Ask Mr. Fixit
February 10, 2006
Water
Woes Inside & Out
by Bud Jillett
Dear Mr. Fixit,
Our tub
has bumps on the bottom and we thought that the sub flooring nails were popping
up beneath it. The bumps are not cracked through and as new ones appear my
husband coats them with a special waterproof glue to give them stability.
We
attended the small but informative Home Show on Saturday at the Jones Center in
Portsmouth. We asked a gentleman there about our tub problem. He said the bumps
are “gel coat voids,” which are air bubbles caught between the fiberglass
layers during manufacturing. He said they would soon break causing leakage.
This man’s company opens the holes, fills them in, and re-coats the area with
matching color.
I guess
fiberglass tubs and shower stalls were not meant to be replaced. The new tub
enclosures that are advertised only go over ceramic and porcelain tubs. So what
do you do with the fiberglass ones to keep them up?
Sincerely,
Tubful
O’Trouble
Dear
Tubful,
I agree
with the man at the home show as far as the bumps being caused by the
manufacturing process. However, there is much less certainly that they will
necessarily break. The often don't.
Replacing
the type of tub unit you’ve described is a big project. Modern era tubs are
installed before the bathroom framing is finished. Such a replacement project
is often so costly and involved that most people just remodel their entire
bathroom when the time comes.
The good news is that your tub may still have a good amount of useful life. Whereas your husband has already put a non-fiberglass coating on the tub (which would have to be removed to make the repair), your best bet might be to buy a thick bathmat to put over his existing reinforcements. If the bumps aren’t too bad, this may save you from ever having to make the repair.
There are companies that do this type of repair as your letter mentioned, but this is also costly. If cosmetics aren't a huge concern, you can make the repair yourself. It's certainly not beyond the ability of the average homeowner. Some do-it-yourself experience is required, along with some basic tools. The repair technique involves cutting back the damaged areas and filling them with epoxy resin. Optionally, you can then apply a matching gel coat that has a reasonable cosmetic appearance depending on how well the colors match.
The repair procedure is described in detail online at: http://www.westsystem.com/ewmag/19/pdf/Ew19_Fiberglass_tub.pdf
Those who
read my column last month know that I’m a big believer in an ounce of
prevention being worth a pound of cure. So here are some things you can do to
help keep your tub’s bumps from cracking:
·
Avoid
filling the tub. Keep the drain clear and functional and shower as opposed to
filling the tub up for baths. Water weighs 8-lbs per gallon. If someone in your
family absolutely must take a full bath, keep the water level low.
·
Stand
(or sit) closer to the drain end of the tub to better support your body weight.
·
A
thick bathmat will help disperse water and body weight and also keep pokey
bones from direct contact with the bumps.
·
No
dancing or wrestling in the tub (sorry).
—Mr. Fixit
Dear Mr.
Fixit,
I have a
serious problem with water in my driveway. Every time it rains it gets all
backed up at the end. In the winter when it freezes there is ice. A few years
ago I did have a handyman put a drain in, but now that is of no use. I have had
two hip replacements, so in the winter, every time it rains I just cringe. What
can I do?
I live
at the bottom of a hill, not a steep hill by any means. After I had that drain
installed, the problem went away for awhile, but now it’s getting out of hand.
I would very much appreciate your advice.
Sincerely,
Skating
on Thin Asphalt
Dear
Skating,
Your
problem is, as you'd mentioned, quite serious, especially for someone who has
had two hip replacements! I can talk on the issue a bit, but you really need a
specialist to come survey the situation and offer possible remedies. It may be
something that will have to wait for warmer weather, especially if the proposed
cure involves modifying the drainage or landscape in any way. You should still
contact a specialist right away, however, as some temporary remedies might help
improve the situation until spring. You may also wish to call the town
department of public works if you suspect runoff from the street.
Water
trapping issues can be very complex often resulting from an array of
contributing factors. The steep hill, in your case, is obviously a main factor,
as is the drainage situation, which you have already made improvements to. The
runoff from nearby roofs, including your own, is also a contributing factor,
which is often overlooked.
You can
hire someone to divert roadway runoff into a drain or culvert by extending a
curb or strategically adding asphalt to the driveway. In come cases, the town
may be responsible for this. Rain diverters and gutters are options for
diverting roof runoff. In your case I would certainly call back the man who put
in your drain since you did have some success with it. Perhaps it has just
clogged or filled with leaves?
If your
specialist says you must wait till spring, have plenty of sand and rock salt on
hand as well as an icebreaker and a good flat shovel to remove the ice. Hire a
neighbor or a local teenager to keep up with the ice for you till your
specialist can come solve the problem once-and-for-all.
—Mr. Fixit
Please send
your Mr. Fixit questions via U.S. Mail to:
The Weekly Sentinel
P. O. Box 308
North Berwick, ME 03906
Or submit
them via e-mail to: bud@jillett.com.
.
