LESLIE: Bob in Washington has a question about refinishing a shower. What can we do for you?
BOB: Well, I have a shower stall pan that looks like it’s deteriorating. It’s a fiberglass pan. And it’s deteriorating a little bit and I wondered if there was some kind of a process that I could put on it that would seal it up and make it look like it did before.
TOM: Is it like sort of crackling?
BOB: Yes.
TOM: Bob, that crackling that you’re seeing is the gel coat on the fiberglass surface and it probably needs to be restored. What you’re most likely going to do is you’re going to get some very fine wet/dry sandpaper – we’re probably talking around 300 grit – and you’re going to lightly sand that to get a clean surface. And then you’re going to reapply a new layer of gel coat. I will warn you, if you ever work with fiberglass, it’s a very stinky job; so make sure that that space is well ventilated. You may need to put a fan in the room with you if it’s a small bathroom so that you don’t become affected by the fumes. But that’s what’s happening. It’s not unusual. And although it’s a bit of work, it can be successfully repaired.
BOB: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that.
TOM: You’re welcome, Bob. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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