Structural Repairs

What is structural damage?

Tub and showers are built to withstand a good amount of weight, which for tubs includes the weight of water.  Normally this is done with particleboard underneath the unit, fiberglassed in as the unit is manufactured.  Over time, these boards can separate from the floor of the tub, causing the floor to move and flex during use.  The deteriorationcould be gradual, or be sudden.  Once there is movement in the floor, ultimately it will lead to cracking in the floor, which could potentially let water under the unit.

How we repair structural damage

To repair a weak floor, with or without cracks, we must support the floor from below.  We accomplish this using a structural foam designed to expand under the unit, bridging the gap between the floor and the bottom of the unit.   We drill small holes in the floor for injecting the foam under the floor, which when we are done, are repaired like any other damage to where you can't see them. This can either be local to a damaged area, or across the whole floor depending on how severe the movement is.

The foam we use is a structural foam designed specifically for weight-bearing.  We do not use foam intended for insulation or gaps around doors and windows, as these remain flexible and are not strong or durable enough for repairing floors.

Final Product

After the repair process, you will have confidence in the ability to use the unit again without damaging the floor. It will feel solid, not make any sounds, and appear just like the original floor did before.

More examples of floor damages caused from support issues

With movement in the floor, eventually the floor will crack, looking like the photos below. The sooner you repair the damage and any movement, less damage will be done to the support boards underneath or any other type of potential water damage. All these examples were able to be repaired and the units were fully functional again.

This floor had cracked across the unit and was moving quite a bit. We supported it with foam and repaired the damage the the surface, even matched the texture on the floor.

This crack was also from lack of support. We supported the area, repaired the crack including putting same texture back, and brought the unit back to like new!

This was a previous repair from another company went bad... Notice the paint on the drain that was not taped off and the paint on the floor peeling and not matching. It was impossible to tell what materials were used, but it obviously was not designed for bathing units. Also the crack was not supported when they repaired it, causing it to crack right back open.

This shower floor also lacked proper support underneath. We added foam support to it, repaired the damages, and the unit was returned to its original functionality and appearance!