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View Full Version : Is it possible to repair a fiberglass tub?



Larry Browning
03-02-2013, 2:30 PM
I have a rent house that has just been vacated. I went over today to do a little maintenance before putting it back up for rent. As I was leaving I discovered a rather large crack inside the tub. I do not believe the previous renter caused the problem. The may not have even noticed it. However I am sure it has leaked quite a bit. The cost of a new tub is really not the issue. The issue is installing it. The bathroom is exactly 60" and they had to bring the existing tub through a wall to install. I could go into other installation issues, but that is not my real question. What I want to know is if there is anyway I could repair the existing tub so that I could avoid having to completely pull it out and replace? I honestly do not care too much about how it looks, I just don't want it to leak.

David G Baker
03-02-2013, 2:41 PM
I never worked on a fiberglass tub but I did repair fiberglass auto bodies when I was a kid. Things have changed in the years since I did the work. I used polyester resin, fiberglass mat and fiberglass cloth. You could put a fiberglass patch over the crack but It wouldn't be pretty. Try a Google search for patching fiberglass or check with a auto body repair shop. It is really not that hard once you grasp the concept. I have also used epoxy to repair cracks in fiberglass.

Caspar Hauser
03-02-2013, 3:29 PM
I did a quick 'google' and perhaps this kind of thing might be worth a look,

http://homerenovations.about.com/od/bathtubliners/f/diytubliners.htm

CH

John Lanciani
03-02-2013, 3:42 PM
What about using one of the overlays that the "new bathroom in just one day" companies use?

Brian Libby
03-02-2013, 3:49 PM
You certainly can, My sister-in-law's husband did that as a business.I do not know any details how. (he died several years ago)

Larry Browning
03-02-2013, 4:56 PM
We have a re-bath dealer here. I will be calling them Monday. This sounds petty promising.

Kevin Bourque
03-02-2013, 5:44 PM
Yes, call a refitter. They can install a shiny new tub over your ugly old one in just a few hours. You might also want to have the shower valve changed out too.

Brian Elfert
03-02-2013, 6:17 PM
I put a hole on the outside of a fiberglass tub during installation. I found a guy who fixed it up like new. I have no idea if this would work on the inside or not.

Charles Wiggins
03-02-2013, 7:26 PM
Larry,

Many years ago I had a tub that cracked in an apartment that I was renting. The bottom was not properly supported when it was installed. The first guy the landlord hired made a big mess, dust EVERYWHERE, and left it for us to clean. Then the tub cracked again becase he didn't add any support under the tub. Landlord gave the same doofus a second shot. Same thing.

He finally hired a guy that did tub repair for a living. He cut the entire bottom out and patched it. When he was done you could not tell it from new. Never had another problem. And no mess to clean up.

Fred Perreault
03-02-2013, 8:38 PM
My daughter just had the same repair as Charles' had. The support under the tub is very important. They cut out a section of the bottom, placed stringers under the repair area and formed a whole new bottom. They matched the color and surface flawlessly.

Dave Ray
03-02-2013, 9:09 PM
Larry, another source of help is boat rpair yards. They do repairs to fiber glass evey day.

Greg Cuetara
03-03-2013, 9:32 AM
I had a few cracks in my FB tubs and I was told they are very typical depending on the manufacturer. I went to the local lumber yard and they gave me the name of a local guy that only repairs tubs. I had him out and If I recall it was about $300 for him to fix two tubs with a crack in each one. When he got done I could not even tell that he was there. I was thinking about a new tub but the cost of the tub and install was going to be too high for me.

I did look into the overlay tubs, I think bath fitter, and it was going to be in the thousands, much more than a new tub and install would be. I think the only advantage is that they get in and out in a day but they do just cover everything up and don't really fix any underlaying problems.

Larry Browning
03-07-2013, 5:58 PM
Update on the tub: I found a guy who came out and fixed it. He is out of Little Rock (About 120 miles). I couldn't find anyone local. He normally does dot drive that far, but he just happened to be doing a job in Clarksville (50 miles), so he agreed to do it. He found 3 cracks and repaired them all. He also was able to drill a few holes in the tub and shoot some expanding epoxy foam under the tub to provide the support it should have had in the first place, so it should not do it again. All this for $250. What a deal! I am a happy camper.

Greg Cuetara
03-07-2013, 7:55 PM
Larry glad that you found someone to help you out. $250 sounds like a gloat to me. Pretty good bargain considering what you may have had to do to replace it...