Shower Pan Repair Instructions

Clean the shower pan’s surface with a bathroom cleanser and a scrub brush removing all dirt and soap from the area. Thoroughly rinse after cleaning, washing away the cleanser. Pat the area dry with clean cloth.

Drill a hole in the damaged area’s center with an electric drill. Filling the cavity under the damaged area with expanding foam sealant adds some support beneath the damaged area that prevents the damage from spreading once you place weight onto it again. Inject the foam into the cavity until it begins coming out he nozzle of the hose through the hole, indicating that you’ve filled the area. Wait 48 hours for the foam to harden.

Sand the damaged area with a sheet of coarse sandpaper attached to a sanding block roughening the surface and removing any finish on the shower pan. Extend the sanding over an area of about 2 inches to all sides of the damage. Wiping the sanded area with a damp cloth removes any sanding residue.

Cut a piece of fiberglass cloth just large enough to fit within the confines of the shower pan’s damaged area. Cut a second patch about one-half inch larger than the damaged area, a third that’s an inch larger, and a fourth that’s 1 1/2-inches larger.

Mix resin with hardener in a small bowl with a wooden mixing stick. Follow the manufacturer’s mixing instructions for mixing ratios.

Submerge the smallest piece of fiberglass cloth in the resin, and then spread the cloth onto the damaged area, smoothing it out with a putty knife. Repeat the process with the other cloth patches, placing each patch over the damaged area from smallest to largest, and smoothing each flat before adding the next. Allow the fiberglass to dry overnight.

Sand the patch smooth with the coarse sandpaper, and then wipe it clear with a damp cloth.

Cover the last patch with a layer of plastic padding marine filler applied with the putty knife and extending out to the 2-inch mark. Feathering the filler layer at the edges creates a smooth transition to the rest of the pan. The filler creates a waterproof seal over the fiberglass patches. Allow the filler to cure for 24 hours.

Sanding the filler with coarse sandpaper levels it out and smoothes it along the edges. Continue smoothing the filler further using water-saturated, 220-grit sandpaper followed by runs of 320-grit and 400-grit sandpaper. Wiping the surface after each sanding run removes residue. Each sanding run creates a smoother surface on the filler as well as blending the filler’s edges into the surrounding shower pan surface, removing the borderline between patch and pan.

Painting the shower pan using a paint roller and epoxy paint creates an additional seal and blends the patch completely with the rest of the pan area. Allow the paint to dry for 48 hours before making using the shower.