Are you wanting to replace your one piece fiberglass shower? Let me just say this right from the beginning….very rarely are you able to replace them with another one piece unit without cutting up some walls. They are originally installed before all the framing is completed around them. They are wider than most interior doorways, getting around hallways and corners is most often impossible.
Some folks like them since there are no seams whatsoever inside them, and if installed/cared for correctly they can hold up for a fairly long time, and they can be a money saver on some projects. Most often in a bathroom remodel situation, the extra demolition/rebuilding and cost just doesn’t happen. It might make sense if say the house was under going a major remodel, or maybe siding is getting replaced, to where you’re already rebuilding that area anyway so that bit of framing changes can be quite minimal to the game plan.
There are other options to replacing your fiberglass shower that can still be a money saver on a bathroom renovation. There are two piece fiberglass shower stalls that can be installed in most situations. Or better yet, I am a big fan of Sterling Vikrell products instead of using fiberglass. Just as affordable, easier to get, better looking, more options, at least as durable, and also designed with moving through hallways/doorways in mind. Here’s one of the Sterling Vikrell remodel units we installed.
If you are installing a new fiberglass, or other molded type shower pan of various material and manufacturers it’s important to properly support the base. As we probably already know fiberglass showers most known “weakness” is eventual cracking in the floor of your shower. To help eliminate that we always set the pans in a mortar base. This results in a rock solid shower floor that will not flex when walking on it.
Okay……..very briefly touching on having your fiberglass shower repaired. Yes you can, no we don’t offer that service, and I wouldn’t suggest it in at least 99% of the situations. Most often it’s cracking from age and having not been well supported either from the beginning or some of the other support methods I’ve seen during demo that just broke down over time. So a temporary patch at best is what you would likely be looking at with a repair in that situation.
If you’re looking for help with replacing your fiberglass shower or other remodel needs contact Don Sheppard Construction