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Refinishing chrome bathroom fixtures to brushed nickel

I am a homeowner and I have just finished a small bathroom remodeling job. I have a chrome showerhead and bathtub spout I would like to make look like brushed nickel. I have seen a product that can be applied-almost like paint-to metals to give those items a pewter look. Is there a product available to apply to these chrome fixtures to give them the brushed nickel look? If not is there another method that might work? The plumber will need to go through a wall to replace the faucet and I would like to avoid that since nothing is wrong with the faucet, showerhead or bathtub spout-they are just the wrong finish now that I have changed the sink faucet and other bathroom accessories.

Darryl Rauhoff
homeowner - KALAMAZOO, Michigan
2004

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That is not how brushed nickel is usually made, Darryl, and most things will not stick to chrome. You can try to apply some sort of lacquer or paint to obscure the reflectivity and add a tint. It probably wouldn't last long, but you could try Rub n Buff ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

What is the product mentioned to make chrome look like pewter? Where can it be purchased? Thank you for the response.

Renie Wendt
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
October 20, 2009

Hi, Renie. Sorry, I have never heard of a product that can convert existing chrome to look like pewter. You could try a pewter-toned paint, but chrome is notoriously difficult to paint (poor adhesion), and there are few surfaces that get as much abuse as faucets.

Electroplating of highly decorative finishes like chrome or satin nickel onto faucets is an industrial operation usually performed by plating shops rather than consumers. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 21, 2009