one piece fiberglass shower with a crack in the floor

Does anyone have any idea of a good way to fix a crack that is about 4inches long in the floor of a one piece fiberglass shower unit? Water is starting to leak under the shower and onto the ceiling below. I purchased some bondo fiberglass putty/jello type stuff but would actual fiberglass pieces with resin work better? Any ideas??? Also, what should I use to paint the repair to make it white like the rest of the shower? Thanks in advance!

HC

 

1CEBITN,

I have reservations about doing this as a DIY project for a couple of reasons;

The bottom has a crack in it that is 4" long! Apparantly, you have noticed the bottom flexing everytime you get into the shower, so finally it cracks and so obvious water damage is being created now but might have started before now.

First question that I have is why? If the bottom has cracked, something is not supported properly, regardless of how old this unit is, something has gave way due to an improper installation.

Second question, with a crack this large, with no support below, what guarantee do you have that even though you make this "bandaid approach" that it will not continue to crack?

Third question, if you can apply a cover over this area, will it not leak and most importantly, will it look good?

Depending on the age of this unit, consideration should be given to replace it and install new the right way. I realize that this means work and/or money to install but if you try to patch this, it can be a problem again. If you desire to just patch it with no worry about further problems, I would try to building up the bottom with the use of fiberglass cloth, resin and get the pigment required when you are ready to apply the coats. Your local automtive parts store can provide great information on this as well as the directions are easy to follow. I would not use bondo since this can easily crack when applying thin coats. The fiberglass resin is more flexible and if spread out over a more large area, will be more stable.

Alternative to the DIY idea is to hire it done through a tub revishier specializing in fiberglass repair. They have the equipment, the method to apply a almost perfect match and usually provide warranty. The best part is the final appearance, you get professional looking results and it is usually done in one day. They can assess the bottom and provide recommendations or repair as required before finishing it.

Last method is to replace and do it right.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the reply, Doug. I know that replacing the whole unit is the only real solution but we just had our first child two weeks ago so things are a little hectic an $$ is a little tight at the moment. Finding $1000 or so to have someone come in and rip out the unit to replace it with another one would be a little difficult at the moment.

I just wanted a temporary fix that will prevent the leak for a few months when I can more seriously look at fixing it the right way. I don't care how pretty it is for now, my wife and I are the only ones who will see it anyway as it is in the master bath. Our hose is only 3 years old and I think the sub who put it in mssed up the bracing underneath, as you said. It has had flex in it from day one but I didn't know that was abnormal. It is our first house, ya know? One of many things I have learned since owning this house. Thanks again for the help and for providing a good dose of reality for me!

 

1CEBITN,
My shower pan was making some pretty
bad noises everytime someone stepped
on it because it was not properly
installed. I let it go for about a
year and a half before I did anything
about it. I was told at the store
where I bought the shower that it
should have been set on a ring of mortar.
In order to fix it I cut a hole in the
ceiling sheetrock on the floor below
the shower. Then I used foam to form
a ring about 10 inches away from the
drain pipe. Once the foam had hardened
I mixed hydraulic cement(water-stop cement),
which has a thick consistency, and filled
in the space between the drain pipe hole
and the foam ring. It set in about 1
hour. It worked like a charm! The job took
me little over an one hour to do, with the
exception of cutting through and patching
the ceiling. It was cheap and effective.
However, because I waited so long I now
have a crack on the shower pan that will
need to get fixed.

 

The foam / hydraulic cement, sounds like a good idea. I would top off the repair with the "Bondo" fiberglass repair kit with the fiberglass mat. Follow the instructions and be ready to do a lot of sanding. Don't get the mixed resin on any tools you want to keep, it's a real pain to get off.
I would use an epoxy spray paint or a gel coat which can be purchased from your local boating store.