Has anyone ever put tile on top of a bathtub?

Carol B
by Carol B
My bathtub is an odd blue color. I have a shower curtain in front of it, but you can see the blue side of the bathtub. Has anyone disguised the side of the tub by putting tile on it or perhaps a wood surround? Any ideas Help please. Thanks.
  3 answers
  • Carla K Carla K on Aug 04, 2012
    Hello Carol, I have a 3/4 bathroom that has been build 40 years ago. The tile around the tub was an ugly mustard yellow of which I was very tired. What I did in order not to pull the tile out and remove the old glue etc was simply putting a faux finish with acrylic paints. Yes you heard right, water based acrylics. I sponged them on with a natural sponge. Two colors to match the bathroom walls and I did the same with the bathroom sink that was ugly too. After the paint dried I brushed on several coats of water based polyurethane floor finish, following the instruction on the can. I am using my shower now and I can wipe off soap and water scum easy with a moist towel or a mild spray detergent and it stays pretty, doesn't come off either. I just made sure I caulked around the edges on the tub real well. so no water can seep beneath the coat of polyurethane and also made sure that the polyurethane was covering the edges real well. It works like a charm, including the sink. I am going to post a photo for you to give you an idea. You could paint the outside of your tub any color you want too. I am not sure how this treatment would stand up inside that tub though. I would stay away from a wood enclosure because it might soak up the water and eventually cause the wood to rot of mold to build up in the cracks. Carla
  • Carol, You can repaint your tub to make it look better. Although its really a pro type of project if your looking for a long term finish, but the refinishing kits sold in the big box stores work well for a few years or so. Just need to follow the direction real well and make sure everything is clean. That is normally the Achilles heel to doing this type of refinishing project. This should get you a few years anyway until you can afford to replace the fixture with something you may want. Just remember however, Once the tub is painted its finish is not as durable as the baked on enamel finish is. So you need to be diligent on keeping the tub clean so you do not end up having to scrub hard to get it clean. And do not use abrasive type cleaners as the new finish will scratch fast.
  • Carol B Carol B on Aug 11, 2012
    Thank you both! You've opened my mind to other approaches. Carla, you are very creative, and Woodbridge, very solid advice.