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Painting a shower base

Max1

hi I need a bit of advice

I want to paint my shower base but am not quite sure what it is made of

it would be about 30 years old if not more

can I use White Knight tub and basin paint on it

as you can see by picture it is in pretty bad condition

replacing it is not an option

can anyone help

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Workshop community @Max1. Many thanks for your question. I'd be happy to answer it for you.

White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint can only be used on vitreous enamel coated metal shower bases. It cannot be used on other base types, including acrylic and fibreglass.

The key to ensuring excellent adhesion is to prep the surface sufficiently. I highly recommend you invest in a 3m Instant Lead Test Kit 2 Swabs before following any instructions on prepping. If lead is present, you should wear protective equipment such as long-sleeved gloves, a respirator, and disposable overalls. You should apply water whilst sanding to prevent dust. All the surrounding areas must be cleaned down thoroughly and the cleaning material disposed of.

Take a Flexovit 230 x 280mm 120 Grit Wet And Dry Sanding Sheet and scuff up the surface of the base. You do not need to sand it smooth but rather scratch the whole surface to provide a key for the paint to bind into. Once the entire surface has been abraided, clean it down with sugar soap and rinse clean with fresh water. Allow to dry and follow the manufacturer's advice located on the packages for application.

I've used this product to rejuvenate an old bathtub with multiple layers of lead-based paint. It was in terrible condition with flaking and powdery paint. This product has worked exceptionally well, and I am very impressed with how it has held up.

If you need any further advice or have questions, please let me know.

Mitchell

Max1

Many thanks Mitchell will give it a go will post results when finished thanks

WendyJane

Hi @Max1 , was wondering if you've finished your shower base? Would love to see some pics here if you have.

Cheers,

Wendy

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @WendyJane.

It's fantastic to have you join us and I'd also be interested in seeing the results if @Max1 has completed their project. We look forward to hearing about the projects you have going on around your house and garden. We'd also encourage you to let us know if you need any assistance or have something to share with the community.

Mitchell

Max1

@WendyJane

Shower all finished not completely perfect but 100 percent better than what it was just wish I had time to give it a third coat but paint is only viable for 36 hours I even painted the drain which was cromeand pretty rusty used metal rust proof paint and it came up really good

WendyJane

Thanks for the pics @Max1 , looks great!

kirsty4

Hello, I tryed to follow your instructions but I can not find the product in the Bunnings store??

Jason

Hi @kirsty4,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us and we look forward to reading all about your projects and plans. I take it you are working on a bathroom renovation at the moment?

Could you please clarify which product you are looking for so we can assist? Was it the White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint? What is your nearest Bunnings store? If you could provide some more information, I'm sure we can help you find what you need.

Feel free to post anytime you need a hand with a project around the house and garden. We're here to help.

Many thanks,

Jason

Jaffa

Can this product be used on an acrylic (ie, not porcelain) shower pan?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Jaffa. It's fantastic that you've joined us and many thanks for your question.

It was pointed out by @kirsty4 that this product is not currently featuring on our website and our merchandise team are working on that issue. It is however available in-store. It is not suitable for acrylic shower pans.

We look forward to seeing you rejuvenate your own shower recess and would encourage you to let us know if you need any assistance or would like to share your results.

Please let me know if you need further advice or if you had any questions.

Mitchell

Speldy

I am interested in this discussion. I have a concrete shower floor. Can I use the same paint for that?

That is the White Knight Tub and Basin paint.

There is not much colour left on the concrete.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Speldy. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

I've made contact with the White Knight technical team and they have advised that the White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint is not suitable for application over concrete. Subsequently, I contacted Rust-oleum and they don't recommend their product either.

If the floor is bare concrete then it would be a relatively easy task to tile the surface and we have a fantastic range of tiles to choose from. Alternatively, you might like to consider installing a pre-fab shower base. You should find these step-by-step tutorials helpful: How to tile a shower base and How to install a shower base.

Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.

Mitchell

gpsingh100

Hi Mitchell,

Thank you for providing this useful info. Can you please suggest me further ? My shower base is in light blue color and in pretty bad shape as you can see in picture however it is still ok to use / not leaking. Can I still use this white paint (White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint) given the shower base is in light blue colour ? Can this white paint easily hide the original base colour. SHower Base.jpg ur ?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @gpsingh100. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

The White Knight Tub and Basin paint is certainly suitable for going over your light blue coloured shower base if it is enamel coated. I've used it on my own bathtub, which was a very bright and bold pink colour. The recommended two coats covered the pink with no issues at all. However, I would encourage you to clean that surface thoroughly removing any contaminants on it. I also suggest you rough the surface up with some 120 grit sandpaper, so the paint has something to grip onto.

