LESLIE: Doug in North Carolina has a tub that’s cracking up. What can we do for you?
DOUG: Yes, I have purchased an early-70s home and it has a ceramic tub in it and one of the tubs has some cracks in the bottom; leaking. And it’s in a very precarious place. It’ll be very difficult to try to replace it. Just wondered if there is something that can be done to patch it.
TOM: Is this leaking around a drain or something? Because ceramic tubs are usually ceramic on steel and they don’t really crack, so where is the leak forming?
DOUG: Well, maybe I’m mistaken on what it is exactly then but the cracks are in the bottom of the tub, not around the drain. They’re just – they’re in the middle.
TOM: Well, that’s very unusual. If you do, in fact, have cracks and you can get to them, you could repair them. Can you get to the backside of it, where you see these cracks?
DOUG: Yes.
TOM: OK. Well, if you can get to the backside of it, I would use auto body filler.
DOUG: Oh, OK.
TOM: You know, like you pick up at an auto parts store? Because that’s a metal patching compound right there. Just make sure it’s clean and dry and because it’s on the underside of it, you don’t have to be too pretty about it.
DOUG: OK.
TOM: You just reach in there and put it on there and that ought to seal it. But I would – I mean I would take a look because what might be happening is you could have like an overflow that’s leaking and the water is sort of hugging the tub, running down to the bottom and then dripping off. So it may not be – the cracks may not be where you think; or the leak – they may not be the source of the leak.
DOUG: OK. Alright, great. Alright, thank you very much.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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