Crack in shower floor
First weekend out and we have a small hole in the bottom of our shower floor. My husband was attaching an adhesive soap dispenser and dropped it. How do we repair this? It’s on the floor base of the shower.
Forum Discussion
- When ours cracked, we tried hiring a professional to make the repair. It only lasted about a year. As suggested by Lynmor above, I did a permanent repair by ordering a replacement tub online for something like $100 and replaced the old tub, taking care to supporting it well from below. Good luck!
markiniowa wrote:
When ours cracked, we tried hiring a professional to make the repair. It only lasted about a year. As suggested by Lynmor above, I did a permanent repair by ordering a replacement tub online for something like $100 and replaced the old tub, taking care to supporting it well from below. Good luck!
Supporting and repairing are 2 different issues.
We occasionally run into tubs and bases that are brand new that are damaged out of the box or damaged in the field due to some sort of impact.
The cracks,blemishes or chips can be perfectly repaired by the refinishers. However the unit must be set,installed and supported correctly or no repair will last.
It is generally not necessary to replace the entire unit. For the most part the surface damage can always be repaired.- For the cost/effort involved.... Replace it. A failed repair can lead to water damage and a MUCH bigger problem.
Huntindog wrote:
For the cost/effort involved.... Replace it. A failed repair can lead to water damage and a MUCH bigger problem.
There is a lot more effort to replace than repair. Assuming the unit is installed correctly from the start. If it is installed incorrectly you can remove the misinstalled unit and install it correctly.
If the unit is installed correctly, then repairing is a much easier way to deal with it.
To get the base out: the door needs to be removed, wall kits removed , plumbing disconnected etc. To do a repair you simply need the right goo, the know how and some sanding. Nothing needs to be removed or disconnected.
The bottom line is the fiberglass and plastics are very fusible/repairable with the correct products. On rare occasions the damage maybe in a non repairable area.
I'm referring to repairs made by a pro refinisher not Harry Homeowner or Roger the RV Guru using some sort of stickum from the Home Depot or a big box store.Lantley wrote:
Will the pro repairman warranty just the repair, or the damage that results from it's failure?Huntindog wrote:
For the cost/effort involved.... Replace it. A failed repair can lead to water damage and a MUCH bigger problem.
There is a lot more effort to replace than repair. Assuming the unit is installed correctly from the start. If it is installed incorrectly you can remove the misinstalled unit and install it correctly.
If the unit is installed correctly, then repairing is a much easier way to deal with it.
To get the base out: the door needs to be removed, wall kits removed , plumbing disconnected etc. To do a repair you simply need the right goo, the know how and some sanding. Nothing needs to be removed or disconnected.
The bottom line is the fiberglass and plastics are very fusible/repairable with the correct products. On rare occasions the damage maybe in a non repairable area.
I'm referring to repairs made by a pro refinisher not Harry Homeowner or Roger the RV Guru using some sort of stickum from the Home Depot or a big box store.
There has already been one report on this thread of a pros repair failing.
If it is mine, and I like the TT, it gets replaced.
A failed repair can go unnoticed as it slowly works it's damage under the pan.
We all know what that can do.Huntindog wrote:
Lantley wrote:
Will the pro repairman warranty just the repair, or the damage that results from it's failure?Huntindog wrote:
For the cost/effort involved.... Replace it. A failed repair can lead to water damage and a MUCH bigger problem.
There is a lot more effort to replace than repair. Assuming the unit is installed correctly from the start. If it is installed incorrectly you can remove the misinstalled unit and install it correctly.
If the unit is installed correctly, then repairing is a much easier way to deal with it.
To get the base out: the door needs to be removed, wall kits removed , plumbing disconnected etc. To do a repair you simply need the right goo, the know how and some sanding. Nothing needs to be removed or disconnected.
The bottom line is the fiberglass and plastics are very fusible/repairable with the correct products. On rare occasions the damage maybe in a non repairable area.
I'm referring to repairs made by a pro refinisher not Harry Homeowner or Roger the RV Guru using some sort of stickum from the Home Depot or a big box store.
