I am so upset. We had a custom shower built with a Kohler Cast iron enamel/porcelain shower base. Initially there were some cracks that we had repaired covered under the warranty. We did the repair because it is literally tiled in and a floating wall built in the front of it. Now there are big chunks of the enamel that have come off. We contacted Kohler and they feel it is was dropped and now compromised will reimburse the cost but now I am faced with what to do it will cost a minimum of $3000. to rip out and redo with just tile as a floor which I wanted to stay away from. Can the entire thing be recoated somehow and has anyone had this done with good lasting results?
Help for decision on cracked cast iron shower base
- Thread starter alpalruns
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Breplum
Licensed plumbing contractor
The only recoating available on site is an epoxy like they use for tub "refinishing".
Those recoat jobs are not durable, but it can give you a little breathing room to get prepared for the future.
Those recoat jobs are not durable, but it can give you a little breathing room to get prepared for the future.
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Is reglazing different from epoxy refinishing ? Do you know? Thank you
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Cast iron is glazed with what amounts to baked enamel...essentially glass done in a high temperature oven. You cannot duplicate that in a home. ANything you put on it will be a patch that will not be anywhere near as durable as a proper, original surface.
If you want some help with tile, check out www.johnbridge.com
The pan likely has what is referred to as a tiling flange that provides some water management. To take the pan out means taking out at least the bottom row of tile. Matching things, and providing proper water management and structure is difficult, meaning often, to get a good result, you need to tear it out and repair. If you went with a tiled pan, that would require a different drain, and if using a conventional liner, a preslope first, then the liner needs to go up above the curb about 3", and NO fasteners beneath 2" above the top of the curb, which means no cement board on the curb. Surface applied membranes require yet a different drain, and are only specified when the whole shower, walls and pan, are waterproofed with it.
I don't know if Kohler makes them, but a pan could be painted steel...that is much lighter (and cheaper) than a CI one, but it will flex fairly easily if not installed properly which can cause the finish to crack and, that exposes the steel underneath which will start to rust easily and quickly.
If you want some help with tile, check out www.johnbridge.com
The pan likely has what is referred to as a tiling flange that provides some water management. To take the pan out means taking out at least the bottom row of tile. Matching things, and providing proper water management and structure is difficult, meaning often, to get a good result, you need to tear it out and repair. If you went with a tiled pan, that would require a different drain, and if using a conventional liner, a preslope first, then the liner needs to go up above the curb about 3", and NO fasteners beneath 2" above the top of the curb, which means no cement board on the curb. Surface applied membranes require yet a different drain, and are only specified when the whole shower, walls and pan, are waterproofed with it.
I don't know if Kohler makes them, but a pan could be painted steel...that is much lighter (and cheaper) than a CI one, but it will flex fairly easily if not installed properly which can cause the finish to crack and, that exposes the steel underneath which will start to rust easily and quickly.
sdeja1410
New Member
Yes, we have a just the solution you need to re-cast your tub if your still looking at the cost of $150. Just as breplum said in this post earlier it can be done with epoxy and we have just that. Ekopel 2k epoxy is just a pour on solution that is very easy to use. It's like pouring paint and just moving it around with a roller to cover your spots as well as eco-friendly, anti-microbial, self leveling and will harden to 1/8th inch thick lasting 10-20 years. Only takes about 45-1 hour to do and you have a pot life of an 1hr and 30 min to use so you will have plenty of time to do it. If your serious about this I can give you my email to help you out. If not here's a solution and good luck with your project!
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