Why do Fibreglass baths crack?

The fibreglass bath – a cheap, cheerful and ever so popular choice among homeowners and plumbers because of it’s inexpensive pricing.

But as they say in the South African classics, “Goed koop is deur koop.”.

After a few years of repeated use, the fibreglass bath doesn’t have the brand new shine it used to have when you first purchased it. In fact – your bath now looks quite unsightly with fading, stains, chips and even cracks. Not only is this a huge worry for the homeowner, but it could pose a potentially heavy cost to remove and replace.

In our experience – fibreglass baths crack for many reasons – here are some of our top of mind thoughts on the subject:

1. Incorrect installation: Fibreglass is a flexible substrate and is designed to bend and give when weight is placed on it and that’s one of the reasons it makes an excellent bath – not everyone is the same weight right? What people don’t think about – is that a fibreglass bath needs the right support underneath to withstand frequent and weighted usage. This is the plumber’s job and we advise that no shortcuts are taken in fixing the bath in place. Bottom line is – if your bath has many cracks – it was not installed properly.
2. Damage by heavy objects falling in the bath: Heavy objects that fall into a bath can cause extensive damage – from holes to cracks, to chips to marks. Here we are talking about items like showerheads, a hammer, a shelf or a pot plant even.
3. Harsh detergents, hair dye or removal chemicals: Let’s start with detergents -: fibreglass is not designed for constant scrubbing and scouring with ammonia or stringent chemicals – it stains and becomes porous every easily when exposed to harsh chemicals. These chemicals are designed to strip dirt and coatings off materials – which is what they ultimately do with your fibreglass bath. We would like to encourage you to instead use a gentle, soft cloth and washing-up liquid to clean your bathroom.

What can you do if your bath is faded, stained, chipped or cracked?

If you discover that your bath is faded, stained, chipped or cracked – you can contact us for a free quote. We do not remove the bath. This would cost an unnecessary amount of money – we will come into your home and bathroom and repair, resurface and restore your bath – revitalizing your bath to a brand new look and feel. Contact me – Stephen Lambrick on 062 196 0680 to hear from one of our experts. We also complete fibreglass repairs for showers, toilets and jacuzzis.