to make them go away.
Tile Refinishing
This can be another money pit. Imagine how much it would cost to rip out the tile walls surrounding your tub or shower and replace them. Imagine the dust and mess with tradesmen traipsing in and out of your home, agonizing your dog. A professional, using NAPCO’s tile refinishing products, can make your tile look great. If you want to read about how to refinish tile, you can read about how to refinish tile here but again, it is not for the average weekend warrior.
Bottom line, don’t waste a lot of money revamping your bathroom when you can spend just a little and get the most bang for your buck. If you want to find a professional refinisher near you click here and in most cases steer you towards a professional in your area.
According to the trusted cost vs. value study done every year by remodellng.hw.net, full bathroom remodels really don’t pay off well when you sell your house. A midrange remodel costs, on average, $18,000 and returns only $11,800. A high end bathroom remodel costs a whopping $57,400 on average and returns only $33,000. Those aren’t the […]
A variety of replacement jobs are providing greater value for the money on a home’s resale than full-scale remodeling projects and the gap is widening according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 Cost Vs. Value Report.
The Report, which examines the average cost on 36 popular remodeling projects in 102 U.S. markets, suggests that replacement projects, from garage doors and entry doors to siding and roofing, are trending upward compared to 2014.
In 2015, the national average for a major kitchen remodel cost $56,768 but only $38,485 was retained at the home’s resale, resulting in just 67% of the investment being recouped. The news was similar for the bathroom, where a full remodel retained 70% of the investment on resale of an average $16,724 job. A full addition onto the bathroom only retained about 58% of the investment.
On the other hand, we’re seeing a strong and positive trend compared to the same time in 2014 for minor replacement projects recouping their value on resale – particularly so for midrange priced homes than upscale residences. For example, minor kitchen remodels have been one of the top projects for retaining their value compared to the original cost. In a variety of markets surveyed in Remodeling’s report, minor kitchen remodels even had a 100% payoff.
The bottom line? Cost-efficient projects are paying off more. Literally.
The trend of the report is clear – projects that cost the homeowner less than $5,000 have continued to recoup value upon resale. The large-scale projects demanding an investment of $25,000 and up haven’t fared as well as they continue to rise in cost but the retained value isn’t keeping up with those increases. It’s resulted in a widened gap in which replacement jobs are showing a 12.4% better average return compared to original cost than remodels.
With these trends in mind, it tells us that minor projects like a refinished bathtub or kitchen countertop give contractors on these projects an excellent opportunity when approaching a homeowner. Not only is the investment minor compared to a major addition, but the homeowner also has a much greater chance of finding their costs recouped upon resale of the home.
A variety of replacement jobs are providing greater value for the money on a home’s resale than full-scale remodeling projects and the gap is widening according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 Cost Vs. Value Report. The Report, which examines the average cost on 36 popular remodeling projects in 102 U.S. markets, suggests that replacement projects, from […]
In a trend that reflects the changing contemporary tastes of homeowners, we’re seeing more people forego many of the “bells and whistles” associated with showers and tubs such as body sprays and shower jets. In addition, whirlpool tubs are losing some popularity too.
Why? Functionality and practicality. Homeowners complain that whirlpools are too noisy and don’t gel with the concept of a quiet, peaceful bath experience. In addition, they can be challenging to maintain and too big for certain spaces. Meanwhile, jets and sprays, which may seem like a luxurious feature, aren’t being utilized as much as some homeowners originally imagined.
Despite the chatter we occasionally hear about eliminating a bathtub entirely, homeowners smartly realize that having a bath-free home can have quite a negative impact on value and future sale (especially to a future buyer with small children). A bathtub is a virtual necessity – it’s what kind of bathtub that more homeowners are gravitating to: The freestanding tub.
Getting into a freestanding tub may not be an enticing option for seniors, but for many others, the curved freestanding tub lends the bathroom a great deal of elegance with simplicity, giving the space a spa-like feel.
Though some freestanding tubs can cost several thousand dollars and far more than a built-in tub, it’s still the type of addition to a space that can compare quite favorably to an extensive bathroom remodel. A recent poll of designers by the National Kitchen and Bath Association found 60% of those designers ordering freestanding tubs for their bathroom projects. Sometimes we think of such tubs as something copper and antique that Benjamin Franklin would sink into – based on this poll, not so much. Many designers expressed a more contemporary look was occurring and with the contemporary styles that many manufacturers offer today, the category isn’t limited.
In addition to the expense compared to built-in tubs, those considering a freestanding tub will need to make sure that they have the proper space of at least six feet or so to accommodate the tub, a floor drain solution for overflow and how it actually feels in a store/factory environment prior to bringing it home.
