There's no way to afford a new tub right now. Does anyone know how to repair a plastic bathtub? I have a garden tub and the seat is cracked to the point that unless I keep duct tape (the only thing to stay on more than a few days so far) over the crack, the tub leaks horribly. Thanks in advance.
By Sarah Leach from Berrien Springs, MI
I ran into this problem when I was renting a mobile home. I used Bondo. I think thats how its spelled. Its the same product they use to repair fiber glass bodies on car. Instructions are on the can and its not hard to do.
You could try a epoxy adhesive. They are water proof. The best are two part adhesives. They are available at Home Depot and Lowes. You will find them in the paint section. read and follow directions.
It depends on how big the crack is. One option (if it is a small crack) is model glue (found in the model toy section at box stores). This works by melding the plastic together.
If there are chunks missing out of it, there are a few options. Epoxy (already mentioned), water-proof caulk, and I also think there is a JB weld for plastics (found in most Ace Hardware stores).
Try going to a bathtub sales store and explain your predicament to them. They don't bite! They will tell you what to use and how to do it. Lowes and Home Hardware will probably be your best bets. Good luck. Take a picture, if possible.
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How can I fix the crack for good?
By Martin
I keep seeing TV ads for something called Flex-Shot, which they claim seals even very large holes and lasts at least 30 years. While I have not tried it myself, it sounds like it might work for your problem. You could Google it to see where to buy it.
I have a crack in my shower tub
We tried that flex seal and it worked for a short period then peeled off. I called the company and they said it isn't recommended for shower floors because it is high traffic.
I tired the Flex-shot on my tub and it didn't work
We used the flex glue and it worked great. It was a last resort but you know what they say best for last...
Are u serious finaly somebody will give me a little bit of an answer so i need flex glue? Im wit plumbers putty rite now for three showers no prob now every thing i hear is nothing adheres to plastic til you told me bout flex glue im bout to loose it this is a 2017 pioneer 33 foot travel trailer (camper) never ever buy a pioneer its a piece of shit !!!!
I have a crack in my plastic bathtub around the drain. It is about an inch and a half long. What is the best way to fix it with items around the house?
If it is a hairline crack, you can use fiberglass filler. If it is deep, you may have to replace the tub.
If the crack isn't too bad you can try to get a fiberglass filler to put around the crack to seal it. If the crack is really bad you may have damage under your tub and on your floor.
Quite honestly, there is nothing around that house that is good to fix this kind of issue. Depending on what is going on, you risk having water get into your floor and walls if this is not fixed and that can cause expensive repairs.
This is one place not to be penny wise and pound foolish and have a plumber look at it and do a professional repair.
Is there a product that can be painted or rolled on to seal the cracks?
By Terry
Bonding... it's not a pretty fix, but it'll fix it
Hi - yes, there is. We had a bad crack in our showerpan, but because we just have a crawl-space under that bathroom that no one ever goes in, we were unaware of the damage. The water had leaked through and caused the floor joists to rot. My husband called a plumber, who 'painted on' this bubble-gum pink stuff that sealed the shower floor, giving us time to save up the money for the expensive repair to re-tile the shower floor.
I really can't tell if it's cracked or not. I have tried looking with a flashlight but no luck. So far the fix is to line the walls and floor or rip it out, but if it isn't really cracked why do it?
By MLO
It does sound as though you have a leak somewhere in that stall. You may want to check seams first as you may find your leak is the caulked join where the pan meets the side-walls.
If it's not the seams, you could try 'mapping' the leaking pan by pouring a pitcher full of Kool-Aid or food colouring tinted water on the pan and looking for darker lines appearing on the pan floor as the tinted fluid seeps through the cracks.
I found a cracked pan that way by accident years ago when I tried to dye a pan by staining it deliberately with a pitcher of food colouring tinted water. It did give a lovely colour to the pan but those dark lines appeared and my then husband said 'Holy moly, that pan is cracked and probably has been for years!' We ended up having to replace not only the entire shower stall but most of the bathroom sub-flooring because oh yes, that leak had been at work for a very long time!
Using the 'mapping' method may cause staining so be sure you are willing to put up with that if you can't get the staining off. Bon Ami should get the colour off without scratching the pan surface but that's not guaranteed so be sure to use a complementary colour in case you're stuck with it.
I need to know how and what type of material/compound, etc. to use when repairing a plastic material type shower. The bottom needs repair and I don't know what material or compound to use.
I don't want to discard the whole shower just because the bottom needs to be fixed. It's not fiberglass, but plastic, so I was told. Just by looking I can't tell. I do want to fix it so it will appear nice and clean and neat. The rest of the shower looks like brand new. This is in a double wide home.
Thanks for your help.
By Davy from Newport NC
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How do you repair a cracked shower stall floor?
I have a mobile home and the bathtub edge has cracked over the years and has big pieces out of it. I don't know what the material is, but I need to repair it until I can afford to replace the tub with a shower surround.