How to Refinish a Fiberglass Shower Pan

A fiberglass shower pan can be an attractive feature in any home, but one of the problems with this material is doesn't easily accept paint. This fact may not seem a problem at first, but if your fiberglass shower pan grows dull and unattractive, you may want to apply a paint over the top to cover up the worst parts. In order to refinish your fiberglass shower pan with a different paint, you need to prepare your surface thoroughly and apply the right kind of paint.

Step 1  - Prepare Your Fiberglass Shower Pan

Make sure your fiberglass shower pan is thoroughly clean. You must remove any dirt, soap residue or leftover caulk in the area before the refinishing can begin. Remove caulk around the edges with a sharp putty knife or a razor, but take care to avoid damaging the shower pan itself. Wipe the whole area with some bleach-based cleaner.

Step 2 - Sand the Fiberglass Shower Pan

Now sand down the surface of your pan. Sanding will help the paint to find raised surfaces on which it can stick. As an alternative to using a sander, you can try steel wool, although this will take more energy. This sanding should remove the shiny surface of your fiberglass. Clean the dust and then place masking tape and tarpaulin over the bathroom area. You may want to cover the drain with tape to protect it.

Step 3 - Paint Your Fiberglass Shower Pan

The way to apply paint to fiberglass is to spray it. You will first need to spray on the primer, which will bind with the sanded surface and provide something for the paint to grip. Apply the primer in a light, regular spray from one side to the other. You may need to apply two coats of the primer to ensure that your shower pan is completely covered.

After the primer dries, use an epoxy paint which has been designed for use with fiberglass. Place the paint in your spraying device, and use a respirator to prevent inhalation of the fumes. Spray the paint from one side of the pan to the other and allow the paint to dry.

Add a second coat and allow it to dry. Repeat four or five times. Allow each coat to dry before you add another.

Step 4 - Evaluate and Clean Up

After the paint dries, you can assess the coverage of the fiberglass shower pan. If you see any areas which have not been covered by the paint, you can touch up this area with a small paintbrush.

Remove the tape around the drain and across other parts of the bathroom. Once the paint has completely dried, you may use the fiberglass shower pan as you did previously.