Care & Maintenance
First Hours
For the first several hours, follow these guidelines to ensure your surface finish.
Do not enter any room or enclosed area where reglazing has been performed. If you must, keep it as brief as possible and breath as little as possible. While the chemicals used by Coast Reglazing are the safest possible options, and do not pose any long-term risk, the fumes can be very concentrated during the curing process and exposure could be very overpowering.
Maintain maximum ventilation for as long as possible for the first day. This will help the applied chemicals cure better, and will help dissipate any fumes or odors.
Hard-Cure Care
For newly reglazed surfaces, it is important to take certain action & precautions to ensure that the glaze properly cures and sets. If these are not followed it will likely destroy the new surface and lead to issues arising very quickly.
The "hard-cure" period is typically 48-hours, however 24-hour options are available. In order to ensure a proper finish, always follow directions as they are presented to you and do not assume a shorter cure time for any reason.
DURING HARD-CURE PERIOD, leave the area as ventilated as possible as much as possible. This will help the curing process and will help the odors dissipate more quickly.
DO NOT USE YOUR REGLAZED SURFACE FOR AT LEAST THE ENTIRE HARD-CURE PERIOD (24 or 48 hours) AFTER THE REFINISHING PROCESS!
Absolutely nothing should be placed on top of a reglazed surface for the entire hard-cure period. Anything placed on the surface within this time may at least hinder the curing process or at worst destroy the glaze or become stuck to it.
If any protective items like masking tape or paper have been left, use care when removing them, and do not attempt to remove them before the entire hard-cure period has passed. Particular care should be taken around the drain and overflow areas. Tape should be removed with a slow, consistent motion, always making sure to lift up and away.
Full-Cure Care
After the initial "hard-cure" period the surface can be used, however one should still take care to avoid certain things until "full-cure" has been achieved. This will typically take 7-days after application. During that time, ensure these guidelines are also followed:
Do not lay soap (particularly bars), bottles, dishes, or any other object on the surface for extended periods.
Make sure that any faucets or taps are completely shut and not leaking each evening, and ensure that the surface is dry over-night.
Clean the surface gently with liquid dish-soap and a sponge.
For counters, avoid any appliances that have suction-cups and do not slide heavy items on the surface.
General Guidelines
There are a number of basic precautions that you can take to help your reglazed surface last as long as possible, and really stay looking good. For starters, follow these general guidelines:
Always use a cutting board, coasters or trivets, or other appropriate surface protector! Tools like knives can leave deep scratches and something hot can burn or char the reglazed surface. In bathrooms take care with items such as hair irons, curling irons and the like.
DO NOT USE ABRASIVE CLEANERS OR HARSH ABRASIVE PADS! The top-coats are designed to withstand the normal wear and tear these surfaces are generally exposed to. Heavy abrasives and harsh cleaners will work their way through the coating much more rapidly, and repeated cleaning with such methods will dramatically reduce the life of the product.
DO NOT USE HIGHLY POTENT CLEANERS! Strong bleach or chlorine based cleaners may cause the surface to become dull and lose its luster and stain-resistant properties and could even cause the coating to become brittle or separate from the surface. This holds true with any aggressive acidic or alkaline substance including things like drain cleaners, hair dyes and bleaches, or various concentrate cleaners.
The best products for cleaning reglazed surfaces are spray "tub & tile" cleaners or liquid dish sops used in conjunction with a soft clean sponge or clean micro-fiber rag or terry towel. If you are using a concentrate, make sure to follow the manufacturer's directions for dilution! Using dirty sponges or rags can transfer abrasives and lead to micro-scratches. It is best to use the sponge or rags exclusively for cleaning these surfaces to ensure that they don't become contaminated. If you have to use the rag or sponge to clean something like broken glass, it is best (and safest) to throw it away and use something new.
Always take care to prevent liquids from being trapped on the glazed surface or stuck beneath bottles, containers, or other objects. Many liquids and chemicals that are not immediately damaging can stain or otherwise damage a counter when they are left for long periods. In particular take care with perfumes, nail polish remover, after-shaves, or any kind of product containing alcohols or other solvents or chemicals, and always make sure that you wipe the bottoms of bottles or dishes clean or store them on a protective material or off the reglazed surface. If you store items like this on a reglazed surface they should be items that you use frequently or move often so that any liquids trapped can be allowed to dry out without staining. Items such as mats or stickers on a shower or bathtub can also trap water, soap, or other cleaners causing accelerated wear and damage. These will often cause damage when removed and may require additional repairs in the future.
For showers, bathtubs and sinks, always make sure that faucets are completely off, and if there are leaking fixtures that they are repaired as quickly as possible. A constant exposure to water does present a corrosive environment and may cause the coating to crack, peal or otherwise wear prematurely.
Take special care when you are handling heavy or sharp objects, or objects that have defined points or corners, over a reglazed surface. Accidentally dropping such objects can cause the coating to chip or scratch badly and can also cause damage to the surface underneath the coating.
Clean the surface often (at least once a week). As mentioned above, many things that are not damaging or staining right away can become so over time. The best way to keep your surface looking beautiful for years is to keep it clean!
All of these guidelines as well as additional information will available for download and printing soon.