Repair of shower trays: how to repair cracks and fix holes with your own hands or replace the pallet

Shower cabin - a thing so comfortable and practical that many of us have long abandoned the bath in favor of this device, more appropriate to the modern pace of life. However, despite a number of obvious advantages, shower cabins are not without drawbacks - there are several points where traditional bathtubs significantly exceed them.

One of such items is wear resistance. A simple cast-iron bathroom can last for dozens of years without requiring repair( except for periodic renovation of the enamel coating). The shower cubicle has a more complex device, so it often quite often breaks - both mechanical and electronic.

This article is devoted to the repair of shower trays: we will tell you about the types and causes of breakages, as well as ways to eliminate them.

A quality shower cabin from a reliable manufacturer should break only in exceptional cases. More often than not, the installers or the users themselves should be blamed for the failures. Consider the most common reasons that the pallet starts to need repair:

• Errors made during installation. When installing, it is very important to follow the manufacturer's instructions in the installation manual. So, if you put the cabin on an uneven surface, the load on the pallet will be distributed unevenly, which will lead to its damage.
• Non-observance of the operating instructions. This applies mainly to the weight load or mechanical impact. Pallets made from brittle materials, such as acrylic or plastic, often break down if you place weight on them that they are not designed for. In addition, small chips and cracks can appear due to the fact that heavy objects are thrown on the pallet, for example, a shower head.
• Factory marriage. If the pallet is broken due to a defect made at the production stage, then your fault in this, of course, will not be. By the way, this happens quite rarely and, if the warranty period has not expired, it will not be difficult to solve the problem.

The amount of work and the set of tools required is determined by the severity of the damage. They are easy( scratches or shallow cracks), medium( small chipped) and heavy( through holes).Let's see what can be done in each of the cases.

If the damage is not serious, you can deal with it very quickly. For this you will need: degreasing solution, rags, paintbrush, acrylic paint in the pallet tone. First you should rinse with dirt, wipe dry and degrease the place of damage. This can be done with alcohol, acetone or a liquid to remove varnish. Then arm yourself with paint and a brush, and gently cover the crack( work on a dry surface).After drying the paint, if necessary, apply a second coat. After a day, the pallet will be ready for use again.

It is almost impossible to get rid of cracks of great depth with acrylic paint alone. A more accurate solution is to strengthen the base with an acrylic liner. Here you have two ways - to purchase the finished product or to make it yourself.

To make the insert yourself, you will need a large amount of acrylic paint and hardener for it. The mixing proportions are indicated on the packaging - they must be carefully observed.

Before starting work, the pallet should be thoroughly washed, all contaminants removed, degreased and dried. Then the entire surface of the tray should be evenly coated with the prepared composition. Make sure that the layer is not too thick, but at the same time covered all cracks.

After drying, the roughness can be cleaned with sandpaper.

In the case of through damage, we also need to make something like a liner, but more durable and complex in composition. In addition to acrylic and hardener, you will need to purchase an epoxy.

Preparatory work will be the same as in the previous case. When everything is ready, apply a layer of epoxy to the damaged area. When it dries, cover the surface of the pan with a mixture of acrylic paint and hardener. After the second layer dries, an acrylic lacquer can be applied over it - this will give the product even more strength.

In the video below you can see how the shower pans are repaired in-house with the help of a professional.

If the damage is so severe that it is not possible to eliminate it, the most appropriate solution is to purchase a new pallet. The biggest difficulty is finding a pallet in stores that is compatible with your shower cabin in size, shape and design features.

The new shower tray must be installed on a perfectly flat surface. It should be located strictly horizontally( the construction level will greatly facilitate the task for you).

How to properly install the shower tray, you can see in the next video of the channel "Leroy Merlin Russia".

Partitions of shower cabins crack much less frequently than pallets, because the load on them is not so strong .However, if a crack on the wall or the door does appear, do not get discouraged. Return the ideal appearance of the partition is unlikely to succeed, but it is possible to restore the strength.

For this you will need the same set of tools and materials, as well as for repairing the pallet. After preliminary preparation of the surface, treat the crack with epoxy. After it has dried, apply a layer of acrylic paint on top. The final stage is the surface coating with acrylic lacquer.

• Observe the sequence and rules for installing the shower enclosure as specified in the installation manual.
• Do not move too much on the pallet, do not jump, and try not to throw heavy things into it.
• For the care of the shower, use only mild detergents, avoid powdered products with aggressive chemical composition that can damage the acrylic and glass surfaces.
• Choosing a shower cabin, give preference to the product from a reliable, well-proven manufacturer, which provides the longest guarantee.
• You can strengthen the bottom of the shower enclosure with a single folk way - cushions made of bricks. Instead of cement mortar, it is recommended to use a mounting foam for this.