:::I Put A Hole In My Shower/Tub Surround (Advice For A Tenant?)

[NDL]

I have a great landlord, and he authorized me to make a repair on my tub.

I have a basic knowledge of how to fix minor household issues, but I know nothing about how to fix fiberglass.

The tub/shower in my bathroom is extremely cheap. It's plastic; probably fiberglass. The material looks to be 1/8" thick. It's likely the same type of tub/shower used in a trailer. Why do I say that? Because the bathroom itself is small, and the tub/shower is not the standard size. Therefore, putting a new shower/tub combination is not practical, and putting in a new bathtub would require that I reframe the bathroom.

The other day I slipped in the tub, and my heel put a hole on the inside of the tub wall, about two inches from the bottom of the tub. The size of the hole is a little larger than a half dollar. The landlord isn't so much concerned about appearances, as much as he's concerned about keeping water outside of the hole.

I thought I might spray structural foam (insulation) into the hole, to provide some strength, and to fill the gap in the side of the tub, and top it off with a wire mesh patch. Someone also suggested using a swimming pool patch. Either way, neither myself nor my landlord care about aesthetics; I just want a watertight repair that will last a few years. Any suggestions for a guy that has no experience with fiberglass, or body work? I did watch a few youtube video's, but thought I would ask here too.

Thanks in advance for your time and suggestions

 

[FullySprinklered]

Run down to HD and pick up a roll of metal tape from the HVAC department. That should keep the water in the tub till you can get yourself out of that s***hole.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

I would not use sprayfoam as it will just contaminate the surfaces and ruin your chances to try anything else. I would use an auto body filler, stuffing as much of it as possible into the hole.

 

[Dj2]

FLEX TAPE - you've seen those commercials on TV, where the guy saws his boat in two, then puts it back together with this tape and had no leak zooming in the lake...

Heck you don't care, the landlord doesn't care...I see no problem doing the same...it's only $12.

Let us know how the project ended.

 

[Stuff]

Be careful with any filler as it may not bond properly with the surrounding material and leak.

As this tells you, prepping is the first step. https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-repair-holes-in-fiberglass-tubs

 

[NDL]

Run down to HD and pick up a roll of metal tape from the HVAC department. That should keep the water in the tub till you can get yourself out of that s***hole.

FLEX TAPE - you've seen those commercials on TV, where the guy saws his boat in two, then puts it back together with this tape and had no leak zooming in the lake...

Heck you don't care, the landlord doesn't care...I see no problem doing the same...it's only $12.

Both the landlord and I care, but in case I need something to buy me a few days, I'll keep this in mind. Thank you.

I would not use sprayfoam as it will just contaminate the surfaces and ruin your chances to try anything else. I would use an auto body filler, stuffing as much of it as possible into the hole.

Be careful with any filler as it may not bond properly with the surrounding material and leak.

I am the one who broke the tub, so I'd like to be able to fix it properly. Thanks for the tips, as I want to make a quality repair.

So long as I scuff up the tub surface with sandpaper, and make sure the surface is clean, I am assuming that the fiberglass patch should adhere just fine? Again, neither the landlord nor myself care about aesthetics...as long as the repair is a quality repair, that will last a few years (minimum).

 

[NDL]

***


Okay...well I did 4-5 layers of fiberglass matting/resin over the hole, and it came out nice and clean. But here's the problem: it's been a little over five hours since I finished the repair, and the surface is tacky - not only over the hole, but around the hole as well.

For the first two and a half hours or so, all of the windows in the house were open. The interior temps in the house were no greater than 62 degrees. Another potential issue: the ceramic tile floor in the bathroom is cold...always cold. So even though I closed the windows and turned on the heat (inside temp is now 71 degrees), the floor under the tub is cold, and the cold air might be affecting the temp inside the tub.

My Wife mixed everything as I prepared the tub surface; she followed the directions, though she only mixed the resin/hardener for 30 or so seconds. I jus5 t put a hairdryer on it for a good 15 minutes.

Any ideas? Even if it takes awhile to cure, does that mean that the whole thing is scrapped? Or will it just take a lot longer (a day or so) to cure? The surface is changing color from motor oil to a somewhat smoky/clear appearance, though the whole thing is tacky on the surface.

Thanks for your time and suggestions

 

[NDL]

Whew! Thankfully, between having put a hairdryer on the epoxy, as well as additional time having passed, the patch looks like it's hardening up. I will put some pictures up in a week, when I finish sanding and painting. Thanks again, to all who participated on this thread

 

[NDL]

Thanks again for y'all's help and suggestions. I think it came out pretty good for a first time repair. Rustoleum claims to make paint that should cover this...

 

[Cacher_Chick]

You can thicken the resin and build it up in a few layers so it can be sanded smooth. Sand and clean between each application.

 

[NDL]

You can thicken the resin and build it up in a few layers so it can be sanded smooth. Sand and clean between each application.

