How To Repair Fiberglass Shower Tray Crack

Fiberglass tub

Near modern homes take advantage of the benefits of updated manufacturing and materials, containing fiberglass or acrylic bathtubs rather than traditional porcelain-coated cast atomic number 26 or stainless steel. Affordable, bonny, and durable, fiberglass is nevertheless prone to cracking and pitting overtime.

Fortunately, repairing a cracked or damaged tub or shower pan is a straightforward DIY chore that almost homeowners can do to save themselves money over an expensive replacement. The toll to hire a professional to fix problems may prove worth the small-scale investment to ensure the cause of the issue is addressed to foreclose future problems.

This guide covers the basics for fixing all shower floors, including bases and pans, just it mainly focuses on the nearly common issue – fiberglass tub repair.

This projection costs an boilerplate of $20 to $240, depending on the extent of repairs needed and whether you hire a professional or handle fixing the harm on your own. Minor harm often only requires an epoxy kit, available at most home comeback stores. More than extensive cracks and chips may crave drywall mud, special two-component cream, and patches. Even at the high end, repairing is considerably less expensive than installing a new tub, and it usually merely takes iv to vi hours including drying time.

Repairing a Fiberglass Tub

No thing how bad a crack or an indentation may expect, the process is the same equally if it was a little pit. In either case, information technology's surprisingly simple. By using a basic epoxy kit with a few essential items, repairing a fiberglass tub takes as trivial every bit one day, with most of that time spent as the compound dries.

Materials and Tools Needed

In general, this projection requires minimal tools. For starters, you'll demand household cleaner and a sponge to clean the area earlier getting started. Additionally, you'll need:

Protective gear (goggles, respirator or mask and gloves)
Rotary tool
Drill
80-grit sanding paper
Fine dust sanding newspaper
Cellophane record
Ii-component foam
Fiberglass mesh/cloth
Fiberglass repair kit

What Type of Repair? Crack, Flake or Hole?

Assessing the impairment is the first stride to determining the type of repair needed. Over time, heavy employ can leave fiberglass, acrylic and other tub and shower materials vulnerable to cracking and chipping. Additionally, if something heavy drops on the surface, information technology could leave a large crack or a substantial hole, especially if the base isn't properly supported.

Superficial chips, cracks and scratches may but require elementary filling and refinishing. Simply for large ones, a professional should accost the potential underlying trouble and add extra support to the structure earlier patching and refinishing the base.

What to Look for in a Bathtub Repair Kit

To make your repair unproblematic and stress-free, look for an all-inclusive kit that has everything you lot need to set near issues. Minimally, kits include:

Polyester resin/epoxy in putty or paste form
Liquid hardener
Mixing stick and tray or mat
Sandpaper of various grits
Protective gloves
Colorants for mutual tub hues (i.e. almond, fair), if needed
Finishing polish

For larger cracks and pits, it may besides exist necessary to purchase fiberglass mesh to reinforce the putty and make it less likely to dimple. As a rule, use mesh for any crack wider than a quarter-inch or an open hole that is besides large to make full in with the resin mixture alone. More than extensive bug caused by improper installation and support may crave drilling shallow holes in the tub, filling those holes with two-component foam, and calculation fiberglass patches before using a refinishing kit.

Return to Top

Step-by-Stride Guide

Filling a small hole or crack in fiberglass is a elementary procedure, but yous should set bated a whole day to allow time for the mixture to harden between steps. For this reason, this is a good job to begin in the morning and complete throughout the day between other home improvement projects. Repairs are similar for acrylic tubs, but we'll encompass the differences between the two processes below.

1. Fix the Area – Earlier getting started, clean the area with household cleaner and a sponge. Use rubbing booze, acetone, or a like solvent capable of removing oils, lather scum, and glass fibers.

1. Drill as Needed – When a lack of support is the root of the problem, you lot demand to address the issue head on. Instead of removing the tub and rebuilding the back up system, drill six to eight small-scale holes in the tub and add foam (encounter next stride). If you lot aren't working on the underlying support, but y'all're repairing a crack, use a rotary tool with 80-dust sand newspaper to grind a bevel that's about i i/2 inches broad centered on the crack.

1. Add 2-Component Cream – For extra back up, inject two-component foam into the holes that yous drilled. It sets in a few minutes and creates a strong foundation.

1. Apply a Patch – If using fiberglass mesh, lay it over the crack or hole to measure out, so trim information technology so that it is slightly larger than the opening it is to cover. More than than one layer may exist necessary for specially deep holes.

1. Mix the Filler – While wearing protective gloves, mix the resin putty and hardener as directed by your repair kit, calculation colorant if working with a non-white tub. Utilize the provided mixing stick and tray and put it atop a piece of flake cardboard to foreclose accidental spills onto porous bathroom surfaces.

1. Repair the Crack, Fleck or Hole – Immediately spread the mixture into the crack or hole, or on elevation of the fiberglass mesh. Take care to work it in thoroughly to get information technology into all crevices and prevent dimpling. Don't be afraid to pile the mixture atop the hole to fill up it in completely; you will be sanding it later.

