How to Repair a Fiberglass Tub Enclosure

You can make a cracked shower stall or a tattered tub enclosure look like new in much the same way a body shop would fix your dented fender. Bathrooms can make or break a house sale. Dingy fixtures can leave a lasting bad impression for house guests. You don’t need a repairman to fix that cracked and faded fiberglass tub enclosure. Just take a trip to the local home improvement or hardware store.

Step 1: Choose the Materials

Fiberglass is a material made out of glass fibers woven together, so in order to repair cracks in a tub enclosure or other fixture, you’ll need to layer sheets of fiberglass with a polyester resin. Fiberglass repair kits are available for small fixes, and that might be just what you need, but the substances in the kit are also sold individually. If you have a large area to repair, buy fiberglass cloth sheets; if your repair is narrow, buy fiberglass tape. Decide how innovative and versatile you want to be.

Step 2: Remove Damaged Areas

If the cracks are generally in one area, the repair will be rather simple. It may be more time-consuming if they are spread across the enclosure. The first thing you should do is cut out the damaged fiberglass. This could be best done with a Dremel, spiral saw, jig saw, or some other tool that does plunge cuts in a small area. After removing the damage, sand the edges smooth. Always wear a safety mask and safety glasses when sawing or sanding.

Step 3: Patch the Surface

Cut the fiberglass cloth to cover the area to be repaired beginning with a patch just larger than the hole and a half dozen or so additional sheets, each slightly smaller than the one before. Mix the polyester resin, adding hardener. Always wear Latex gloves and a mask when working with chemicals. Spread resin over the edge of the hole and then dampen the large sheet in polyester resin. Neatly place it over the damaged spot. Place each of the other sheets in the resin and add them to the patch with the larger ones first. Allow the patch to dry for a day before continuing. Sand the patched area smooth, and clean all dust away. Cover it lightly with polyester gel paste using a plastic spreader. Allow it to dry several hours and sand it again with fine sand paper.

Step 4: Clean the Area

Fiberglass dust consists of fine particles that can cause respiratory problems. Resins are difficult to clean up after they have hardened. Use cleaning solvent to remove any excess debris and materials around the tub enclosure. It is suggested to use a natural cleaning solvent to clean around the fiberglass tub enclosure.

With that done, you have successfully repaired a fiberglass tub enclosure.