How To Repair Tiny Chip In Bathtub Surround Wall

Fiberglass tub

Virtually mod homes take advantage of the benefits of updated manufacturing and materials, containing fiberglass or acrylic bathtubs rather than traditional porcelain-coated cast iron or stainless steel. Affordable, attractive, 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 job that about homeowners tin can do to save themselves money over an expensive replacement. The cost to hire a professional person to fix bug may bear witness worth the pocket-sized investment to ensure the cause of the event is addressed to prevent future problems.

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

This project 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 ain. Minor damage often merely requires an epoxy kit, available at most abode comeback stores. More than extensive cracks and fries may require drywall mud, special two-component foam, and patches. Fifty-fifty at the high end, repairing is considerably less expensive than installing a new tub, and it usually only takes four to six hours including drying fourth dimension.

Repairing a Fiberglass Tub

No matter how bad a crack or an indentation may look, the procedure is the same as if it was a trivial pit. In either instance, it'due south surprisingly simple. Past using a basic epoxy kit with a few essential items, repairing a fiberglass tub takes as little as one day, with well-nigh of that time spent equally the chemical compound dries.

Materials and Tools Needed

In full general, this project requires minimal tools. For starters, you'll need household cleaner and a sponge to clean the area before getting started. Additionally, y'all'll need:

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

What Type of Repair? Crack, Chip or Pigsty?

Assessing the damage is the first footstep to determining the type of repair needed. Over fourth dimension, heavy utilise tin leave fiberglass, acrylic and other tub and shower materials vulnerable to not bad and chipping. Additionally, if something heavy drops on the surface, it 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 simple filling and refinishing. But for large ones, a professional should address the potential underlying trouble and add extra support to the structure before patching and refinishing the base.

What to Await for in a Bathtub Repair Kit

To brand your repair uncomplicated and stress-gratuitous, look for an all-inclusive kit that has everything you need to ready nearly issues. Minimally, kits include:

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

For larger cracks and pits, it may too be necessary to buy fiberglass mesh to reinforce the putty and make information technology less likely to dimple. As a rule, apply mesh for whatsoever crack wider than a quarter-inch or an open up hole that is too large to fill in with the resin mixture alone. More extensive problems caused past improper installation and support may require drilling shallow holes in the tub, filling those holes with ii-component foam, and adding fiberglass patches before using a refinishing kit.

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Pace-past-Step Guide

Filling a small hole or crack in fiberglass is a unproblematic process, but you should set aside a whole day to allow fourth dimension for the mixture to harden betwixt steps. For this reason, this is a good job to begin in the forenoon and complete throughout the day between other domicile improvement projects. Repairs are like for acrylic tubs, but nosotros'll cover the differences between the two processes below.

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

1. Drill equally Needed – When a lack of support is the root of the problem, yous need to address the issue head on. Instead of removing the tub and rebuilding the back up system, drill half dozen to eight small holes in the tub and add cream (run into adjacent step). If you lot aren't working on the underlying support, but yous're repairing a crack, employ a rotary tool with 80-grit sand paper to grind a bevel that's virtually 1 ane/2 inches wide centered on the crack.

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

1. Employ a Patch – If using fiberglass mesh, lay it over the crevice or hole to mensurate, and then trim it so that information technology is slightly larger than the opening it is to embrace. More 1 layer may be 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. Use the provided mixing stick and tray and put information technology atop a piece of scrap cardboard to prevent accidental spills onto porous bath surfaces.

1. Repair the Crack, Flake or Hole – Immediately spread the mixture into the crack or hole, or on pinnacle of the fiberglass mesh. Take intendance to piece of work it in thoroughly to get it into all crevices and prevent dimpling. Don't exist afraid to pile the mixture atop the hole to fill it in completely; y'all will be sanding it after.

1. Permit the Mixture to Set – Allow the mixture to set up in the hole for 2-3 hours or longer for larger, deeper holes. In one case prepare, utilise the sandpaper to advisedly smooth the surface. This might take some time and elbow grease.

Refinish the Surface – Utilise the finishing polish to complete the patch and help the new area alloy into the tub.

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Fiberglass shower floor

Repairing a Fiberglass Shower Pan

If you lot're repairing the floor of a fiberglass stall, the method yous use to complete a patch is no dissimilar than in a larger tub. However, because most of the surface of the base is horizontal and flat, it is possible to fix and reinforce larger holes and pits with chip plywood in add-on to epoxy, just but if you have access to the back or bottom of the pan. Some quick steps are:

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

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Fiberglass Tub Care and Maintenance Tips

Like nigh home fixtures, when information technology comes to extending the life of your tub, preventing problems is the best solution. Your offset line of defense information technology regular cleaning with the right type of cleaner and methods. This cloth responds best to balmy soap, like dish lather, or even just a paste of baking soda and h2o. This is considering the coating is thin and subject to wear over time. For this aforementioned reason, it is important to never utilise abrasive cleaners on these fixtures.

To maintain the luster of a single- or double-slice fiberglass tub, yous might besides consider giving it a regular polishing using automotive finishing products designed for fiberglass. Avert using waxing products on this type of floor equally this poses a prophylactic take chances when the shower is in apply.

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acrylic shower pan

Acrylic Tub & Shower Repair

Acrylic is another commonly used material that tin ofttimes exist repaired instead of replaced. The steps are similar, but slightly unlike.

1. Drill 1/4-inch holes in a 1-foot square around the harm, being careful to avoid drilling all the way through.

1. Fill the holes with insulating foam to halt the acrylic from flexing after you've repaired the fissure. Remove whatever foam leaking from the holes with a craft knife before sanding over the stale foam with a 240-grade sandpaper.

1. Drill holes at either stop of the scissure, fugitive drilling through the acrylic.

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

1. One time the filler is dry, sand information technology shine and level with the residue of the tub's surface.

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

Apply bathtub repair pigment to create a smoothen, well-matched surface. In one case the paint dries, add a final layer of urethane chemical compound, and vitrify the area to create a smoothen, difficult finish.

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removing old tile from shower

How to Repair a Tile Shower Floor

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

Tools & Materials Needed

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

Footstep-by-Step Guide

When removing the tile,

1. Use a grout saw to remove the grout surrounding the affected 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 pocket-size pieces using the chisel, and use the scraper to remove them along with the thinset or tile adhesive behind the damaged tile.

1. Apply a fresh coat of thinset or tile adhesive with a notched trowel or a putty pocketknife if you lot're working in a small-scale area.

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

Use a clammy sponge to remove excess grout from the tile. Permit the grout to cure before using the shower.

When repairing the tile for a modest chip or crack,

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

1. Use epoxy glue over the area to level it with the residual of the tile.

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

1. Permit the paint dry and add a coat of articulate urethane.

In one case everything is dry out, wipe over the surface area with a damp cloth.

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DIY Considerations

Depending on the extent of the damage, this is a simple DIY project. If you decide to DIY this prepare, make sure you allow yourself plenty of fourth dimension to let the epoxy and other materials used in the repair dry betwixt steps. Additionally, consider roofing the area beyond the surface you're working on with cellophane tape to preclude the refinishing materials from running over the intact function of the tub or shower pan.

If you suspect that the crack or hole has created water impairment in the subfloor, or if the project feels like it'due south more than than yous want to accept on, rent a pro to do the work for you.