1. Allow the Mixture to Set – Allow the mixture to prepare up in the pigsty for 2-3 hours or longer for larger, deeper holes. Once set, use the sandpaper to carefully smooth the surface. This might take some time and elbow grease.

Refinish the Surface – Use the finishing polish to consummate the patch and help the new area blend into the tub.

Set to start your Tub or Shower Pan Repairs?

Find Pros

Return to Top

Fiberglass shower floor

Repairing a Fiberglass Shower Pan

If you're repairing the flooring of a fiberglass stall, the method y'all use to consummate a patch is no different than in a larger tub. However, because most of the surface of the base is horizontal and flat, information technology is possible to fix and reinforce larger holes and pits with flake plywood in add-on to epoxy, but simply if you accept access to the back or bottom of the pan. Some quick steps are:

Spread epoxy on the plywood and press it onto the crack, from the unexposed side of the pan, to seal it.
Utilise the upper layer of epoxy on the exposed surface and sand information technology down.

Return to Top

Fiberglass Tub Care and Maintenance Tips

Like most habitation fixtures, when it comes to extending the life of your tub, preventing problems is the best solution. Your beginning line of defense it regular cleaning with the right type of cleaner and methods. This material responds best to balmy lather, like dish soap, or even only a paste of baking soda and h2o. This is because the coating is thin and subject to habiliment over fourth dimension. For this aforementioned reason, it is important to never apply abrasive cleaners on these fixtures.

To maintain the luster of a single- or double-slice fiberglass tub, you lot might also consider giving it a regular polishing using automotive finishing products designed for fiberglass. Avoid using waxing products on this type of floor as this poses a safety chance when the shower is in use.

Ready to start your Tub or Shower Pan Repairs?

Find Pros

Return to Acme

acrylic shower pan

Acrylic Tub & Shower Repair

Acrylic is another commonly used cloth that tin often be repaired instead of replaced. The steps are like, just slightly different.

1. Drill ane/iv-inch holes in a 1-pes square around the damage, being careful to avoid drilling all the way through.

1. Fill the holes with insulating foam to halt the acrylic from flexing later you lot've repaired the scissure. Remove whatsoever foam leaking from the holes with a craft knife before sanding over the dried cream with a 240-grade sandpaper.

1. Drill holes at either end of the crack, fugitive drilling through the acrylic.

1. Utilize a ii-office polyester filler to repair the harm, spreading it evenly over the drill holes and the scissure with a rubber spreader.

1. Once the filler is dry, sand information technology smooth and level with the residue of the tub's surface.

1. Wipe over the surface area with denatured alcohol to remove any dust.

Apply bathtub repair paint to create a shine, well-matched surface. Once the paint dries, add together a final layer of urethane compound, and buff the area to create a smooth, hard finish.

Return to Acme

removing old tile from shower

How to Repair a Tile Shower Floor

If the crack is pocket-size, you may be able to repair it without incurring the cost of retiling the area. Otherwise, you'll need to remove the damaged tiles and supersede them before re-grouting.

Tools & Materials Needed

Grout saw
Drill with a masonry bit
Chisel
Scraper
Notched trowel
Tile adhesive or thinset
Grout
Sponge/rags

Step-by-Pace Guide

When removing the tile,

1. Utilise a grout saw to remove the grout surrounding the afflicted tile/tiles.

1. Drill a hole through the center of the damaged tile, or several holes in a large tile.

1. Pause the tile into small pieces using the chisel, and apply the scraper to remove them along with the thinset or tile agglutinative behind the damaged tile.

1. Apply a fresh coat of thinset or tile agglutinative with a notched trowel or a putty knife if you lot're working in a pocket-sized surface area.

1. Press the new tile in place and let the adhesive dry out earlier grouting over the repair.

Utilize a damp sponge to remove excess grout from the tile. Allow the grout to cure before using the shower.

When repairing the tile for a modest chip or crack,

1. Clean the expanse with a mixture of oxygen bleach powder and water.

1. Employ epoxy glue over the area to level it with the balance of the tile.

1. Paint over the repair with a porcelain touch upwards kit to match it to the undamaged tile.

1. Let the paint dry and add together a coat of clear urethane.

Once everything is dry out, wipe over the area with a clammy cloth.

Ready to start your Tub or Shower Pan Repairs?

Observe Pros

Return to Tiptop

DIY Considerations

Depending on the extent of the harm, this is a simple DIY project. If you lot make up one's mind to DIY this fix, make sure you let yourself plenty of fourth dimension to permit the epoxy and other materials used in the repair dry between steps. Additionally, consider covering the surface area across the surface you're working on with cellophane record to prevent the refinishing materials from running over the intact part of the tub or shower pan.

If you suspect that the scissure or pigsty has created water damage in the subfloor, or if the project feels like it's more than you lot want to have on, hire a pro to practice the work for you.