sadly I made a poor choice

[ctg492]

I have been working my way to living as best as I can by making responsible purchases, thinking before purchasing to be sure it is really needed, recycling, biking to be car light, being the best person I can be for my footprint. Then yesterday a very poor choice. I felt the tub needed replacing, stained and holes from where I removed the doors. Replacing would lead to more work and money and it was only cosmetic, so I called the Refinisher. I asked about the smell before hand, not a problem he says as he uses a fan vented to the outside and curtains off the area. Well the smell was terrible and he will be back today to finish. I can only imagine the terrible chemicals and air quaility that were used during this process:(. I thought this would be a better choice as why toss out something that really was only suffering cosmetic issue. I suppose to install a new tub the process to make the tub was bad if not worse, but this was right in my space for me to see and smell.

[Rosemary]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. Hope you're able to vent the odors out of your home quickly. Can you keep the room closed and the exhaust fan on until the odor has completely abated?

[Bootsie]

I'm sorry to hear about the smell. I'm sure it's a big disappointment after hearing from the Refinisher that air quality wouldn't be an issue. But, please don't beat yourself up about your choice. Sometimes there isn't a perfect solution and we have to accept the down-side of some of our choices. I hope the re-finished tub looks great and that you enjoy it.

[citrine]

I am sorry that you are doubting your choice. I think you made a great decision to refinish the tub instead of just getting rid of it and getting a new one. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to refinish the tubs, if there was I think you would have gone with that instead :) Don't be so hard on yourself, the fumes will dissipate. Do you have an air filter that you can use?

[SteveinMN]

I'm guessing the tub refinisher has smelled those chemicals for so long that he doesn't even notice them anymore... :~)

But, ctg, don't beat yourself up about this. Refinishing the tub is still far more ecologically sound than replacing it, which would have entailed the energy needed to mine and refine iron, fashion it into a tub, use a very similar process to enamel that tub, and burn fuel to transport it (and a couple of installers) from the manufacturer to you. Measuring emissions from cradle to grave, refinishing is a far superior process.

The only problem here appears to be that some of the problem ended up in your bathroom rather than some factory somewhere. The smell will dissipate. On balance, you made a very good choice.

[Miss Cellane]

ctg492, I've had that same feeling more than once. You are trying so hard to do the right thing, and it sort of backfires on you.

SteveinMN has some words of wisdom for you. Go back and re-read them.

Here's my take on things. Every thing we do has a cost--money, time, energy, the environment.

I had a banana for breakfast this morning. It's an inexpensive piece of fresh fruit, reasonably healthy. However, it was probably imported, as there aren't many places in the US where bananas can grow, so maybe I should have eaten a locally-grown apple instead. That apple should be purchased at a farmer's market, not the supermarket where I bought the banana. Even though the closest winter-run farmer's market to me is 45 miles away, and the apples will be about $2.00 a pound, instead of the 49 cents a pound for the banana.

Do I make my decision on what fruit to have for breakfast based on supporting a local business, or buying local food, or the cost of the food, or the cost of the gas to get me to either the farmer's market or the supermarket (which is 1.5 miles from home), or the amount of time it will take me to procure the fruit (20 minutes total for the banana; over two hours for the apple)? There's also the fact that I just plain like bananas, and can't see myself giving them up entirely.

All of these are good reasons for choosing one fruit over the other, but some of them conflict.

There is no one, perfect, right answer to these problems. I've stopped looking for the perfect answer. I'm now going with the "good enough" answer. I do the best I can to satisfy my budget, my time, my energy and the planet. I research a bit and then I make a decision and don't look back.

You didn't make a bad decision in refinishing your tub. You might not have made the absolutely possible best decision, but that does not mean that the decision you made was wrong or bad.

For what it's worth, I probably would have made the same choice. It seems like a reasonably sound choice for the the environment.

[ctg492]

Oh I know I have been struggling with the best choices in my quest for a smaller footprint that I will leave behind. I realized I can not save the world or change hubby or family. I made some goals in 2013 to reach a better point in this quest. I however no longer dig in the family trash can because someone no names mentioned, tossed a recyclable item. That was not making me happy which in turn bothered that person. I remember on a board I was on a few years ago when gas prices were going up up and up. The discussion came up was it better to trade in the old gas guzzler for a new car. That discussions went round and round. First there was the cost spent vs the cost of gas in the old car, there was the just don't drive and conserve, the impact of building the new car and more.
In the end I guess we just need to make the best choices for the moment we are in. The Tub look rather nice.Yeah he is almost done. I saved lots of money vs a new tub at least.

[SteveinMN]

I saved lots of money vs a new tub at least.
There's that consideration, too. Very few of us can always choose the greenest option, budget be d--ned.

I concluded a long time ago that just breathing on a regular basis leaves a "footprint", so the next best thing I can do is choose as wisely as possible as often as possible. Some of the "green-er" decisions I've made are arguable even today. But they were made with the best information I had at the time I decided. I will hold my head up high and realize I'm still doing far better than many.

[Gardenarian]

Sorry that went badly for you.
My 65 year old bathtub needs work (it was clearly refinished once before, and that is peeling badly.)
I will be sure to research and ask about the odor/toxin issue before I embark on this project.
Thanks for posting!

[ctg492]

I had a tub liners in two other homes, but that was not the option I wanted this time as it was more then twice the cost of the refinishing. If this did not work or does not last, then I want a new tub with jets. The liners are far better then refinishing and I would recommend them.

[Gardenarian]

Okay, I don't know the exactly how the liners work, but I will definitely check them out. Thanks!

[BarbieGirl]

I read somewhere once that a choice you made can never truly be a bad one if you took all the information you had at the time to make the best informed decision you could at the time.

I guess it's all anyone an do. Dont beat yourself up over it!

[ctg492]

I cringe as I take a bath in that tub now thinking about the toxic stuff that in my mind must be leaching from the paint. OK I am sure it was approved paint and the smell is slowly dissipating. Plus now I just want either the new tub with jets or a liner installed and feel wasteful doing either.

[SteveinMN]

I cringe as I take a bath in that tub now thinking about the toxic stuff that in my mind must be leaching from the paint.
Look at it this way: that surface must have been designed to resist water -- it's a bathtub! I wonder if it would help to spread traditional odor-absorbing materials in the tub when it's not in use -- newspaper or open containers of charcoal. It might help the smell dissipate faster. As will keeping the room ventilated. Do you have an exhaust fan in the bathroom?

[Gregg]

Oh I know I have been struggling with the best choices in my quest for a smaller footprint that I will leave behind.

As Steve pointed out your choice was sound even if it brought some of the unpleasant aspects into your house for a while. I think one wall a lot of us run into from time to time deals with the footprint. We all seem to be trying to live without leaving ANY footprint, which, of course, is impossible. It sounds like you're doing a great job of making sure your impact isn't any more disruptive than it has to be to live a nice life in the 21st century western world. You should be proud of that ctg492!