There are several home repair projects that I have been involved with in the past five years, most of which are just small little fixes to basic appliances. One home repair project that I was recently involved with was filling a medium crack in the bathroom sink and tub. I wanted to make the steel sink and bathtub look like new again after I had to use a shovel to kill a snake in the area, which left unsightly cracks and scratches all over the place. Here is how I went about repairing the cracks and scratches in the bathroom sink and bathtub using a simple process.
Gathering Supplies
The first thing I had to do in order to fix the cracks and scratches in the bathroom sink and bathtub was to get all of my supplies together. For this process, I knew I was going to need a piece of 400-grit wet and dry sandpaper, matchstick, and two-component white epoxy. The two-component white epoxy contains both the catalyst and hardener and I just bought the color of my bathtub and sink, although they have several colors to choose from. I went to my local Home Depot to buy these supplies and it only cost about $20 for everything. When I got back to my house I also knew I needed to clean the area where the cracks and scratches were with soap and water beforehand, so I grabbed a bowl and filled it with a water and soap mixture.
Preparing the Bathtub and Sink
In order to prepare the bathtub and sink for the epoxy, I had to scrub the area with warm soap and water to get off the debris, dust and other materials that might have been deposited. Since the scratches were there from a metal shovel that had been outside, there was also grass around the area so I had to clean this all off before I could start my project. I then used the 400-grit wet and dry sandpaper to get the bathtub and sink area even cleaner and ensured that there was no rust or debris left behind. The sandpaper is also good because it can help create a better barrier so that the epoxy will stick to the cracks and scratches better. I spent about 20 minutes cleaning the areas between the soap and water combination and the wet and dry sandpaper. It is also a good idea to move anything out of the way that might be hindering your preparation such as a toilet bowl cleaning brush and a scale, which is exactly what I did. I wanted to make sure that the epoxy also would not drip on any good towels I had out so I moved everything out of the immediate area before I began the actual repair.
Mixing and Applying the Epoxy
Not all epoxy mixtures will be the same but the one I used I had to add a tablespoon of water to the dry mixture of ingredients and it created a somewhat thick solution. You want to be sure to read all the directions pertaining to the type of epoxy you buy in order to mix it properly, or else you might not get the right combination or thickness. I took the wooden matchstick I had along with an old eyebrow shaper and began filling in the two areas where the scratches and cracks were. I began on the bathtub first since it was going to need the most epoxy and just lightly began painting it into the cracks and scratches and I went over the area about three coats worth. I then went over to the sink and brushed on two layers of epoxy in that location, making sure to get all over the area. I
Allowing Area To Dry
I allowed 20 minutes for each coat to dry so that I knew where I was at and to make sure it was matching color wise before I finished the repair project. I then let the epoxy dry on the bathtub and sink for 24 hours, which will vary depending upon what epoxy you purchase. I did not use water in that bathroom for the entire 24 hours because I wanted to ensure that the epoxy would hold and it would not run off the cracks and then I waited another two weeks before I cleaned the areas with any rags or cleaning solutions for good measure. After all of that, my bathtub and sink look like brand new again and you could never tell I was trying to chase a snake out of the bathroom with a shovel and created a lot of cracks in the process.