Refinishing a Fiberglass Sink

[moparfreak]

So as I'm waiting for frigid temps to thaw a bit so my garage build can continue up here in Wisconsin, I'm planning to restore an old utility sink from my grandparents. It's a nice unit, metal casing w/ covered storage underneath and metal trim. It's got some rust but I'll take care of that and repaint.

Question I do have is related to the actual sink itself. As near as I can tell, it's a fiberglass sink in the worst color: Teal. It's also very scummy and stained from the years of abuse, so I plan to clean it off and would like to refinish it somehow, but not sure what type of product I should turn to in order to paint it. Can you paint fiberglass tubs and have it hold up to water? I'm not really sure...

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Etz]

I have done several countertops and sinks with Multi-stone. It is a process that you can purchase here. http://www.midwestchemicals.com/. The stuff is amazing and easy to apply. Did a counter top and sink three years ago for my parents and it looks brand new to this day. Only thing is you may need a true HVLP sprayer.

 

[dogmir]

I know Rust-Oleum makes a product. Reviews don't look too bad.

Had to reply and do my part for a fellow Madison resident! I must admit the heater I have hanging in the garage has been struggling a bit this year. Ah Wisconsin.

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW

 

[rlitman]

I'd ask at a marine store. Yeah, once you add the word marine to any ordinary product, you pretty much double the price, but for a sink, you're not using a lot anyway.

A 2 part paint made to be used top-side over gel-coat that approaches gel-coat's hardness is what you want.

 

[SD396]

I tried an appliance epoxy paint from Tremclad (Rustoleum) on a shower base for an RV after reading good reviews on the net. Flowed out real nice. Can't say on durability/longevity as it doesn't really get used.
Other than that see what the boat guys have been using on Iboats.com. Lots of valuable info over there too.

 

[JakeKohl]

I do a lot of boat repairs and fairing/refinishing with gelcoat (racing sailboats). I work with gel coat quite a bit. Recoating with gelcoat is nasty work and clean up is dreadful (and needs to be done quickly since it's a catalyzing material that won't stop hardening). I wouldn't go to the trouble of gelcoating the sink - you would have more time, tools, and materials in it than it's worth...I would paint it. Gelcoat is porous once you get through it's outer surface so any decent paint will have good durability over it. Give it a sanding and paint it. If you want to get a really nice paint for it, a topside boat paint would give you outstanding durability...something like Interlux Brightside or if you really want to go crazy (and spend more in paint than the sink is worth), you could use a cross linking polyurethane like Interlux perfection. You can actually roll and tip (roll it on with a roller and tip it with light touch from a good brush to knock down the high points) the Interlux Perfection and get a finish like it was from a spray gun.

Honestly, though, a krylon or one of those plastics paints would probably hold up fine for occasional use.

 

[Kevin54]

When I was getting my parents house ready to sell, my parents had the teal tub and sinks from the '50's. I had a guy come in an redo them in white. Although what he used was some sort of epoxy coating over the porcelain, it was guaranteed not to chip or crack. His business is refinishing tubs and such. So there is products and people out there that does that sort of work. One word of advice though, that **** is potent and will smell up a place for a few days, and you definitely need a respirator.

 

[moparfreak]

Yikes, the interlux stuff is expensive. I think I'll get some Krylon Fusion and try that out for size. I've seen some things about using that on Fiberglass with moderate levels of success for minimal cost. Just need to make sure it's cleaned and sanded before I spray.

 

[JakeKohl]

Yikes, the interlux stuff is expensive. I think I'll get some Krylon Fusion and try that out for size. I've seen some things about using that on Fiberglass with moderate levels of success for minimal cost. Just need to make sure it's cleaned and sanded before I spray.

Y.E.S. they are. You should try to buy enough to coat an entire boat! When it comes to a marine environment, though, the cost of doing it right is priceless.

 

[KenC]

Lowe's (and I think HD) sell a two part epoxy paint kit. I've used it with good results. But, it is only available in a bright appliance white.

 

[trainer]

Can you take the sink out and get a bodyshop to shoot it with a hardened single stage urethane enamel?

I did a cast Iron bathtub with this a few years ago and it's holding up great.

 

[moparfreak]

I will be taking the sink out of the frame, but I'd like to limit my spend on this. It saves me $50 - $100 by reusing an old one, and it's kinda cool and 50's looking but I figure $10-$20 of paint and a bit of elbow grease is about my limit for it.

 

[moparfreak]

When I take the sink out, I'll try spraying the underside as a test to see how good or bad adhesion is, then do the real thing.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

If it's a standard size (19" is common for bathroom sinks), it would be faster, easier, and better to just replace it. Look also to RV sinks as they also come in multiple sizes.

Painting that existing sink will be a challenge since it's got so many contaminants ground into the surface that will prevent paint from adhering correctly.