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Should I replace the tile above the tub before or after I have the tub refinished?

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You’ve decided your bathroom needs an update, but a complete remodel isn’t in the budget, so you’re in search of a cost-effective way to give your space a brand new look. A friend mentions that they used Miracle Method Surface Refinishing to restore their bathtub and give it extra years of usable life, and after taking a look at their bathroom, as well as the Miracle Method website, you decide this is just the solution you are looking for. But then you begin to wonder about those ugly, dingy tiles above your bathtub… Should you replace them, and if so, should it be done before or after Miracle Method refinishes your bathtub?

Bathroom tile replacement is a messy, lengthy process that will put your bathroom out of commission for a while. Plus it is expensive – We’ve heard from some homeowners who received estimates of a few thousand dollars for tile removal and replacement. That’s not exactly the cost-effective update you were searching for.

Fortunately, Miracle Method has another solution for you – tile refinishing! Miracle Method can save you up to 75% over the cost of removal and replacement. Our process involves a thorough cleaning of the tiles, repairing any chips, and the application of a thin, new coat to the grout to make sure the lines are filled and even. We can even make your tile look like stone with our Natural Accents finish.

Visit the Miracle Method website to learn more about our tile refinishing services. To speak with a representative, use our online locator or call 855-212-7337 to reach a franchise near you.

My mom wants to live in her home as long as possible. What safety assessments should I consider?

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These days it is not uncommon for senior adults to wish to live in their own homes as long as they possibly can. The idea of “aging in place” has prompted many senior adults and their family members to consider what home modifications will need to be made in order for them to remain in their homes longer. One room that can’t be forgotten when making those modifications is the bathroom.

Bathrooms pose a major threat to the safety of senior adults. About 25% of hospital admissions for those above the age of 65 result from slip and fall accidents that occur when entering or existing the bathtub or shower. The most common result of such an accident is a hip fracture. If your parents wish to live in their own home for as long as they can, you must be proactive and do what you can to prevent accidents and injuries.

Miracle Method has a variety of offerings to help make the bathroom a safer place for senior adults, or anyone who has limited mobility or unsteady balance. First, there’s the Easy Step® tub-to-shower conversion. In less than a day, we’ll create a 24-inch-wide by 9-inch-tall notch in the side of the tub so users can step through, not over, the side of the tub. By not having to raise your foot very high, entry is easier and there is less of a risk of losing your balance and falling.

To help reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents even further, we can also install safety grab bars and apply a slip resistant surface to the bottom of the tub. Additionally, we can install a curved shower rod and a hand-held shower nozzle to help make bathing more convenient. These bathroom safety items will cost a fraction of the price of a walk-in tub and without all the mess and expense of remodeling.

Before: The tub was difficult to enter and exit, and could potentially lead to a slip-and-fall accident.

After: The Easy Step® tub to shower conversion and a grab bar make for a safer bathroom for all.

If you have a loved one that would like to “age in place,” visit the Miracle Method website to learn more about how we can help make their bathroom a safer place. If you would like to speak with a Miracle Method professional, please use our online locator or call 855-212-7337 to find the franchise nearest you.

Bathtubs are inexpensive, shouldn’t I just replace mine?

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When a bathtub is worn out, damaged, or is just the wrong color, many homeowners immediately begin to look at the option of replacing their bathtub, due in part to the fact that the fixture itself is rather inexpensive. New tubs sold by home improvement centers usually cost between $200 and $500, which seems like a fabulous deal. But what many homeowners don’t factor into the equation is the cost of demolition and removal, the installation of the new tub, and other costs like plumbing, tile work, flooring, and carpentry. Those costs, in addition to the new tub can easily raise the cost of bathtub replacement to $3000 or more.

Fortunately, there is a more cost effective solution available – bathtub refinishing by Miracle Method! Our refinishing process usually costs $500 to $650 to refinish your bathtub to a like new look and feel and can save you up to 75% over the cost of replacement. Best of all, the usable life of your tub will be extended by 15 years or more, and you’ll only be without your tub for a day or two – much better than the seven to ten days you could be without your tub if you chose to replace.

Before: Ugly pink color has to go!

After: The pink tub was transformed with a sparkling white finish!

