Shower Repair Tips

Shower Repair Tips For You

The shower is an integral part of the bathroom, and most people would consider a faulty shower a disruption to their routine.  When it comes to acrylic or fiberglass showers, there are a few specific issues that arise as the showers gets older.  If you are not ready to replace the shower here are a few alternatives.
Most cracks in acrylic and fiberglass showers happen in the pan (the area where you stand).  This area gets the most wear and tear because the weight of standing on it makes it flex slightly and after a while this weakens the area and causes it to crack.  Once it cracks water will leak into the floor causing additional damage to your home so this repair has to be made quickly. [link id=”1844″]Shower refinishing[/link] could be the perfect solution for you!

A Lasting Fix

The fast and easy (although somewhat temporary) repair is a DIY project.  This approach requires purchasing a fiberglass/acrylic repair kit at your local home center or hardware store.  These kits include all you’ll need to fix small cracks and holes.  The process is quite simple:

  • Clean the area of all soap and mineral build-up, and wipe off any cleaning product residue
  • Apply fiberglass tape from the kit to cover the crack or hole
  • Mix the resin and hardener as instructed on the kit package (use tints to match color of shower, if needed)
  • Spread the resin mixture over the tape and smooth to ¼ inch thick
  • Allow the compound to harden 1 ½ – 2 hours
  • Sand down surface

This is meant to be a temporary repair.  It’ll stop the leaking, but the color will not match due to the limited tinting available with these kits and you will always be able to tell that a repair was made.
A longer term repair is to install a liner. This slips inside the shower covering the old shower surface.  This will give a nicer appearance, but also is just a holding repair until the shower or tub is replaced.
If you are not going to replace the shower or tub any time soon.  Hire a professional that will have more experience handling fiberglass and will give a nicer finished look that will last longer.
For more information, contact [link id=10]Specialized Refinishing[/link] at 919-747-4800.