The bathtub is a very busy place in the house. It is particularly fragile, especially acrylic bathtubs which are designed to be light, practical and affordable.
If there is a hole or crack in a bathtub, repair a cracked bathtub, you must act immediately before you get to the leak. Fortunately, there are repair kits that are quite easy to use.
Follow our tutorial to successfully renovate your acrylic bathtub!
Step 1: Get a bathtub repair kit
Renovate bathtub
To repair a crack on a tub, or even any other type of chip or defect, there are acrylic, enamel and ceramic tub repair kits that include the essentials needed for the repair.
In the specific case of acrylic bathtubs, depending on the width of the crack or hole, it may be necessary to add fiberglass. Acrylic-only tub kits usually contain a small fiberglass board to be cut to size.
Step 2: Prepare the tub
Before any intervention, it is necessary to be able to work on a smooth, clean and dry surface:
Sand the affected area.
Dust off.
Degrease and rinse.
Dry off.
Also consider protecting your tub and floor by taping newspaper all around the crack or hole (leaving plenty of room to work with) and using masking tape.
Step 3: Lay the fiberglass
If you have an acrylic bathtub and the hole or crack is large, even creating a water leak, you must seal the whole thing with fiberglass before applying the putty.
A small fiberglass board is normally found in the tub repair kit. If not, get one:
Cut a piece of fiberglass a little larger than the crack.
With the end of a flat screwdriver, gently push the fiberglass into the crack without “clogging”.
If there is still space to fill, add more layers of fiberglass.
Cdiscount advice
Warning, do not use fiberglass for ceramic or enamel!
Step 4: Apply sealant
The bathtub repair kit contains a tube of sealant and another of hardener. On a piece of cardboard or a paint palette, mix the filler and the hardener, respecting the proportions indicated by the manufacturer.
Use the application tool provided or a “cat’s tongue” spatula for mixing and application:
Get a good dose of the mixture on your tool.
Fill in the crack by firmly applying the mixture (for an acrylic bathtub, be careful not to move the fiberglass layers or pull them out of their housing).
Do not hesitate to make several passes and do not be afraid to put too much, you can sand everything after drying.
Step 5: Sand the filler
Sand the filler
After one hour of drying, your putty is ready to be sanded.
Take the piece of sandpaper provided in the tub repair kit and sand the putty-hardener mixture until the surface is completely even.
Dust well before applying the enamel finish.
Step 6: Apply the finish
Apply the finish
Now is the time to repaint the filled crack for a perfect finish!
The repair kits contain a spray of enamel finish lacquer which will give a completely identical finish to the rest of the bath. This finishing lacquer is most often white, to match most bathtubs. If your bathtub is colored, find the corresponding finish.
Prepare a template and spray the finish:
Cut a template from a sheet of paper: by folding a sheet in four, you can easily make a hole in its center.
Wear a protective mask.
Hold the stencil a few centimeters above the finishing area and hold your enamel lacquer spray about ten centimeters above the stencil.
Spray the hairspray from left to right, through the hole in the template.
See the result after five minutes of drying: if the rendering is not perfect, spray a new coat of hairspray.
