Painting an Acrylic Shower Stall

Q: Can I paint my acrylic shower stall? Right now it’s a mustard colour of the sort that must have seemed like a good idea in 1971. A paint store guy recommends an alkyd high-gloss enamel, but can’t offer any guarantees for how long it will last. Is painting really a viable option? What sort of surface prep will I need to do?

A: Like the person in the paint store, I can't offer a surefire option for painting your shower durably. But I can suggest an approach that will lead you to the best possible solution with the least wasted effort. The real question is whether or not paint will stick long-term. That's not an issue in areas of the shower that get no traffic, but it's a different story on the floor and around the doors. If I were you, I'd buy the smallest can of recommended paint you can find, and some 120-grit silicone carbide wet/dry sandpaper. Wet a 6-inch x 6-inch area on the shower floor, then sand the spot to roughen it slightly. Rinse well, then dry this test patch completely before applying two or three coats of paint in that one place. Use the shower for a month or so and see how the paint wears. If it resists scratching, then prepare and paint the entire shower unit with confidence. If not, then install a new shower stall, ending the 1970s nightmare once and for all.