Overall, a growing number of homeowners who strive for a spa-like environment in their bathrooms are willing to pay for it, going for the higher investment of a freestanding tub. This should be welcome news for those of us in the trade such as refinishers who can help protect that investment for the long haul.
In a trend that reflects the changing contemporary tastes of homeowners, we’re seeing more people forego many of the “bells and whistles” associated with showers and tubs such as body sprays and shower jets. In addition, whirlpool tubs are losing some popularity too. Why? Functionality and practicality. Homeowners complain that whirlpools are too noisy […]
At least 1 in 4 people in America seem to believe that home values didn’t go anywhere last year – and they’d be wrong. Nationally, home values grew by 4%.
Nearly half the people in Tampa believe that home values have either dropped or stayed exactly the same this year. Wrong again. The city’s home values overall grew by 9% compared to last year.
What’s going on here?
According to Zillow’s Housing Confidence Index, homeowners in a variety of markets are underestimating the home values in their market, creating a perception gap between belief and reality. In markets such as Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Las Vegas and others, there were a very small number of people who correctly estimated the growth of home values.
The opportunity for tradesmen: Education
Clearly there is a more positive trend in actual home values than what people believe it to be, so greater education on homes in the neighborhood and market is needed.
As more homeowners will be pleasantly surprised by these upward trends, they may be simultaneously more open to starting a kitchen or bathroom project. After all, the investment they make in a kitchen or bathroom, even a minor one, could yield even more positive returns on the home’s value. Frame your refinishing project as playing a key role within the “big picture” of home value, especially when kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most important rooms in a home for adding that value.
At least 1 in 4 people in America seem to believe that home values didn’t go anywhere last year – and they’d be wrong. Nationally, home values grew by 4%. Nearly half the people in Tampa believe that home values have either dropped or stayed exactly the same this year. Wrong again. The city’s home […]
NAPCO’s Mike Ripp has over 30 years of experience in tub refinishing, making him a leading authority in the industry. In addition to providing refinishing training courses as Director of Training and Tech Support at NAPCO, Mike is an exceptional mentor in teaching tradesmen how to build their business.
“Mike, I’m seeing the coating starting to split and separate on the bottoms of a lot of bathtubs. Do you know why this is happening?”
If we go back and review every step that covers prep and product mixing, we can often learn a lot about where coating problems occur. In many tubs that run into problems, I find the issue revolves around how thick the coating is being applied to the tub.
If you apply coating on too thick on the bottom, usually what’s going to happen is that the air will start to dry the coating at the top. This causes the thicker coating to skim over before the solvent can escape.
As the solvent is trapped, what results is a reaction where the coating will fail due to improper curing – which explains the splitting and separating at the bottom.
At first, looks can be deceiving on this. The coating can appear perfectly fine. In fact, a refinisher who recently approached me with a problem tub was very confident that there was just no way his spray tech could have applied an extra heavy coating.
Maybe so, but had he actually gone out to the job and watched how the spray tech applied the coating? No. So I encouraged the refinisher to go back out on the job and watch the tech closer in action.
Guess what? As it turned out, the tech decided that more coating was better and consequently, he applied a whole lot of wet coating to the bottom of the tub – far too much.
So if you have a spray tech, make sure you take a good, long look at how they apply coating on the bottom of a tub the next time you’re on a job with them to avoid any bad habits from developing that might cost you in terms of time, money and reputation.
Make sure you’re in the camp of refinishers who get the job done right the first time. With superior products and expertise, NAPCO has you covered. If you have any questions about NAPCO products, our training programs or the refinishing business, call us toll free at 1-800-888-1081.
NAPCO’s Mike Ripp has over 30 years of experience in tub refinishing, making him a leading authority in the industry. In addition to providing refinishing training courses as Director of Training and Tech Support at NAPCO, Mike is an exceptional mentor in teaching tradesmen how to build their business. “Mike, I’m seeing the coating starting […]
“Mike, it’s important to me to be as efficient as possible in my business, so I can maximize my income. Call backs are always the #1 threat to that, so what can I do to significantly decrease the occurrence of those?”
Let me perfectly clear on this: The more you skip steps and substitute cheap over-the-counter products for the best quality products, the more likely you’re going to get call backs from the customer. I've seen it consistently and you can almost always trace refinishers who make less money or even go out of business to their frequency of taking shortcuts.
