repairing split in bath

[gaz2923]

the previous owners have dropped the shower head which has put a split in the bath about 2 inches long and is a few mm wide and has been siliconed up although it isnt sealed which means we can only have showers

short of replacing the bath can i get a patch for it that will seal it properly?

 

[Scrit]

What type of material is the bath? I assume it's "plastic", so is it GRP (glass re-inforced plastic) or acrylic? GRP should be repairable in the same way that GRP boats or car bodies are although I suspect that you'll always see the repair as GRP mouldings are frequently made with the colour sprayed onto the "inside" of the gel coat. Acrylic might be repairable in the same way that signs are made, whilst acrylic is a lot more awkward to repair - you might be able to do a glue repair using an acrylic cement such as Tensol, although I'm not sure that it would work. It is possible to polish-out scratches in acrylic.

Scrit

 

[gaz2923]

how can i tell what its made from, stupid question i know but this is all new to me

 

[Scrit]

Acrylic baths are smooth both sides, GRP are smoth on the visible side and have what are best described as "hairs" glued into the undersides. They're actually strands of glass fibre.

Addendum: A friend of mine pointed out to me that there are also GRP-reinforced acrylic baths . That being the case I'd probably approach them the same way as GRP because the GRP resin and mat should be able to adhere to the underside.

Scrit

 

[gaz2923]

ill check when i get home

 

[sidecar_jon]

Id try Epoxy putty (Milliput avalible from all good model shops) wont be invisible though (white Milliput might be less noticable)

 

[gaz2923]

the hardest part is i cant get my hand behind cause its the wall side of the bath so cant seal from behind and also its like a small hole rather than a split

i will be checking what its made of later though

 

[Nige F]

Just claim on your household insurance...we`ll keep quiet about the previous owners

 

[gaz2923]

the 200 excess is worth more than the bath probably

the bath is smooth on the underneath sides and has hairs on the underneath base so does that mean its made of both :s

 

[markvirgo]

you could use this Bathroom and Kitchen Repair Kit

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

If its a hole then heres an idea that might do the trick.
Drill the hole through and put a galvanised roofing bolt through it with a nut on the other side.Use silicone to make the joint then rub off the silicone thats exposed when dry. Then paint over the bolt. Build it up with washers if the hole is bigger than the bolt head. That should last you till you get an insurance policy with only a £50 excess