Please use a 3M Instant Lead Test Kit - 2 Swabs before beginning. This will ensure your safety when sanding the area. I used this lead test kit on my bath and discovered that it was lead-based paint. This allowed me to take appropriate safety measures and wear suitable PPE.

Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.

Mitchell

Redbel10

Hi Mitchell,

I am trying to fix my shower base also. Can the White King paint be used on most surfaces? I was told today that it can't be used in the shower base area, but OPs base looks amazing!!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Redbel10. It's fantastic that you've joined us and many thanks for your question.

It's not advised to use the White Knight product over the newer plastic acrylic shower trays. A magnet can be used to determine if you have an older steel tray or not. If it is a new acrylic plastic tray, then this product is not suitable.

You might like to post some images of your tray, as in some circumstances, you can polish marks out of the surface.

Please let me know if you have further questions or need assistance.

Mitchell

Caz01

Hi Mitchell,

We are also trying to paint our shower base but can’t work out what type of base it is. We think it’s a concrete base with either acrylic or fibreglass painted over it. Is there a way we can tell?

Also if acrylic or fibreglass, what are our options in repainting the base?

Cheers

Caz

StevieB

Hi @Caz01,

Mitchell is taking a well-earned break at the moment, but @EricL will be happy to help with your question when he's back on the site tomorrow.

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop and we look forward to seeing your bathroom renovation.

Stevie

KARINA

Hi Jason how can I fix fine cracks in an acrylic handbasin an d chips in an acrylic shower base caused by the shower sc been shattering?

Many thanks

Karina

EricL

Hello @KARINA,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Thank you for joining us and sharing your question about your hand basin and shower tray.

If the cracks in your basin and shower tray are very fine I suggest using the PC-11 56g White Epoxy Paste. It is a marine grade epoxy paste that can be used in wet areas and dries white. It has a 35 minute working time before it starts to set. You can use a Pro Renovator 38mm Plastic Scraper to spread the paste and cover the chips and cracks .

Due to the age and wear on your basin and tray, I can't guarantee a colour match. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the basin and shower tray to give us an idea of the type of cracks and chips involved? This will then give us a better understanding of the damage and offer you other solutions.

Let me tag experienced members @Brad and @TedBear if they have any advice.

Please keep us updated, we look forward to seeing the photos.

Eric

TedBear

Thanks for the tag @EricL . This is not a repair that I have attempted, so I recommend going with EricL's suggestions.

KARINA

Hi Eric, I haven't done this yet or purchased the products, I did upload the photos I think?

EricL

Hello @KARINA

I'm sorry, but I've not seen any photos posted lately. However, if you are having trouble posting the photos you can send them to workshop@bunnings.com.au. As soon as we see the photos we can then determine the condition of your tray and make a comprehensive recommendation.

We look forward to seeing your photos.

Eric

KARINA

@EricL,

They are both whiter than shown.

MitchellMc

Hi @KARINA,

@EricL will be back on the site after the weekend, and I trust he will be keen to continue the discussion with you. As per Eric's advice, you could use the putty to fill the chips. That "white" will actually turn out a greyish colour, and your chips will still be noticeable, so you'll likely have to touch those repairs up with some white epoxy enamel paint.

Your second image shows crazing to the glaze, which are very fine crack lines. I don't believe you'll be able to fill those necessarily. As mentioned, that putty is grey, and even if you could fill them, I don't think you'll see much of an improvement.

You might like to consider painting the basin with White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint. I've used this product in my basin and bathtub and was impressed with the results. My bathtub and basin were pink, and it covered that very well. After around three years, it's still in great condition.

Mitchell

bossrepair

Can the White Knight paint be used on a fibreglass shower pan?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @bossrepair. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint application.

Fibreglass and acrylic shower pans flex, so the White Knight or any other paint is not suitable for them. It's only recommended for cast-iron pans. You could attempt to use it if you wish; it's just not recommended by the manufacturer.

What's the condition of the paint? Is it flaking, or are there scratches and marks that could be buffed out?

Mitchell

KARINA

Thanks for your helpful advice Mitchell.

Yes it is acrylic and I too have been told that sadly those products won't work .

No it's not flaking. The shower screen just imploded one day and the glass has gouged small dents in the base.

See photos above.

And with the sink I suppose the only way is to rip it out and replace it and retile?

Thankyou

EricL

Hello @KARINA

The other option you can apply to your tray is to use a cutting compound and re-polish it. However, if the blemishes and stains have gone far too deep into the acrylic, no amount of polishing will work. As for your basin, the crazing is often caused by thermal shock and age. Trying to repair it is not cost-effective, you would be better off getting a new basin.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

gloriavee

Hi,

I've got no idea what type of shower basin I've got. Needs a paint desperately. Is White Knight the only product? I see that is what is used. I would have to do it myself. No experience in painting shower basins. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.

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