Shower tray went bang!

Rommie2021

Partner was in the shower today and there was a loud bang - I thought he’d dropped something but no. There is now a large crack in the shower tray which goes outside of the slidey door enclosure and lets water out. Of course we stopped using it immediately.

It appears we need a whole new quadrant enclosure as the doors and runners are attached to the tray. 

Questions… 

Clearly this isn’t getting sorted before Christmas and we have family coming. Is there anything we can do that will seal the crack? I don’t want to cause further issues with water. We do have a bath but it’s not as convenient as being able to shower (it’s an annoying corner bath). There are lots of things online but mixed reviews. 

Is this a home insurance claim? We’ve only been here a year and have already paid out for drain repairs, a new boiler and various other things. We’re with Admiral and do have emergency cover and accidental damage. We also have homeserve plumbing cover but I guess the shower tray isn't plumbing. 

I don’t know how old the tray is - previous owners left nothing useful.

Thanks

Emmia

Do you know what the tray is made of? Plastic? Ceramic?

Edit: My first thought was some sort of epoxy resin fix to tide you over Xmas, and it turns out that such kits are available. You might need more than one though for the size of the crack.

Shower Tray Repair Kit, Tub, Tile and Shower Repair Kit, Waterproof and Leak-Proof Bathtub Repair Kit, Bath Repair Kit to Repair Scratches, Holes, Cracks (50g+50g) https://amzn.eu/d/dztS8Im

MikeJXE

Firstly you need to find what caused the crack 

Look under the tray and see if a leg has collapsed and fix that first 

As a temporary solution waterproof sticky tape should make it leak proof

There is something on the market my son uses to fix holes in his swimming pool liner, can applied under water 

Rommie2021

MikeJXE said:

Firstly you need to find what caused the crack 

Look under the tray and see if a leg has collapsed and fix that first 

As a temporary solution waterproof sticky tape should make it leak proof

There is something on the market my son uses to fix holes in his swimming pool liner, can applied under water 

That’s the issue - it’s a complete unit. We wouldn’t be able to look underneath it without detaching the doors/rails from the tiles at either side and then from the tray. So once we’d done that it would be unusable anyway. 

Rommie2021

Emmia said:

Do you know what the tray is made of? Plastic? Ceramic?

Edit: My first thought was some sort of epoxy resin fix to tide you over Xmas, and it turns out that such kits are available. You might need more than one though for the size of the crack.

Shower Tray Repair Kit, Tub, Tile and Shower Repair Kit, Waterproof and Leak-Proof Bathtub Repair Kit, Bath Repair Kit to Repair Scratches, Holes, Cracks (50g+50g) https://amzn.eu/d/dztS8Im

It’s plastic but like you we are worried about it being a substantial crack. I’ll take a look at that kit, thank you. 

GDB2222

Not cheap, but something like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reyhoar-Multi-Use-Aluminium-Waterproof-Application/dp/B085VS73NL

Frankly, for a cheap temporary repair, parcel tape would probably work, and just replace it when needed. You need to clean the area where the tape will go really well before applying it. 

MikeJXE

Rommie2021 said:

MikeJXE said:

Firstly you need to find what caused the crack 

Look under the tray and see if a leg has collapsed and fix that first 

As a temporary solution waterproof sticky tape should make it leak proof

There is something on the market my son uses to fix holes in his swimming pool liner, can applied under water 

That’s the issue - it’s a complete unit. We wouldn’t be able to look underneath it without detaching the doors/rails from the tiles at either side and then from the tray. So once we’d done that it would be unusable anyway. 

Just because you can’t fix the cause doesn’t mean you can’t seal the crack as a temporary fix

Albermarle

GDB2222 said:

Not cheap, but something like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reyhoar-Multi-Use-Aluminium-Waterproof-Application/dp/B085VS73NL

Frankly, for a cheap temporary repair, parcel tape would probably work, and just replace it when needed. You need to clean the area where the tape will go really well before applying it. 

This is cheaper.
Amazon.co.uk: Gorilla Glue: Gorilla Waterproof Patch and Seal Tape

ThisIsWeird

1) Contact your insurance co, and report the matter. Ask them what they need in terms of evidence. Obviously, take lots of photos.

2) If it's covered by your policy, then great. Unless they then say, "Don't touch it until our assessor comes out!", then to tide you over, clean up the surface around the crack, make sure it's fully dry (press tissue against/into it) and then simply apply a nice wide bead of silicone sealant. Finish with the concave curve of one of these tools:

This can be scrapped off afterwards if needed. Bear in mind that they won't cover any resulting water damage due to you continuing to use the shower.

Do you have any way to visually access the underside, just to check for leaks if you decide to try and seal and use it?

Rommie2021

Thanks all. It would appear we are covered for accidental damage to sanitary wear, including shower trays, so I’ve put a claim in with photos (Admiral’s is all online) and will see what they say. We won’t be using it until we hear from them. Thankfully we do have the -awkward - bath. 

There is no way to get underneath without taking the whole enclosure apart - it’s all sealed together. 

Brie

Asking the question as delicately as possible.....is anyone in the house or family who may have used the shower on the large side? 

When we had a shower put in a few years back to replace a large bath tub the guy installing it took one look at me, my OH and his mom, for whom the accessible shower was needed, and immediately said that he would put in extra re-enforcement underneath.  Essentially one of us and my MiL would need to be in the shower at the same time to help her and he figured that the structure underneath wouldn't stand the strain.  6 years on and the shower tray is fine but the sealant around the edge appears to have cracked allowing some seeping which needs to be fixed.  

So ensure when you get things replaced that there is sufficient braces under the tray when the work gets done.