Bathtub, Tile, and Fixture Refinishing, Right Here in Burbank
Bathtubs, Showers, Sinks, Tile, and Countertops Refinished in a Single Visit
Porcelain and Fiberglass Maintenance, Inc. has refinished bathtubs, showers, and tile since 1955, and Burbank is about as close to home as our work gets, just over the line from our North Hollywood shop. It is a city largely built in the 1940s and ’50s, when returning veterans and studio and aircraft workers filled Magnolia Park and the surrounding streets with small, well-made bungalows, alongside the older homes of the 1920s. A lot of those bathrooms still have their original fixtures, and rather than tear them out, we bring the surface back to a clean, current finish.
Postwar Porcelain or Later Fiberglass? The Prep Decides the Result
Because so much of Burbank went up during the 1940s and ’50s, the tubs we are called out to are very often porcelain enamel, a hard, glass-like glaze fired over cast iron or pressed steel, the standard in postwar bungalow bathrooms and paired with the glazed tile of the era. These fixtures were built solidly, and plenty are still in daily use decades later. Once the enamel chips, stains, or dulls, refinishing renews the surface without gutting a compact vintage bathroom back to the framing.
Later remodels and the newer apartments and condos around the Media District bring a different material into play. Their bathrooms tend to use molded fiberglass and acrylic tub-and-shower units, lighter and quick to flex a little with weight and temperature. That flex is exactly why fiberglass cannot be prepped like porcelain: it needs a primer engineered to move with the surface, or a fresh finish will not hold.
It is common to find both across Burbank: an original enamel tub in a 1948 bungalow and an acrylic unit in a remodeled bath or a rental nearby. Worn, they can look much the same, yet each calls for entirely different preparation. Reading every surface correctly before the first coat is what makes a finish last for years instead of lifting within months.
Refinish, Replace, or Something Else? Sorting It Out for a Burbank Home
The right call usually settles itself before cost comes into it. In most Burbank bathrooms, the tub, shower, sink, or countertop is structurally sound and only the finish has worn out, which is exactly the situation refinishing is made for. Here are the five questions we hear most from homeowners around town.
What Makes Refinishing Cost So Much Less?
It comes down to everything a replacement pulls in behind it. Swapping a tub is not just the fixture; it is demolition, hauling the old one out, reworking plumbing when the new unit does not line up, patching tile and drywall, and often repainting to finish. That is a string of separate trades on one job. Refinishing does away with all of it, restoring the fixture already in place in a single visit and landing at a fraction of a replacement’s total, which is why most Burbank homeowners look here first.
How Do I Tell If My Tub Is Worth Refinishing?
Look at whether the trouble is on the surface or underneath it. Stains, dullness, chips, surface rust, and an old coating that has begun to peel are all surface issues, and refinishing clears them up. The exception is structural damage: a tub cracked through, leaking, or gone soft underfoot from water in the substrate. A solid postwar tub that is simply worn is a strong candidate; one failing beneath the surface is not, and we will tell you straight rather than coat over a problem.
Isn't a Drop-In Liner the Easier Route?
It looks easier and usually turns out worse. A liner is a molded shell fitted over your existing tub instead of a finish bonded to it, so it caps the old surface rather than fixing it, sealing rust, stains, and old damage out of sight. Water that gets behind the liner cannot drain, and that trapped moisture is how mold and rot take hold. Refinishing bonds straight to the tub, so there is no gap, no hidden moisture, and none of the hollow that a liner develops underfoot.
Do You Work on Both the Old Porcelain and the Newer Fiberglass?
Yes, and in a city with this much postwar housing alongside newer builds, both come up all the time. Porcelain enamel has to be chemically etched so a finish can grip its hard, sealed surface, while fiberglass and acrylic need a flexible primer that moves with the material rather than cracking against it. Using one prep on both is the most common reason a cut-rate refinishing job fails early. We identify the material first and prep it the way it requires.
How Soon Can We Use the Bathroom Again?
Very soon. A standard refinishing is done in a single visit, and the surface is cured and back in normal use about a day later, with no crews coming and going across a week. A replacement, by comparison, usually keeps the bathroom out of service for several days once demolition, plumbing, and tile work are added up. For anyone who would rather not lose a bathroom to a drawn-out project, that quick turnaround usually settles the matter.
The Local Team You're Hiring in Burbank
The oldest bathtub refinishing company in the U.S.
Endorsed on paper by both Kohler and American Standard
Scored 96 by BuildZoom. California’s top 20% of licensed contractors
Bonded, licensed, and insured
Run by the same family for three generations
What One Client Told Us
Read more real, signed reviews on our Testimonials page.
Everything We Can Refinish in Burbank
Bathtub Refinishing
A chipped, worn, or stained tub brought back to a smooth, glossy finish in one visit.
Shower Refinishing
A dated shower fiberglass, tile, or combo refreshed in place, without any demolition.
Sink Refinishing
A worn or chipped bathroom or kitchen sink renewed, often handled alongside other work.
Countertop Refinishing
Laminate, tile, or stone countertops resurfaced to a clean, even finish.
Ceramic Tile Refinishing
Dated or dull tile reglazed and grout resealed, with every tile left in place.
Senior Bathtub Conversion
A low, walk-in opening cut into your existing tub for safer entry, done in a day.
Faux Stone Finish
A speckled, stone-look coating for sinks and counters, without natural-stone cost.
Bathroom and Kitchen Restoration
Several tired surfaces brought back together in one scheduled visit.
Questions We Hear Most Around Burbank
It helps. Based just over the line in North Hollywood, Burbank is one of the quickest areas for us to reach, so we can often fit jobs in promptly and keep the visit tight. Call us with your fixture and address and we will get you the soonest window we have.
Yes. We regularly work in Burbank’s condos and apartment buildings, and we are used to coordinating with property managers or HOAs on access and any approvals a building requires. Loop us in on the building’s process when you book, and we work within it.
Not significantly. There is a noticeable odor while the coating is applied and briefly after, so we ventilate the room, but the work stays contained to the bathroom and is not loud the way demolition would be. In a duplex or a home close to its neighbors, it is about as low-impact as bathroom work gets.
Often, yes. A fresh, glossy tub and clean tile present far better in listing photos and walkthroughs than a stained or dated fixture, and refinishing delivers that at a fraction of a replacement’s cost and time. For a home heading to market, it is a quick, high-impact refresh.
Yes. Beyond the bath and kitchen, utility and laundry sinks, often the old cast iron or enamel basins on a postwar service porch, refinish just as well. If you have one that is stained or chipped, mention it with the rest, and we will include it in the quote.
Ready to Refresh Your Bathroom, No Demolition Needed?
Serving Burbank from our North Hollywood shop right next door, and homes all over Los Angeles County.