[Greenbuilding] renewing a cast iron tub

[David Bergman]

Returning to this question from a week ago, I've 
determined that the tub can be sandblasted and 
then powder coated, and that it may make more 
sense both environmentally and economically to do 
that rather than replace it with a (good) new one 
that won't fit as well as this one does. But I'm 
still trying to work through the durability and hardness question.

A finisher/powder coater I have worked with 
previously tells me that the baking temperature 
is about 400oF and that the finish has these properties:
Film thickness - 1.5 to 2.5 mil
Hardness (ASTM D-3363-92A)   4h
Impact 160 in-lbs direct.Salt spray 1000 hrs

Anyone know how to gauge that? What might it compare to?

Thanks,


At 11:16 PM 7/19/2011, JOHN SALMEN wrote:
>I’m sorry I was trying to be humorous (on the 
>dark green side) as well as a bit positive. I 
>like the notion of recycling a tub and the local 
>labour involved. On the practical side I have 
>had to design numerous bathrooms and you have to 
>look at the clients needs and expectations.
>
>To be fair to the client I think it depends on 
>the design and the expectations. The tub is an 
>artefact – even if it is renewed it will stand 
>out unless the overall bath design supports it 
>as the old object that it is and for that you 
>need the client to want the old tub. You cannot 
>make an old tub look like a modern tub – it will 
>be shiny but it will still be the old tub. 
>Unless the bathroom design can compensate or 
>make use of ANY potential defects in some 
>imaginable perfection - I would bring in a new 
>tub.  If the design and the clients interest can 
>support the old tub I would hazard that the life 
>of an acrylic or fibreglass tub would be 
>equivalent to a renewed powder coated cast iron tub.
>
>‘Neatnik’ clients I would further hazard would 
>probably be more comfortable with a new tub.  I 
>have had clients that simply were fanatics about 
>old cast iron tubs. I have had clients that have 
>purchased new cast iron tubs that have required 
>significant floor engineering – but these were 
>clients that actually took baths that typically 
>grew up with cast iron tubs and could not be 
>dissuaded .  Next to overbuilt v8 heating 
>systems tubs are high on the list of overbuilt 
>and underused items in a home that are part of 
>what I call ‘cultural design environmental 
>failure’ – similar to 3 way switches .
>
>Free standing cast iron tubs take a lot of hot 
>water to get to stay at temp. A lot of the 
>people that are addicted to this type of bath 
>run the hot water at a steady flow to keep the 
>tub warm – these are not people that I will 
>design a freestanding tub for (if I have any 
>influence) this person requires a 
>fully  enclosed tub designs where you can create 
>a fully foamed enclosure that will retain heat 
>for as long as it takes for them to relax and get out of the tub.
>
>So on my checklist for this  I would probably have
>-          Client needs – client education/advocacy?
>-          Long term energy considerations (hot 
>water usage will outweigh any other cost if 
>people actually use the bath – but most people 
>don’t take baths and the bath is a decorative object)
>-          Local employment – local supply?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>From: David Bergman [mailto:bergman at cyberg.com]
>Sent: July-19-11 7:06 PM
>To: Green Building; terrain at shaw.ca
>Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] renewing a cast iron tub
>
>At 09:37 PM 7/19/2011, JOHN SALMEN wrote:
>
>Actually there is nothing wrong with an old pitted cast iron tub complete
>with iron (or blood) stains - it holds water and if I have a bath I am going
>to either try to read a book (without getting it wet) or stare out the
>window. It is just not shiny and 'nice' looking.
>
>I agree in principle, but there are two 
>additional factors at work here. One is that 
>once the rest of the bathroom is renovated, the 
>dulled or pitted old tub is going to stand out 
>(and not in a good way), and the second is that 
>the finish of this tub has become very hard to 
>clean. Even if the clients weren't neatniks 
>(which they are), this would be a problem.
>
>
>Will it last? Will it be durable? - what are we comparing it to - a stock
>portfolio?
>
>I hope not. Stock portfolios have done pretty badly, no?
>
>More to the point, the conventional in-house 
>recoating treatments -- in many or most cases -- 
>often don't last long at all. Sometimes five 
>years or less. I would be looking for the 
>refinishing to last as long as the bathroom 
>renovation is likely to last. (25 years?) 
>Otherwise, it makes more sense to install a new tub while the walls are open.
>
>
>David Bergman  RA   LEED AP
>DAVID BERGMAN ARCHITECT / FIRE & WATER LIGHTING + FURNITURE
>architecture . interiors . ecodesign . lighting . furniture
>bergman at cyberg.com    <http://www.cyberg.com/>www.cyberg.com
>241 Eldridge Street #3R, New York, NY 10002
>t 212 475 3106    f 212 677 7291


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