He Specializes In Claw Foot Tubs

He Specializes In Claw Foot Tubs 34-2-9 Dale Shearer takes out the ring around the tub, fixes cracks and leaves a tub as good as new when he finishes his æredo.' He and his Surface Solutions crew renovate bathrooms and kitchens in the tri-state area of Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. At the same time, Shearer may be negotiating the sale of a tub, buying another or pricing a custom redo on the owner's tub. "Refinished claw foot tubs sell for less than $1,000, or I can refinish a tub in your home for around $500," says Shearer, who runs a rural business restoring big old bath tubs. "New claw foot tubs sell for $2,000 to $3,000 so it makes a lot of sense to rework an old one." The tub expert sandblasts the outside and then applies the desired color before baking on the finish. "I use temperatures between 300 and 350 degrees to accelerate the cure," says Shearer. "At 72 degrees it would take 72 hours to cure. Then we go to work on the inside." Interiors get an acid etch. Once neutralized, they are wet sanded, dried and repaired. "We use a double priming method and put three heavy coats of acrylic resin over the top," he says. "It's catalyzed for a very hard durable finish, which can be baked on or cured over time. It's then good as new." Shearer and his crew also renovate entire bathrooms and kitchens. They can refinish and repair ceramic tile and grout and can convert a standard tub into a step-through for handicapped use. He works with every type of tub for this, from fiberglass to steel or cast iron. "We've done dozens of conversions," he says. "Everyone wants to stay in their home as long as possible, and a step-in tub can help." Conversions usually run around $750 depending on mileage. He points out that doing a full bathroom conversion to handicapped can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 or more. Of course, you can't convert or redo what you don't have. Luckily for Shearer, he and his wife began collecting old tubs several years before starting the business. It's a practice that continues. "I buy tubs from auctions, from contacts made at home and builder's shows, and word of mouth," says Shearer. "If someone has a tub for sale, I need measurements, length and width from outside rim to outside rim. Pictures would be nice and also a close-up of the feet." Currently Shearer has around 80 tubs available for refinishing. In addition, he works with all types of ceramic tile, making repairs, cleaning and regrouting, as well as putting a sealant on both. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Surface Solutions, 8870 Willow Rd., Shelton, Neb. 68876 (ph 308 647-6555 or 308 380-9596; dcshearer@rcom-ne.com).

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