How To Repair a Shower Basin
The shower basin, also called the pan or base, is the floor of a standing shower where you stand and the water flows down to the drain. While this part of the shower is made to be strong, it can still be susceptible to damage like cracks and punctures. You can avoid replacing the entire basin, which is a costly and difficult job, by simply repairing the isolated damaged area. Your shower won't be useable while you are performing the repairs. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Leave the shower to dry completely for several hours. If the shower was used after the damage developed, you need to let the inside of the basin dry.
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2
Fill the damaged area with spray insulation foam and let it harden. Only use a small amount so you don't overfill the damaged area.
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3
Rough up the damaged area of the shower basin with sandpaper. You should also sand an area 1 inch around the damage.
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4
Prepare the epoxy by combining the resin and hardener that came in the patch kit.
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5
Cut the fiberglass patch with scissors to fit the damaged area and submerge it into the epoxy. The patch should be fully saturated with epoxy.
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6
Lay the patch on top of the damaged area and smooth it out with a burnisher. Make sure there are no pockets of air under the patch.
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Let the patch rest until it is dry and hard. Apply another two layers of epoxy on top of the patch, letting each layer dry completely before laying on the next.
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8
Lightly sand the repaired area with sandpaper to make it smooth and level with the rest of the basin.
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9
Mix the gelcoat with dye to match your shower basin and spread it over the repair area. The gelcoat should spread over the repair and the surrounded sanded down area.
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10
Let the gelcoat cure for three days before using the shower or getting the repair wet.
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Tips & Warnings
You can buy fiberglass patch kits that come with pre-dyed gelcoat.
Do not let any moisture get on the epoxy or the gelcoat while it is drying or the repair will not set properly.
