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How to Fix a Chipped Bathtub

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Fixing a chipped bathtub is a do-it-yourself project that will save you from hiring an expensive professional. Whether your tub just has a few small chips, or it is badly damaged and needs to be refinished, these are both projects that you will find kits for at your local home improvement store. With a little elbow greasy, your tub will look like new in just a matter of days!


It’s easiest to start with a small amount of epoxy and add more layers than it is to put too much on and remove it. Let the epoxy dry, then sand down the surface with 400-600 grit sandpaper. Follow the directions on your epoxy kit to let it fully dry. Gently sand the surface with 400- or 600-grit sandpaper until it feels smooth like the rest of the tub.


Some epoxy will set in 2-3 hours, at which point you can sand. Other kits may advise you to wait up to 24 hours before sanding. You can add another layer of epoxy after sanding if you can still feel the chip. Then repeat the process. Your refinishing kit should come with sandpaper to use. If your kit didn’t come with sandpaper, then start with 400-grit sandpaper and work your way up to 2000-grit.


Increase the grit of the sandpaper in increments of 200 until you reach 1000-grit sandpaper, then go up in increments of 500 until you end using 2000-grit sandpaper. Repair any chips or cracks in the tub with a 2-component epoxy chip repair kit. Follow the instructions to mix the two parts of the epoxy in a small tray.


Use a small brush, spatula, or the bottom end of a matchstick to apply thin layers of epoxy to any chips. Wait 2-3 hours until the epoxy dries and sand the patches down with 2000-grit sandpaper to match the finish of the rest of the tub. This will ensure that the tub has no chips or cracks and seal the surface before you apply the new finish.

How Replacing an Undermount Sink?

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Cut through the caulk that connects the sink to the underside of the counter. Reach into the sink from above and run the blade of a utility knife through the bead of caulk, all the way around the rim of the sink. Work carefully so you don’t scratch the lip of the opening in the countertop. This caulk helps to hold the undermount sink in place but is primarily there to prevent water from getting between the sink rim and the underside of the counter.

Remove the holding clips under the sink while supporting it from below. Although it will be a tight fit in the sink cabinet, this is safer and easier with a second set of hands helping you. While the second person holds the bottom of the sink, remove the several clips (often 4-6) that pin the sink rim against the underside of the counter. They will either be screwed or epoxied into place.

If they’re attached with screws, simply use a screwdriver to remove them. If they are stuck in place with epoxy, use a putty knife to scrape, pry, and wedge the clips apart from the underside of the counter. Once you remove the clips, the sink will be free to fall, so make sure it’s being held up by someone.

Lower the sink down and out of the cabinet. Now that the caulk and the clips have been removed, simply guide the sink downward and out of the cabinet. If you are reusing the existing faucet and drain, remove them now. But it’s more likely that you’ll want to install new ones with your new sink.

Install the faucet, but not the drain, in the new sink. Unlike with a top-mount sink, don’t install the drain before installing an undermount sink. But it’s easier to install the new faucet now instead of having to work from inside the sink cabinet. Installing a faucet is within the skill set of most DIYers, but the process differs based on the type and model of faucet. Closely follow the instructions that come with the new faucet.

Apply a bead of silicone caulk around the entire top rim of the sink. Use a silicone caulk designed for bathroom applications. Make sure the bead is continuous around the entire rim of the sink. Like the stuff you removed from the old sink, this caulk is mostly there for waterproofing, but also helps hold the sink in place.