I hear you on the chipping—had the same issue with a tub I reglazed in my last place. Looked awesome at first, but after a couple years the wear and tear showed up, especially around spots that see a lot of water. I’m always torn between the eco side of keeping what’s already there versus the waste of tossing a whole tub. Curious—did you look into any of the lower-VOC or more eco-friendly reglaze products? I’ve seen a few pop up but haven’t tried them yet.
Yeah, I totally get the struggle between wanting to keep what you have for the planet and just wanting something that actually holds up. I did look into some of the low-VOC kits—there’s a brand called EcoPoxy that gets mentioned a lot, but honestly, I wasn’t sure how durable it’d be compared to the standard stuff. Have you heard anything about how those eco-friendly options hold up long-term? Part of me wonders if it’s worth the risk or if it’s just another layer that’ll peel in two years...
Title: How Much Did Your Bathroom Remodel Run You (Roughly)?
I’ve wondered the same thing about those eco-friendlier finishes. I mean, I love the idea—less off-gassing, better for the planet, all that jazz—but when you’re dealing with a 100-year-old house like mine, you start to get a little paranoid about stuff just...not lasting. I actually tried a low-VOC sealer on my woodwork a couple years back (not EcoPoxy, but something similar), and it looked great at first. Fast forward to winter and there were spots where it started flaking near the window. Could’ve been user error, could’ve been the product, who knows. But it was a pain to touch up.
With bathrooms, I get even more nervous because of all the moisture. That’s where I’d be worried about peeling or weird bubbling down the line. I guess if you’re not planning on steamy showers every day or you’ve got really good ventilation, maybe it holds up better? But for me, I’m not sure I’d risk it unless someone had a long-term success story.
Funny thing is, my neighbor went full eco-friendly with her bathroom reno last year—paints, caulk, even some kind of recycled tile grout. She swears by it so far but it’s only been about 18 months. Looks great now but who knows in five years? Sometimes I wonder if these companies just haven’t had enough time in the wild yet for us to really know what’ll happen.
I feel like there’s always this trade-off between “good for the planet” and “good for your sanity.” If you do go for one of those kits, maybe just keep some extra on hand in case you have to touch up sooner than you’d like...or maybe that’s just my old-house anxiety talking.
I feel like there’s always this trade-off between “good for the planet” and “good for your sanity.”
Totally get that. I’ve used some of those eco paints and caulks in a couple flips, and honestly, they’re hit or miss. Sometimes they hold up, sometimes you’re re-caulking in a year. Good ventilation helps, but old houses can be stubborn. I usually budget a bit extra for touch-ups just in case.
Yeah, I hear you on the eco stuff. I tried a “green” grout once—looked great for about six months, then started crumbling like feta cheese. Ended up redoing it with the regular stuff. My last bathroom reno ran about $12k, but I always pad the budget for these little surprises. Old houses love to keep you on your toes...