Visit the Miracle Method website to learn more about our bathtub refinishing services, and while you’re there, take a look at our countertop and ceramic tile refinishing services, too. If you would like to speak with a Miracle Method representative, please use our online locator or call 855-212-7337 to reach the franchise closest to you.

Miracle Method Celebrates 32-Years As A Green Remodeling Alternative

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Did you know traditional home remodeling adds a significant amount of waste to landfills? According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), a home remodeling project can generate between 70 and 115 lbs. of waste per square foot! New home constructions only generate 3 to 5 lbs. of construction waste per square foot. Given those statistics, remodeling alternatives are an absolute necessity.

Miracle Method Surface Refinishing has provided a Green Home Remodeling Alternative for 32 years now. When a Miracle Method Surface Refinishing technician refinishes an existing tub, tile surround, bathroom vanity, or kitchen countertop, you can avoid contributing hundreds of pounds of waste to landfills.

A tub that's headed to a landfill.

Notice the difference refinishing can make! No need to send a beauty like this to a landfill!

Chuck Pistor, President of Miracle Method Surface Refinishing, uses a simple math equation to demonstrate the impact surface refinishing can have. “Miracle Method offices refinished about $30,000,000 in bathtubs, tile, showers, and countertops in 2011. For easy calculations, assume all of these jobs were exclusively bathtubs. Using an average refinishing price of $475 for each bathtub, that equates to 63,158 bathtubs. With an average bathtub measuring 5.5′ wide by 2′ tall by 2.5′ deep that’s 27.50 cubic feet per tub.

Multiplying 27.50 cubic feet x 63,158 bathtubs equals 1,736,845 cubic feet of bathtubs that were effectively “recycled” by surface refinishing instead of being tossed into landfills across the country. That’s enough cubic feet of waste to fill over 36,184 standard six-foot pickup beds each year… or 99 pickup trucks every day!”

With a bit of planning, homeowners should be able to get a bathroom and kitchen makeover look they want by refinishing instead of wasteful replacement. “They’ll even save up to 75% over replacement costs while contributing to a better environment,” says Pistor. According to Pistor, worn out porcelain, steel, and even fiberglass bathtubs do not need to be replaced just because they are no longer easy to clean or because they are the wrong color. Quality surface refinishing can add up to 15 years of life to bathtubs, tile, and countertops.

With 125 offices, Miracle Method is the nation’s largest surface refinishing network and is committed to providing customers with a beautiful, durable and affordable green remodeling option. To see before and after pictures of the results of Miracle Method’s green remodeling process, visit www.miraclemethod.com.

Which is better – Bathtub liners or bathtub refinishing?

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Whether a bathtub is just out-dated or has received some damage over the years, the homeowner wants to make the tub look like new again, but without the mess and expense of removal and replacement. One option is bathtub liners.

Top photo: Mold and mildew are revealed with removal of the tub liner.                                                                                      Bottom photo: This is the same tub after Miracle Method refinished it!

Bathtub liners are created from sheets of PVC plastic or acrylic, molded to the shape of an existing tub, then glued down to cover up the tub. While it may seem like a great option, bathtub liners can present a host of issues that might make you think twice before choosing to use a liner. First, it takes several weeks to go from measurements to the installation of the liner. Then wit use, the liner can crack or the seal can break between the tub and the liner, causing leaks and a squishy feel when standing in the tub. As the accumulated water grows stagnant, mold, mildew, and odor result. Bathtub liners are pretty expensive, costing between $1,300 and $1,500. Add in a wall liner system and you’re looking a bill over well over $3,000… a pretty expensive cover up!

Bathtub refinishing is a quicker and much more cost-effective option in comparison to a bathtub liner. Miracle Method’s surface refinishing will restore the surface to a like-new look and feel for a fraction of the price of a liner. Our refinishing process typically costs between $500 and $650 to restore a tub, and between $1,000 and $1,200 to refinish both a tub and tile surround. Our refinishing process takes less than two days to complete and your tub will look like new with chips repaired, have a smooth, glossy finish, and can even have a new color.

Avoid the cost and hassle involved with bathtub liners by choosing bathtub refinishing with Miracle Method. Visit our website today to learn more, or contact your nearest Miracle Method franchise by calling 855-212-7337 or by using our online locator.

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