Replies

1. 
   Marson | Mar 25, 2010 06:42am | #1

   If you need/want the patch to be  invisible, call a fiberglass repair guy.  If you don't care, there are patch kits available.  Never used one.  I just call in an expert.  A chipped tub costs about $100.  

2. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2010 08:42am | #2

   First off, understand that there are 3-4 different types of fiberglass construction for showers, and what works for one might not for another.

   In a small crack such as you describe, unless it's known to be caused by dropping something on it, etc, it's likely due to a void in the underlying fiberglass -- it doesn't go all the way through.  In such a case it's "simply" a matter of cleaning it out and repairing the gelcoat (the smooth outer surface).  There are kits available for this, from plumbing houses and boat supply places -- the hardest part is matching the color.

   If the hole DOES go all the way through, you need an expert to repair it.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2010 08:15pm | #4

   I should have added that, if this is a "void" you're dealing with, it's a manufacturing defect and the manufacturer should be on the hook to pay for a professional repair.

3. 
   rdesigns | Mar 25, 2010 09:33am | #3

   A shower floor is usually textured, and that't hard to match perfectly, even for a pro. (In my younger, hungrier, days, I was an authorized FG repair guy for several makers of tubs/showers.)

   OTOH, an imperfection in the floor is not as noticable as other places, so you would probably be OK to DIY.

   If the hole goes all the way thru, start by filling under and around the void with low-expansion urethethane foam, enough to support the surrounding floor area, say about the size of a CD. Don't overdo it, or the expanding foam could lift the shower floor. Let it cure, then trim the cured foam to make a shallow depression that you fill with your matching patch material. Whoever sold you the unit can get you a patch kit that's compatible.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2010 08:18pm | #5

   The problem with fixing a true hole in the floor is that you're never going to be confident that the repair is good.  To make a reliable repair requires getting a good bond to the fiberglass itself, which means that some of the gelcoat must be ground off, to a diameter of several inches, so that fiberglass fabric can be applied.

1. 
   rdesigns | Mar 26, 2010 09:30am | #6

   Another way to get a good FG bond is use the trick that's often been shown for patching drywall--grind out the hole to a rectangle (say, 1" x 2") and then cut a piece of FG mat whose short side will fit thru the long side of the hole (say, 2" x 4"). Butter the FG piece well with bondo and stiffen its back with an equal sized piece of cardboard. Pierce the assembly thru the center of the front with a small screw used to manipulate and position the patch as you poke it thru the hole and then bring it back up against the back side of the hole. After the bondo sets up, remove the screw and continue the patch process.

1. 
   calvin | Mar 26, 2010 02:13pm | #7

   rd, respectfully

   I'd be piercing b/4 I was buttering.

2. 
   DanH | Mar 26, 2010 05:35pm | #8

   That may or may not work, depending on how smooth and clean the back side is.  Several different techniques for laying up FG showers, plus often now the back side is sprayed with an insulator, so you can't really predict what the conditions will be.