Fiberglass is a very sturdy material which is why it is used in several things like in cars, boats, bathtubs, etc. But no matter how robust fiberglass is, cracks happen especially if not maintained well. If you discover any cracks, do not panic because of the possible expenses you will be spending. You can actually fix it on your own, although repairing fiberglass cracks can be a bit tedious. You have to be patient in doing the process. Once you have discovered even a single tiny crack, never disregard it. You have to fix it immediately since small cracks get bigger in time. Bigger cracks can be more costly in terms of time and materials used in fixing them. Besides, it gets harder to repair as cracks become larger. To learn how to repair fiberglass cracks, you can read through the simple steps below.
- Examine the size of the fiberglass crack. What might appear visually may not be the actual size of the damage. You can gently tap the fiberglass using a hard object to estimate the size of the damage. Usually, fiberglass sounds firm and compact, while a broken fiberglass sounds dull. But if you want to know the actual size of the damage, you can use a rotary tool that has tungsten carbide cutter, which should be smaller than the crack you see. Holding the tool in a 45 degree angle, you can slightly peek through the crack to see the depth and length of the damage.
- In order to have a seamless repair, fix the inside of the crack first. By means of a plastic applicator, put fiberglass epoxy resin inside the crack. Make sure that the hole, until its edges, is filled up with epoxy. A little excess on the outside is advisable. Take note that when doing this, you have to be in a well-ventilated area as the smell of such materials is not good for the health. Also, putting an eye protection or a face mask is needed.
- Give ample time to let the epoxy resin dry. You can try to look at the directions of the product for the specified time frame.
- Now for the exterior part, flatten and level the repaired area using a 240 grit wet-dry sandpaper.
- After which, use a 400 grit sandpaper for a smoother finish.
- Lastly, to match the surface to the rest of the fiberglass body, apply a sealer or gel-coat enamel of the same color.