How To Repair A Crack In A 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, attractive, and durable, fiberglass is notwithstanding prone to cracking and pitting overtime.

Fortunately, repairing a cracked or damaged tub or shower pan is a straightforward DIY job that most homeowners can exercise to salvage themselves money over an expensive replacement. The cost to hire a professional to fix bug may testify worth the minor investment to ensure the crusade of the issue is addressed to prevent future problems.

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

This project costs an average 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 damage often only requires an epoxy kit, bachelor at most domicile improvement stores. More extensive cracks and chips may require drywall mud, special two-component foam, and patches. Fifty-fifty at the loftier end, repairing is considerably less expensive than installing a new tub, and it ordinarily only takes four to six hours including drying time.

On This Page:

1. Repairing a Fiberglass Tub
   1. Tools Needed
   2. Assessing the Extent of the Damage
   3. Purchasing a Kit
   4. Steps
2. Repairing a Fiberglass Shower Pan
3. Intendance & Maintenance Tips
4. Acrylic Tub & Shower
5. Fixing a Tile Pan
   1. Tools
   2. Steps
6. DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Repairing a Fiberglass Tub

No matter how bad a crack or an indentation may look, the process is the same every bit if information technology was a fiddling pit. In either case, information technology's surprisingly elementary. By using a basic epoxy kit with a few essential items, repairing a fiberglass tub takes every bit piffling as one twenty-four hour period, with virtually of that time spent as the compound dries.

Materials and Tools Needed

In general, this project requires minimal tools. For starters, you'll need 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-dust sanding paper
• Fine grit sanding paper
• Cellophane record
• Two-component foam
• Fiberglass mesh/cloth
• Fiberglass repair kit

What Type of Repair? Fissure, Chip or Hole?

Assessing the damage is the commencement step to determining the type of repair needed. Over time, heavy utilise can leave fiberglass, acrylic and other tub and shower materials vulnerable to smashing and chipping. Additionally, if something heavy drops on the surface, it could leave a large crack or a substantial pigsty, especially if the base isn't properly supported.

Superficial fries, cracks and scratches may only require uncomplicated filling and refinishing. Just for big ones, a professional should address the potential underlying problem and add extra back up to the structure earlier patching and refinishing the base.

What to Expect for in a Bathtub Repair Kit

To make your repair elementary and stress-gratuitous, look for an all-inclusive kit that has everything you lot demand to fix most issues. Minimally, kits include:

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

For larger cracks and pits, information technology may also be necessary to purchase fiberglass mesh to reinforce the putty and make it less probable to dimple. Every bit a rule, use mesh for any fissure wider than a quarter-inch or an open hole that is also large to make full in with the resin mixture lonely. More than extensive problems caused past improper installation and support may require drilling shallow holes in the tub, filling those holes with two-component foam, and adding fiberglass patches before using a refinishing kit.

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Step-by-Step Guide

Filling a small hole or fissure in fiberglass is a elementary process, only you should gear up aside a whole mean solar day to allow time for the mixture to harden between steps. For this reason, this is a good job to begin in the morning time 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 beneath.

1. 1. Prepare the Area – Before getting started, clean the area with household cleaner and a sponge. Employ rubbing alcohol, acetone, or a similar solvent capable of removing oils, lather scum, and glass fibers.

1. 1. Drill as Needed – When a lack of support is the root of the problem, you lot need to address the issue caput on. Instead of removing the tub and rebuilding the support system, drill six to eight minor holes in the tub and add foam (see adjacent pace). If you lot aren't working on the underlying support, merely you lot're repairing a cleft, employ a rotary tool with 80-grit sand paper to grind a bevel that'south nigh 1 1/2 inches wide centered on the crack.

1. 1. Add together Two-Component Foam – For extra support, inject two-component cream into the holes that you drilled. It sets in a few minutes and creates a strong foundation.

1. 1. Apply a Patch – If using fiberglass mesh, lay it over the fissure or hole to measure, and then trim it so that information technology is slightly larger than the opening it is to encompass. More than one layer may be necessary for especially deep holes.

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

1. 1. Repair the Crack, Chip or Hole – Immediately spread the mixture into the fissure or hole, or on top of the fiberglass mesh. Take care to work it in thoroughly to become it into all crevices and prevent dimpling. Don't exist agape to pile the mixture atop the pigsty to fill it in completely; you will be sanding information technology later on.

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

1. Refinish the Surface – Employ the finishing polish to consummate the patch and assist the new area blend into the tub.

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Repairing a Fiberglass Shower Pan

If you're repairing the floor of a fiberglass stall, the method you use to complete a patch is no different than in a larger tub. However, considering almost of the surface of the base is horizontal and flat, it is possible to gear up and reinforce larger holes and pits with scrap plywood in addition to epoxy, just only if yous have access to the back or bottom of the pan. Some quick steps are:

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

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Fiberglass Tub Care and Maintenance Tips

Like virtually abode fixtures, when it comes to extending the life of your tub, preventing problems is the best solution. Your offset line of defense it regular cleaning with the right type of cleaner and methods. This material responds all-time to mild soap, like dish soap, or fifty-fifty but a paste of blistering soda and water. This is because the coating is thin and subject area to habiliment over time. For this same reason, information technology is important to never utilise abrasive cleaners on these fixtures.

To maintain the luster of a unmarried- or double-piece fiberglass tub, you lot might too consider giving information technology a regular polishing using automotive finishing products designed for fiberglass. Avert using waxing products on this type of floor as this poses a safety risk when the shower is in use.

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Acrylic Tub & Shower Repair

Acrylic is another commonly used material that can oftentimes be repaired instead of replaced. The steps are similar, but slightly different.

1. 1. Drill 1/iv-inch holes in a i-foot foursquare around the damage, being careful to avoid drilling all the way through.

1. 1. Fill the holes with insulating foam to halt the acrylic from flexing after you've repaired the crack. Remove any foam leaking from the holes with a arts and crafts knife earlier sanding over the dried foam with a 240-grade sandpaper.

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

1. 1. Apply a two-part polyester filler to repair the damage, spreading it evenly over the drill holes and the cleft with a rubber spreader.

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

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

1. Use bathtub repair paint to create a smooth, well-matched surface. One time the paint dries, add a concluding layer of urethane compound, and buff the expanse to create a shine, difficult finish.

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How to Repair a Tile Shower Floor

If the crack is small-scale, you lot may exist able to repair it without incurring the cost of retiling the area. Otherwise, you'll demand 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-Step Guide

When removing the tile,

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

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

1. 1. Break the tile into minor pieces using the chisel, and utilise the scraper to remove them forth with the thinset or tile adhesive behind the damaged tile.

1. 1. Apply a fresh glaze of thinset or tile agglutinative with a notched trowel or a putty knife if you're working in a small area.

1. 1. Press the new tile in place and let the agglutinative dry before grouting over the repair.

1. Use 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 pocket-size chip or crack,

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

1. 1. Employ epoxy gum over the area to level it with the residuum of the tile.

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

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

1. Once everything is dry, wipe over the expanse with a damp cloth.

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DIY Considerations

Depending on the extent of the damage, this is a simple DIY project. If yous decide to DIY this set, brand sure you allow yourself plenty of time to allow the epoxy and other materials used in the repair dry between steps. Additionally, consider covering the area beyond the surface y'all're working on with cellophane record to prevent the refinishing materials from running over the intact function of the tub or shower pan.

If y'all suspect that the fissure or pigsty has created water damage in the subfloor, or if the project feels like it'southward more than you want to take on, hire a pro to do the work for you lot.

Source: https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/fiberglass-shower-repair/

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