There has already been one report on this thread of a pros repair failing.
If it is mine, and I like the TT, it gets replaced.
A failed repair can go unnoticed as it slowly works it's damage under the pan.
We all know what that can do.
We can talk about a failed repair much in the way we talk about a failed replacement. Of course if either is not done right it is a waste of time. Replacement is not a foolproof solution if the installer does not address support or piping issues.
A replacement can fail just as easily as a repaired if it is not done correctly. In either case I would like to make the assumption that the work is being done by a competent person.
The OP refers to damage cause by impact not lack of support.
An impact repair is a very good candidate for a repair. When you get into support issues the original unit may need to be re installed and set/supported properly but even then it does not need to be replaced.
As far as concealed damage again the replacement or repair needs to be done properly . Both should be monitored after the work is complete to ensure there are no leaks.
My point remains the repair is a very effective ,viable solution that when done correctly cannot be scene and will last a lifetime.
I'm speaking from experience not hypothetical what if's.
A repair requires a lot less effort and unlike a replacement repair does not impact other items and the potential for collateral issues involved with removing and reinstalling other componentsLantley wrote:
I have 3 welders . 2 for metal and one for plasticHuntindog wrote:
Lantley wrote:
Will the pro repairman warranty just the repair, or the damage that results from it's failure?Huntindog wrote:
For the cost/effort involved.... Replace it. A failed repair can lead to water damage and a MUCH bigger problem.
There is a lot more effort to replace than repair. Assuming the unit is installed correctly from the start. If it is installed incorrectly you can remove the misinstalled unit and install it correctly.
If the unit is installed correctly, then repairing is a much easier way to deal with it.
To get the base out: the door needs to be removed, wall kits removed , plumbing disconnected etc. To do a repair you simply need the right goo, the know how and some sanding. Nothing needs to be removed or disconnected.
The bottom line is the fiberglass and plastics are very fusible/repairable with the correct products. On rare occasions the damage maybe in a non repairable area.
I'm referring to repairs made by a pro refinisher not Harry Homeowner or Roger the RV Guru using some sort of stickum from the Home Depot or a big box store.
There has already been one report on this thread of a pros repair failing.
If it is mine, and I like the TT, it gets replaced.
A failed repair can go unnoticed as it slowly works it's damage under the pan.
We all know what that can do.
We can talk about a failed repair much in the way we talk about a failed replacement. Of course if either is not done right it is a waste of time. Replacement is not a foolproof solution if the installer does not address support or piping issues.
A replacement can fail just as easily as a repaired if it is not done correctly. In either case I would like to make the assumption that the work is being done by a competent person.
The OP refers to damage cause by impact not lack of support.
An impact repair is a very good candidate for a repair. When you get into support issues the original unit may need to be re installed and set/supported properly but even then it does not need to be replaced.
As far as concealed damage again the replacement or repair needs to be done properly . Both should be monitored after the work is complete to ensure there are no leaks.
My point remains the repair is a very effective ,viable solution that when done correctly cannot be scene and will last a lifetime.
I'm speaking from experience not hypothetical what if's.
A repair requires a lot less effort and unlike a replacement repair does not impact other items and the potential for collateral issues involved with removing and reinstalling other components
Plastic is far harder to do
If I were to attempt a repair I would do it from the bottom of the pan
That would mean removing it
The pans are pretty thin so melt thru would be a real risk
Plastic is very fussy about matching the filler material to the job
It is best to have a junk pan to get the filler from
I would carefully build up the thickness hopefully avoiding a melt thru until it was thick enough to embed a wire screen into the repair
I have had great success with ATV fenders doing this
But a RV shower pan would be much harder
And since it would still need to come out there is little to be gained
The tub refinishers do residential tubs which are quite a bit different than RV tubs
Not sure how you could monitor such a repair for a slight leak
A catastrophic pan failure would be obvious
A slight leak would likely go unnoticed until the structural damage becomes obvious
