Second-floor bathtub is cracking and flexing with no backup bathroom
Old second-story bathtubs can develop flexing cracks and sagging ceilings underneath from structural wear. This leaves homeowners stuck between needing a full replacement and having only one bathroom in the house to rely on.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using flex tape as a temporary fix
- 2Drilling the ends of the crack, applying spray foam, and using a tub epoxy kit
- 3Replacing the tub entirely and inspecting joists
- 4Calling a professional fiberglass repair specialist
- 5Using porcelain touch-up glaze or kits like Porc-A-Fix
- 6Applying temporary spray paint
- 7Spraying with CLR and scrubbing
- 8Getting it reglazed by a professional
- 9Installing a fiberglass drop-in insert
- 10Replacing the tub entirely
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I recently moved into a two-story century home, and recently I realized that there are a bunch of hairline cracks in the bottom of the bathtub (located on the second floor of the house).”source ↗
“the areas around the cracks will flex when stepped on/pressed with fingers.”source ↗
“the ceiling on the first floor underneath the tub definitely is also showing a visible/linear dent, but without any signs of water damage.”source ↗
“I'd love to swap out the tub and repair the ceiling, but the problem is that this is the only bathroom in the house and I'm afraid the repair will take a few weeks to finish.”source ↗
“Replacing the tub not an option.”source ↗
“Sprayed it with CLR and let it sit for 2 min before scrub down, didnt really do anything to remove it.”source ↗
“I tried spray painting it but it keeps chipping so you can see some white flakes in there.”source ↗
“Once the enamel is gone the metal underneath just keeps rusting no matter what you put over it”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Why does bathtub caulk keep cracking over and over?
- 8Can you fix a cracked or broken kitchen sink yourself?
- 6Should I put caulk over missing grout in shower corners?
- 15How to fix a stripped or jammed shower handle
- 5Why are my floor tiles cracking and tenting?
- 7How to report a broken toilet in a public restroom