When we purchased our 1927 house in 2000, we were pleased to discover that the kitchen featured a sizable cast-iron sink. My husband used epoxy to repair the severe chips. Sadly, that didn’t last very long, and now it appears quite unsightly with numerous chips and flaws. I’ve called around to have it redone, but the majority of them say not to because they claim the finish won’t hold up. However, we would really love to keep this sink. What do you recommend?.
As you learned, an epoxy coating initially has a good appearance. It could work for a bathtub that is occasionally used. But nothing beats porcelain enamel for a durable kitchen sink. A traditional cast-iron sink can only be refinished with true porcelain enamel in one location, which appears to be the only location in the entire nation. That’s Custom Ceramic Coatings in Lenzburg, Ill. (618-475-2710; www. customceramic. com). John Ballantyne, the proprietor, will sandblast the sink to remove any remaining epoxy and the sink’s original lead-based porcelain enamel glass before applying a fresh porcelain enamel finish and baking it in a kiln.
Cullen Hackler is the Porcelain Enamel Institute’s executive vice president (770-676-9366; www. porcelainenamel. com), a trade organization, claimed that although recoated porcelain enamel is true porcelain enamel and is much more durable than epoxy, it isn’t quite as thick as what original manufacturers put on.
Hackler claimed that over the years, he has shared technical knowledge with a number of people who were interested in launching businesses that specialize in restoring elegant old sinks and tubs, but he is unaware of anyone who has actually done so.
There are businesses that coat signs, motorcycle parts, and other items in porcelain enamel. According to Chris Howell of KVO Industries in Santa Rosa, California, coating cast iron, which can be up to a quarter of an inch thick, isn’t the same as coating thinner metal. His business, which also recoats sinks and tubs, makes porcelain enamel signs. KVO gave it a try and found that because they were utilizing materials designed for use on thinner metals, bubbles developed in the finish.
You would need to call or email Ballantyne at jballantyne@customceramiccoatings to join the waiting list for Custom Ceramic Coatings. com. He will get in touch with you once you are near the top of the list, and you will need to ship the sink to him in a crate. He is more than happy to provide instructions for that and advises that you locate a business with a loading dock that will handle the shipping (and receiving, once your sink is finished). Customers have used nearby lumberyards and a nearby Kroger store, according to Ballantyne. He calculated that shipping to the Washington area might cost $275 round trip.
Ballantyne estimated your sink’s length to be 66 inches based on the images you sent. He would charge about $1,450 to sandblast one that size and apply fresh white porcelain.
My Waterpik shower head has developed deposits of brown and white lime. Not only is it unsightly, but it is also blocking some of the holes. I have attempted to clean the head using both Zud powder and Scrub Free Bathroom Cleaner with OxiClean, but neither seems to work. What’s the best way to remove the deposits?.
Answer: Many Waterpik shower heads have rubber nozzles. The crust can frequently be broken up so you can rinse it off by rubbing them with your fingertip or scrubbing them with an old toothbrush.
The manufacturer advises soaking the shower head in white vinegar if that doesn’t work. Use twist ties, a rubber band, or string to hold a plastic bag partially filled with vinegar over the shower head for a couple of hours while treating the shower head. Alternately, unscrew the shower head and place it in a bowl of vinegar to soak. To accomplish this, thread a rag through the adjustable pliers’ jaws and the threaded portion of the shower head, then counterclockwise turn. Reinstall the showerhead after letting it soak in vinegar for about two hours. In either case, finish up the cleaning by turning on the shower.
Ideally, the vinegar will have sufficiently weakened the deposits so that the force of the water will force them out of the holes.
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I’m Dreaming of a Farm Sink
I really wanted a farm-style sink. I’ve wanted one for years, but it hasn’t worked out. This time, we considered them, but the cost was simply out of the question. Maybe someday!.
You can read all about how we installed a Sinkology Farmhouse Sink after writing this post!
Our current sink looked absolutely disgusting. It was time for a budget-friendly change!.
I came across a blog post on how to refinish your bathroom sink one day while browsing Pinterest. I had heard that a bathtub could be reglazed, so I reasoned, why not a kitchen sink?
We did some more research and landed on this product from PPG. It was around $30! A lot cheaper than purchasing a $400 farm sink. Ours is cast iron so it’s solid. It just needed a little help!
Since the product shouldn’t be used in extreme heat, Eric took out the sink and prepared a space inside to work on it. Oklahoma in July? I think that qualifies!.
The projects required a number of steps, and you should be ready to go three days without a kitchen sink. There’s a lot of drying and curing in between coats.
You start by cleaning it. I mean REALLY cleaning it. Eric used steel wool to help remove the grime. To prepare and clean the surface, adhere to the instructions provided in the box.
CHECK OUT THE YOUTUBE TUTORIAL!
If you’re not going to remove your sink for this project, you should tape it off so that no product gets on the nearby surfaces.
Now you’re ready to begin applying the product. Brush on the first coat in a thin, even layer. Thin layers ensure there are no drips.
After brushing on the first coat, you must wait at least three hours but no more than six before using a fresh brush to apply the second coat.
Do not reuse the previous brush. There could be leftovers from the first coat that show up on the sink’s surface. Repeat this step for the third coat.
After you’ve finished applying the last coat, give the sink at least 48 hours to cure. We re-installed it and started using it a few hours before the allotted time was up and it hadn’t completely hardened, so DO NOT RUSH IT!
It still looks good, but not as good as it could have if we had allowed it to fully cure. We had a few spots where it peeled off the surface because we didn’t wait as we were supposed to, which is really annoying.
Once more, be sure to thoroughly read the instructions before beginning the project to ensure you have everything you need to finish this sink makeover!
Dealing with a moisture issue would not be best solved by installing carpet. To stop the moisture from moving up, you should first remove the wood floor and apply a masonry sealer.
The most crucial step with this kind of project is preparation. Read the instructions carefully, which always include ventilating the space.
All sink refinishing products, including the primer, cleaner, and refinisher itself, emit extremely toxic fumes. thus, let the room’s windows open and install fans.
We would cover the cost of the materials and their installation of the vinyl plank flooring. What should we do? Maybe carpet is a better idea. It is located in our L-shaped living and dining room.
A: Even at a moisture level of 6%, there shouldn%E2%80%99t be moisture problems with the wood floor, unless it%E2%80%99s over a concrete slab
Before you decide to replace your kitchen sink read this! How to refinish a cast iron sink for $30!
Today I’d like to show you how to resurface your kitchen sink for about $35! We still have a few things to finish up on our inexpensive kitchen makeover, but we can finally see the finish line!
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