If you are considering a bathtub liner or insert, you will want to also keep in mind that the life expectancy of both a refinished bathtub, and a bathtub liner is between 10-20 years. The claims that bathtub liners cannot be chipped or gouged are also not true. In fact, bathtub liners are easily scratched and if a sharp edge is dropped or scraped up against a bathtub liner, it will be damaged. This is also true with a refinished bathtub. The key is to always follow the care instructions provided to you.
An improper installed bathtub liner or one that is cheap and installed by inexperienced companies can end up being a headache for you down the road. Bathtub liners tend to leak at the joints, or at the drains and when this happens water will accumulate between the liner and the old bathtub. This will cause your bathtub liner to develop mold, mildew, a bad odor, and a mushy feeling when you are standing on the bathtub floor.
Research has shown that mold spores inhaled, even in small quantities can cause serious health problems. If this happens, the only way to remove the mold is to remove the bathtub liner and disinfect the bathtub.
When the time comes to replace the bathtub liner, expect to end up paying someone quite a bit of money to do it. These bathtub liners are basically glued to your old bathtub and are very difficult to remove and unlike bathtub refinishing, your choices during installation of a bathtub liner are limited. Only a very small number of colors are available. Trying to match the bathtub liner to your custom colored vanity top, tile or sink is not going to happen either. You can expect most bathtub installations to require 2 trips to your home for measuring and another day for installation, not to mention the 2 week ordering period. This is all solved in 1 day by bathtub refinishing. Choose just about any color you like to match any decor.