Appreciate the suggestion. Is thickening the resin necessary for strength, or is it just for appearances? A lot of the resin + fiberglass matting went into the hole, and the surface is pretty smooth. I did a good 4-5 layers of resin and fiberglass mesh; if you strike the resin which fills the hole it's more solid than the tub itself.

Any ideas on how long I can expect this repair to last? Is a year or two unrealistic? Also, the entire area covers 6" width and 6" height. I have been going banana's trying to find a paint to cover this repair...the tub is bisque in color.

Again, thanks for y'all's help and suggestions. It's greatly appreciated .

 

[Cacher_Chick]

Thickened resin will fill the weave in the glass, which is not making it stronger, but is building up a layer of material which can be sanded very smooth. Color matching will be very hard, and no paint is likely to hold up to much scrubbing. You could finish with white polyester gelcoat which will hold up much better, but again, finding a pigment to color match well is not very likely. Gelcoat can be polished though finer and finer grits of sandpaper, and finished with rubbing and polishing compound.

 

[NDL]

Thickened resin will fill the weave in the glass, which is not making it stronger, but is building up a layer of material which can be sanded very smooth. Color matching will be very hard, and no paint is likely to hold up to much scrubbing. You could finish with white polyester gelcoat which will hold up much better, but again, finding a pigment to color match well is not very likely. Gelcoat can be polished though finer and finer grits of sandpaper, and finished with rubbing and polishing compound.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me - especially that about painting. Up until last night, I was under the impression that I could paint all of this and make it look new, but the more and more that I read, the more I doubted that to be the case. And now your post gave me a crystal clear picture of what to expect...in other words, you saved me a lot of grief. Thank you .

Do you have any ideas of how long a patch like this will last? Is a year or two unrealistic, or could it last that and more?

 

[Reach4]

Do you have any ideas of how long a patch like this will last? Is a year or two unrealistic, or could it last that and more?

I would think that could last decades.

Maybe you could find a large bathtub applique that would cover the patched area. I don't know if your space is too curved. If you do paint, maybe mask off a pattern and use a contrasting color. Make it a decor feature.

https://www.slipxsolutions.com/tub-tattoos-shark

 

[Cacher_Chick]

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me - especially that about painting. Up until last night, I was under the impression that I could paint all of this and make it look new, but the more and more that I read, the more I doubted that to be the case. And now your post gave me a crystal clear picture of what to expect...in other words, you saved me a lot of grief. Thank you .

Do you have any ideas of how long a patch like this will last? Is a year or two unrealistic, or could it last that and more?

It is pretty hard to tell as the best fiberglass repair would start from the back side of the tub, but if you were doing to do through that much trouble, you could just replace the tub. If there is a weakness in the repair, it will be the bond of the patch to the original material, which is always questionable when you are dealing with an unknown composite finish in the tub.

 

[NDL]

I would think that could last decades.

Maybe you could find a large bathtub applique that would cover the patched area. I don't know if your space is too curved. If you do paint, maybe mask off a pattern and use a contrasting color. Make it a decor feature.

https://www.slipxsolutions.com/tub-tattoos-shark

Thanks for the feedback, and for the suggestion of using an applique to cover the repair (I never thought of that !)

It is pretty hard to tell as the best fiberglass repair would start from the back side of the tub, but if you were doing to do through that much trouble, you could just replace the tub. If there is a weakness in the repair, it will be the bond of the patch to the original material, which is always questionable when you are dealing with an unknown composite finish in the tub.

You've given this beginner some very useful knowledge...thank you .

Before I put the fiberglass patch on, I scored the tub with my dremel (putting several shallow cuts into the tub surface), which I followed up with a thorough cleaning of the area.

In asking about the longevity of the repair, my concern was this:

1) Temp on the bottom and inside of the tub varies from the outside of the tub - in other words, the floor that the tub is placed in is very cold, while the tub itself sits in a heated bathroom. Didn't know if temp differences would have any affect on the fiberglass patch.

2) The tub itself is junk; the sidewall of the tub was between 1/16-1/8 of an inch thick. Turns out that this tub/shower surround is not standard sized (it's 54" in length). The tub floor has some support, but it isn't to my liking; if you take a very hot shower, the tub material will flex ever-so-slightly. My concern is that the tub itself might flex, but the fiberglass patch would not. Two dissimilar materials flexing at different rates might cause cracking? Then again, I know nothing about fiberglass, so I don't know if my concern is warranted. Like I said, the fiberglass patch itself is impressively solid; the tub is not.

My landlord bought this house from a deceased relative, who cut corners when he remodeled the bathroom by using very cheap materials. I hope to continue living in the house for another couple of years, and if the patch lasts for the time that I am here, both the landlord and myself will be very happy. If and when I leave, the landlord will gut the bathroom and put a proper tub/shower (of much better quality).

Anyway, sorry for rambling , but that's the overall picture of where I stand. I realize that any advice you or anyone else gives is a guess at best, as you haven't personally inspected the tub or my repair. I am grateful for the knowledge that this forum brings.

Thanks !