If they’re not taking shortcuts, some refinishers get themselves into more trouble by changing their procedure for refinishing tubs and showers. It’s not uncommon to hear they’ve changed the cleaner they are using to prep the tub or skipping the cleaner all together to clean a tub with sandpaper, etch or paint thinner. Others insist on cleaning with hot water, which adds steam and humidity to the room they are spraying in.
Another thing I’m surprised by is just how many refinishers do not read and follow the simple directions on the product labels. Storing your products in proper temperatures, measuring and mixing the products correctly as well as making sure the coating, catalyst, and thinner is stirred well is all very important to how good your job will look and how long your work will last.
Applying the correct amount of coating so you achieve the proper mil thickness is also vital to a professional job. The proper mixing ratio is 2 parts coating, 1 part catalyst, 1 part thinner. The coating is worthless until it is mixed with the proper amount of catalyst. The catalyst is what makes the coating harden. To over or under catalyze is asking for trouble.
It’s simple: Stick to NAPCO’s proven products and processes and you’ll be a lot less likely to receive customer call backs.
Take NAPCO coating, for example. It’s a product that’s worked for 36 years as long as the refinisher sticks to the proper procedure.
NAPCO thinner is designed to mix with the coating and catalyst to give you the best results possible. To substitute over the counter thinners in an effort to save a few cents on a job just doesn't make good sense. It can affect gloss, dry time and even durability.
To get the recommended mil thickness on a standard 5-foot bathtub, you should be mixing 12 oz. coating, 6 oz. catalyst and 6 oz. thinner. This should be sprayed in 3 even wet coats, pausing 6 – 10 minutes between coats to allow the coating to dry to the touch before spraying on the next wet coat. Adding extra thinner only increases the chances of runs and dilutes your coating. When the coating is cured, the thinner is gone. It evaporates out, leaving behind only the catalyzed coating. Mil thickness on your work should be around 3 – 5 mils. If you spray too thin or too thick, you increase the chances of failure. Too thin is likely to wear through around the drain or bottom where it gets the most use. However, too thick is likely to react or trap solvent, keeping the coating from hardening correctly. It is common to have bottoms fail and drain because refinishers apply the coating extra heavy in these areas, thinking that “more is better.” What happens is the air causes the surface coating to start to dry before the solvents in the deeper coating can escape. Solvents are trapped and can cause many bad things to happen.
For the best looking longest lasting finish with NAPCO products, the fixture should be cleaned with Poly Tub Prep, especially if our bonding agent Gorilla Grip is going to be used. To skip this and clean with over the counter cleaners, sandpaper, etch or thinner greatly increases the chances of soap, shampoo, body dirt or bath oil to escape your prep, causing reactions and/or failure.
Professional bath and kitchen refinishing is a craft, a trade. It takes a pro who knows what he or she is doing to get a coating to look great and hold up to the heavy use that tubs and showers take.
Ever wonder why some refinishers charge $550 for a bathtub and get it while being booked out 3 weeks in advance while others charge $250 for the same tub and are only working 3 days a week, 1 tub per day?
The refinishers making the most money skip no steps and use only the best products according to the directions from their supplier. For the best, longest lasting finish and fewest call backs possible, read and follow the directions. If you have any questions about NAPCO products or the refinishing business in general, call NAPCO toll free at 1-800-888-1081. Or call us the next time you are in a sticky situation. We'll do everything we can to help you get out of it.
“Mike, it’s important to me to be as efficient as possible in my business, so I can maximize my income. Call backs are always the #1 threat to that, so what can I do to significantly decrease the occurrence of those?” Let me perfectly clear on this: The more you skip steps and substitute cheap […]
You’re busy. You have another tub to get done today and you’re running late. What do you do? Maybe skip a safety measure or two to save a few minutes? Think again.
Recently in San Diego, a refinisher wasn’t using a fume exhaust system and caused an explosion, rocking an apartment building. The explosion and fire were caused by buildup of vapors ignited by the refinisher’s electrical equipment. The 2-alarm file resulted in $300,000 in damages and displaced 20 – 25 residents of the apartment building. The refinisher went to the hospital with burns on his arms. A police officer was treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation. A resident of the building also went to the hospital complaining of dizziness and shortness of breath. A total of 60 firefighters were sent to fight the fire.
What caused this? Either the refinisher didn’t know about the potential dangers or he decided not to take appropriate precautions. It is very important to learn about, and follow, all safety rules surrounding refinishing. Let’s review some basics.
Many of the chemicals involved in the refinishing business are flammable, even explosive. Sparks, pilot lights, cigarettes, even heat guns must be kept away from fumes. How do you do that? With a fume exhauster, properly placed outside of the room in which you are spraying. The motor on most exhausters is not explosion proof. That means placing it in a room full of solvent gas may cause a fire or explosion. It must be placed in another room.
