Please advise: fixing a hole in a fibreglass shower liner

Hello! I have a 6 inch by 4 inch hole in my shower liner wall (which, I believe, is made of fibreglass, although I do not know for certain: the wall is flexible, and is shiny and white on the outside, and plastered with grey fibres on the inside)

I have called around for repair estimates, but noone is willing to try repairing it.

So I'm hoping I can repair it myself. My plan would be to glue 1 or 2 flat slats across the hole from the inside, cut a piece of fibreglass that is as close to the hole shape as I can and glue that to the slats, and then fill the remaining crack with fibreglass resin, sand it flat, and paint it.

If anyone has experience with this sort of thing, I welcome any advice or constructive criticism.

Thanks!

joccer said:

Hello! I have a 6 inch by 4 inch hole in my shower liner wall

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This was probably where the soap dish, shampoo alcove thingie used to be, it would be easier to find another one and silicone it back into that hole.

Rancher

I'm sure what you are proposing will work, but it will probably look like a big patch when you're done.

For a more professional job, maybe you can find an autobody repair tech. who wants to take a stab at it, or just glue on another soap dish.

Thanks for the advice.

Question: for attaching a soap dish, how do I go about selecting the right kind of glue or caulk to permanently attach and seal it? I'd hate to have it get loose over time or, worse, allow water to seep through into the hole. Rancher mentioned silicon. Are all silicon caulks the same?

Josh

This is going to be ugly unless you get it done right. A fiberglass repair job requires buildup, lots of sanding, and final finish color and gel coat.

Your best bet would be to find an auto body technician or a boat repair person, and pay them whatever it takes to come in and do it. This will still be cheaper than paying someone to replace the entire shower.

joccer said:

Thanks for the advice.

Question: for attaching a soap dish, how do I go about selecting the right kind of glue or caulk to permanently attach and seal it? I'd hate to have it get loose over time or, worse, allow water to seep through into the hole. Rancher mentioned silicon. Are all silicon caulks the same?

Josh

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I would probably use liquid nails to glue it and G.E. Silicone for shower and bath to seal around the edges.

I would only use silicone for the glue if you can seat the back of it on a solid stud, and then I would goop up the stud, place the soap holder in place and brace it in with a 2x4 aganist the oposite wall. Let it dry a couple day, liquid nails will do the same thing, you need a thin layer for either one of them.

Rancher

joccer said:

... hoping I can repair it myself. My plan would be to glue 1 or 2 flat slats across the hole from the inside, cut a piece of fibreglass that is as close to the hole shape as I can and glue that to the slats, and then fill the remaining crack with fibreglass resin, sand it flat, and paint it.

If anyone has experience with this sort of thing, I welcome any advice or constructive criticism.

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If you actually do decide to do that kind of repair, you would first have to /grind/bevel/feather the edges of the hole on the finished side of the tub, then glue just about anything (such as even cardboard) on the backside, then use fiberglass matt (not cloth) and resin to build/fill the hole, then grind/sand as necessary and use auto-body spot putty to achieve a finished surface before painting to match as best you can.

joccer said:

Question: for attaching a soap dish, how do I go about selecting the right kind of glue or caulk to permanently attach and seal it? I'd hate to have it get loose over time or, worse, allow water to seep through into the hole.

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First, and if you are instead going to simply cover that hole, find a soap dish or whatever else that is large enough to cover at least another 1/2" all the way around that hole. Ideally, this item would have at least two holes for finished mounting screws that are at least two inches away from any edge. At that point, make a 5" x 7" backing plate, and mate it to the new soap dish or whatever. Then, and with those two pieces loosly screwed together, use clear silicone caulk to "sandwich" your shower liner between that item and its backing plate (by going in at 90 degrees off and turning things into place).