Fiberglass bathtubs needs to be refinished over time. Most likely, your fiberglass paint finish will scratch and wear off. This is initially not something serious to worry about. That is, your bathtub will remain water resistant, even if the paint on the fiberglass is worn off. However, if there are actual scratches or holes in your fiberglass surface, you want to fix them as soon as possible. First of all, they are at risk of soap scum and mold build up. If a scratch penetrates all the through the fiberglass, it can leak and eventually compromise the structural integrity of your actual tub. So, whether you have scratches on your bathtub basin or shower walls, you should learn to repair them as well as possible. This article explains the process for repairing small scratches in fiberglass without using cloth.
What You Need for Small Scratch Repair
Repairing small fiber glass scratches is much easier, because you don't need to use any fiber glass cloth. That is, you can just fill small scratches and holes using the fiberglass resin. There are fiberglass repair kits, but these usually include the cloth and a few other supplies you won't need. So, all you really need to fill a couple of small scratches is fiberglass resin, which should come with a tiny tube of liquid hardener.
Patching the Fiberglass with Resin
The actual process for patching fiberglass is simple, however the resin is toxic, smelly, and sticky. So, you should definitely wear protective gloves while doing it. When you mix the resin and hardener together, they dry very quickly. It might be a good idea to do a practice run on a spare piece of wood or cardboard so you can get used to the drying time. The resin is best spread using a plastic putty knife with a flexible blade. A metal blade can scratch the paint.
The fiberglass resin is going to dry clear and the surface is not going to be completely smooth. You will need to use extra fine grit sandpaper (over 200) to smooth out the patch. Patching scratches will completely protect them and prevent any further water damage. Maintaining a strong waterproof seal in your bathtub will be much easier once you figure out how to patch fiberglass.
If you want to repaint your fiberglass, it is an entirely new project that requires different tools and supplies altogether. For more information, contact companies like Carefree Koatings.
