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Repairing a Crack in a Plastic Tub or Shower

September 1, 2009

Close up image of a plastic shower base with a crack in itThere'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.

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By Sarah Leach from Berrien Springs, MI

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By duckie43 (Guest Post)
July 1, 20081 found this helpful
Best Answer

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.

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September 1, 20091 found this helpful
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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.

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September 1, 20091 found this helpful
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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.

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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).

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 102 Feedbacks
September 3, 20091 found this helpful
Best Answer

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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7 More Questions

Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.

April 7, 2015

How can I fix the crack for good?

By Martin

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Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 679 Feedbacks
April 8, 20151 found this helpful

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.

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They also make a similar product called Flex-Seal for lighter applications. Both are sprays that dry as solid rubber, and are used to repair many rubber and plastic objects.

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September 12, 20171 found this helpful

I have a crack in my shower tub

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May 8, 20180 found this helpful

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.

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They didn't think to put that on the can.

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March 3, 20190 found this helpful

I tired the Flex-shot on my tub and it didn't work

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October 8, 20190 found this helpful

We used the flex glue and it worked great. It was a last resort but you know what they say best for last...

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Anonymous
January 29, 20220 found this helpful

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 !!!!

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September 12, 2019

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?


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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
September 12, 20190 found this helpful

If it is a hairline crack, you can use fiberglass filler. If it is deep, you may have to replace the tub.

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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 105 Posts
September 14, 20190 found this helpful

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.

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It might be best to have this checked out because the floor can start to rot if there is a lot of water leaking from this crack.

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
September 15, 20190 found this helpful

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.

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December 19, 2013

Is there a product that can be painted or rolled on to seal the cracks?

By Terry

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December 22, 20130 found this helpful

Bonding... it's not a pretty fix, but it'll fix it

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December 22, 20131 found this helpful

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.

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I bet a big-box home improvement store would have a permanent fix (and something not so pink!)

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March 5, 2013

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

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Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 282 Feedbacks
March 7, 20130 found this helpful

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.

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November 4, 2010

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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ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

November 4, 2010

How do you repair a cracked shower stall floor?

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September 1, 2009

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.

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