Cost Savings
Tub-Rite™ will save you money. Here's how....

Example 1. Say a tub floor is cleaned, but the gray-out is left untreated. This gray-out is indicative of polymer build-up. The build-up fills in the non-skid surface, reducing the co-efficient of friction slip rating. Depending upon build-up rate, this liability-level of slip loss can occur within 2-5 years. If it goes below standard, it exposes the owner to a large liability suit if a guest slips and is injured. The amount can vary from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars depending upon the extent of injury and the prevailing mood of the court.
 

Example 2. If gray-out is treated, as-required, with an abrasive cleaner — up until now, the only treatment for this problem — it’s typically applied by the maintenance staff which is both time-consuming and costly. One maintenance treatment can take up to 3 hours of hard work. The time will be determined by the abrasive grit size — the larger the grit the less time to clean, hence the less labor involved. But this is offset by the damage to the non-skid surface—the larger the grit the faster the non-skid surface is “sanded” down. Depending upon the abrasive used and the frequency of cleaning, this method degrades the surface to liability-level status within 1-5 years. Ultimately, creating the situation as above.

Customer’s choices in rectifying the above liability-level scenarios: Pray; add a secondary non-skid laminate to tub floor; replace the tub unit.
 

Laminate: Laminates are inexpensive — about $20 — and installation is a minimal cost. This combines abrasive-cleaning of flooring and setting laminate is about 2-3 hours. Based upon labor estimate of $20 per hour there is $40 - $60 labor. This simplest of corrective measures costs about $70.

Downside: the laminate will develop gray-out and require cleaning or regular replacement, at least yearly. Even with cleaning the edge of the laminate and the tub floor gathers detritus and looks bad, effecting guest’s perception of cleanliness. This edge CANNOT be cleaned without degrading the adhesive interface, leading to additional resetting labor, at the very least.

Using Tub-Rite™ will cost about $15-20. per annum. There are no cleanliness perception issues and it is $50 per annum cheaper — per tub!
 

Replacement: (We cannot use the one motel’s estimate and name by request of the manager, so we have done a generic “range” costing). Replacing a tub or shower unit entails the following: removal of the old unit and installation of new unit, room down-time during this exercise, repair or replacement of either surrounding tile or Mar-Lite paneling, oft-time painting of surrounding walls, repair or replacement of flooring frequenting damaged during removal of the old unit, plumbing of the new unit, and the installation of fixtures which are usually sold separately from the unit.

Cost Analysis

If replacement is in the 5-7 year range suggested by one large chain this is (based on 7 years) an average yearly cost of $150 +. The above numbers are for a very basic replacement with nothing going wrong. I was told the average replacement cost in the industry was closer to $3000 per unit, but cannot cite source.

When you get into marble tubs, the costing can double or triple.