Bathtub Tap Refresh, and What Paint to Avoid

5 Materials
$20
1 Hour
Easy

Sometimes, when doing a room transformation or a room refresh, I seem to forget about the costs of little things and how sometimes those little details are the ones that seem to cost the most.


For example, when I started on my bathroom transformation, I turned a blind eye to the little detail of chrome taps on the bathtub that was already in the room.

It wasn't until the space was almost complete, when realized the chrome taps did not work in the space. AT ALL. Naturally, I started to look online for matte black ones to replace them with, but all the ones I liked seemed to cost an arm, a leg, and a child to purchase.


So much money, that I just didn't want to spend. Naturally, I looked to other options of changing the taps to matte black without breaking the bank.


I did a bit of research and got to work on the tap transformation .

End result- gorgeous black taps


The before
Materials needed


  • Dupli-color automotive primer *
  • Dulpi-color automotive paint *
  • automotive clear coat
  • tape
  • plastic
  • sandpaper


* found in the automotive section of Canadian tire, not in the spray paint section.

*Very important*


Do NOT use a spray paint that is not an automotive paint. From my personal experience, many brands claim you can paint metal and plastic with them, but over time the paint will become tacky and start to come off if it sprayed onto a surface that is handled repeatedly. I find this products great if your spraying something like a light fixture that will never be handled, but from personal experience, I have used Rustoleum stray paint on door handles and this is what it looked like over time.

Lets get started:


1) I firstly removed the handles from the tub. If you are able to fully remove them off the tub then that would save you a lot of time masking everything off and covering it with plastic.

However, the type of tub I have, you have to lift the whole tub off to get at the taps, so I thought it was best to leave them In place and work with them where they were.


2) I used G tape, to mask off around the base of the handles. Also be sure to mask off the screen of the tap where the water comes out, so you don't clog it up with paint.


3) use plastic to cover the surrounding areas to prevent overspray from getting on walls and other things in the room. I may have gone a bit overboard on my plastic job but I didn't want to take any chances.

4) before I sprayed the primer, I lightly sanded the taps and the base of them with a 220 grit sandpaper. Be sure to wipe off any residue before spraying your primer.


5) spray a light coat of primer, let it dry according to instructions, and re coat.

6) Once the primer is dry, its time to spray the black paint. In the photos you don't see the actual handles. I painted those in my garage. You can also apply a clear coat after the paint is dry. I did not to mine.

7) once everything is dry, carefully remove the plastic and the tape and reinstall the handles.

I let mine dry, untouched for a few days just to be sure it was fully dry before using.

It's really as simple as that. I am so happy with the result, and it saved me a ton of money. So that's definitely a win in my books.


Please let me know if you guys have any questions about the process.


Cannot wait for our next DIY together

Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram, facebook, Pinterest and Hometalk.


XO

Amber

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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Bob Mckeel Bob Mckeel on May 16, 2020

    how Lind ago wasn't this done? Interested in knowing how long this looks great,on the handles as constant contact with natural body oils are a concern to me

  • Sharon Roscher Sharon Roscher on May 16, 2020

    It turned out absolutely fabulous! The contrast between the white & black is just stunning! But my question: Why "G Tape"? I went to look for it on Amazon and find it to be REALLY expensive compared to regular "blue tape".

  • Sabah Sabah on Jul 22, 2020

    Love the decor, what color did you paint your cabinets?

Comments
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2 of 32 comments
  • Donna A. Donna A. on Jul 28, 2021

    Wow! You are right, the black handles totally complete the look. The chrome would not have done it justice. Beautiful job. Thanks for sharing.

  • Becky Giles Becky Giles on Feb 27, 2023

    Wow! I’ve been working on some minor cosmetic updates in my main bathroom and NEVER thought of doing the faucets! Looks so good, now I gotta try this!

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