You spend your day running around getting ready for work, getting the children off to school, getting dinner ready, and then getting the children to bed. This can go on day in day out until the weekend. The weekend comes and you are shuffling the kids off to friends, getting together with friends yourself, or just getting running around done. Your life is pretty busy. You might not notice that your bathtub is not looking as new as it could. What are some signs it is time to get a new tub?
Stained
If you notice that you are scrubbing your bathtub more, and the stains are not coming up like they used to, it could be time to get a new tub. An important point with stains is to make sure it is just a stain and not bacterial growth beginning. Some colored stains (i.e. pink, black) could be the formation of bacterial growth in your tub. This will need to be dealt with immediately. Other stains in your tub are typically caused by mineral deposits from hard water.
Leaks
As tubs get older, they can start to crack. The water will seep inside your tub and can weaken the integrity of your tub, which will widen the cracks and allow water to leak out of your tub. When these occur, stop using your tub. Have the leak assessed to see if it can be fixed or the tub needs to be replaced. Other leaks can come from the faucet that fills the bathtub, grout issues, or the overflow piping. Some deciding factors to replace or fix your tub are cost and time. Will it cost more money or more time to fix instead of replace?
Mold
The bathroom is a wet environment with showers, soaks in the bathtub, the steam from each, and water spills. When the room is not properly aired out so that it can dry, mold can develop. This mold can develop around the drain of the bathtub, along the grout that lines the bathtub, and potentially on the walls and surrounding areas. When there is an abundance of mold in an area it can be very difficult to remove. Additionally, if it is in an area that is not easily visible, it can spread for some time before it is discovered. Another problem is when the mold appears to be in the caulking around your tub and you replace it, but the mold returns. This could mean that the mold is growing underneath your caulk. The extent of your mold and the type (i.e. black mold) could determine whether you need a new tub.
