CAN I FIX A CRACK IN MY SPA/BATHTUB?

Yes, cracks in spas or bathtubs can be fixed. First, let us understand what a crack is. Spas are subject to both cracks and crazing. A crack is a well-defined, easily seen separation of the surface. It can be a single crack or have a few branches. Whereas, crazing consists of hundreds of small, often difficult to see without magnification, cracks covering a large area. Cracks and crazing have different causes, and crazing is more difficult to repair.

Cracks can occur due to mechanical impact, or due to excessive stress in the surface, which becomes higher than the material strength. Multiple causes of excessive stress exist. These are exaggerated when the surface gets hot due to sunlight, etc. There can be multiple cracks in a surface, and they go through the entire surface layer. Crazing is generally caused from chemical attack. The chemical aatack can be from the visible surface side, or the underside. Crazing from the underside has been predominately caused by excess styrene in the fiberglass reinforcement. Numerous chemicals have been known to cause cracks and crazing from the visible surface. These are normally caused by the owner.

Cracks in acrylic or gelcoat spas, bathtubs or showers can be repaired using Multi-Tech Products Corporation (MTP) surface repair kits and procedures. Visit http://www.multitechproducts.com to order these materials, and to learn how to use them for repair.

Many bathrooms contain a combination, one piece shower and tub. These are generally made from fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) coated with a gelcoat resin. They can develop cracks in the tub bottom caused by inadequate support to withstand the weight of the users. Repair of these cracks require adding reinforcement to the underlying support structure. MTP also has products and procedures for this operation. Please go to the website and find the procedure for tub bottom replacement.