I’ve had at least two experienced refinishers relay scary stories about fires. They were properly using a fume exhauster but introduced a heat source before the exhauster had enough time to clear the room of fumes. In both cases, the tub had just been wiped down with a hot solvent. One refinisher used a heat gun, the other an electric sander. In both cases…boom! A mini-explosion ensued. One actually cracked the bathroom window. Both refinishers suffered minor burns to their face and were very lucky they weren’t more seriously hurt.
The lesson is: always follow proper safety measures. All precautions are printed on the labels. I know it’s a lot to read, but it is worth it to make sure you are safe.
Purchase a Blowhard Complete Fume Exhauster from NAPCO here.
More information about the fire in San Diego can be found here.
You’re busy. You have another tub to get done today and you’re running late. What do you do? Maybe skip a safety measure or two to save a few minutes? Think again. Recently in San Diego, a refinisher wasn’t using a fume exhaust system and caused an explosion, rocking an apartment building. The explosion and […]
How to make more money in bathtub refinishing
“If I raise my price, my regular customers will stop using me and I’m going to lose work!”
How many times have we heard a refinisher say that? All the time, right? So why is it those refinishers who have higher prices are generally a lot busier than the ones who doing tubs for very cheap?
I get where the urge to ‘race to the bottom’ on price is coming from. You see a lot of other pros around your area doing tubs who are keeping their prices cheap. Sometimes people are calling but not always booking the job. Plus, we’re doing business in an economy that isn’t still great. So you’re thinking, “Come on, Mike. With all that going on, I need to think about dropping my price. Not raising it!”
With over 30 years in this business, I’m here to tell you that the cheapest guy is almost never the busiest guy. Instead, that guy is doing a lot more work for a lot less money. Meanwhile, the best run companies with the highest prices are keeping very busy.
So what’s their big secret?
#1: Believe In Your Value
In the last month alone, I've talked to three separate refinishing business owners. They’re constantly competing with lower priced refinishers. But instead of lowering their prices, they have a price increase every 3-5 years. What are they thinking? It starts with how they view their own work and knowing who they want to work with rather than just anyone.
Each one of those owners expressed a similar belief: “Sure, we’re competing with cheap guys all over the place. But let them work harder for next to no money. We’re after the people who want good work and are going to pay for it. Since we’re in this business to make money, we know our work is worth the price.”
Nice thought. But is it actually working? You bet. They’re getting between $400 - $550 to do a standard 5 foot tub and at least $125 - $175 a strip. Meanwhile, they’re booked over a month out.
#2: Raise Your Prices Or You’re Taking A Pay Cut
That’s right. Every year you’re too afraid to raise your prices, you’re taking a pay cut. Why? The cost of living keeps going up everywhere you look: Gas. Health and car insurance. Groceries. And taxes certainly aren't going down! Think about all of those annual rising costs for a moment. Now imagine never raising your own prices over 10-20 years. When economic conditions and your prices are headed in opposite directions like that, you can see how you’re only going to be working harder every year to compensate.
#3: Fire Your Cheapest Customers
Here’s a plain and simple fact: When you raise your prices, you’re going to lose some customers and some opportunities. I’m talking mainly about your cheapest customers and the people shopping exclusively on price. Well, so be it. Fire those cheap customers and replace them with better customers who are going to pay you well for your work. Do you really want customers who are going to know you more for being the cheap guy than your work? Of course not. You’re turning out a professional product and you have the right to earn a professional living.
#4: All Things Equal, The Only Difference Is The Marketing
There’s a lot to be said for how you position yourself when you believe your work is truly worth it.
Here’s a true story. 6 years ago, my 19-year-old stepson didn't have a job so he took my 2-day refinishing training class. One week after he finished training, a local refinishing company charging $550 per tub called me and asked if I knew anyone looking to refinish.
2 months later, that 19-year-old kid became their lead tech, doing the work on a tub for $550 and a strip for another $175.
At the same time, several local refinishers – many of which were refinishing before my stepson was born – were using the exact same product, taking the exact same steps and working in the exact same town. The only difference? They were charging $295 for a tub and $50 to strip. And literally selling themselves short.
So how long has it been since you have increased your prices?
The evidence is clear. It’s about time you gave yourself a well-deserved raise.
How to make more money in bathtub refinishing “If I raise my price, my regular customers will stop using me and I’m going to lose work!” How many times have we heard a refinisher say that? All the time, right? So why is it those refinishers who have higher prices are generally a lot busier than […]