Can you tile over a fiberglass shower surround?

by LeMoine Sharpe

+15

Answered

I took off the glass doors on my stall shower & made it a walk in shower. I would love to tile this stall. I could remove the fiberglass enclosure and install waterproof wall board, but it appears it would be easy enough to tile over the fiberglass & edge it in tile. Wondering if anyone has done it.

10 answers

Monica on Jul 31, 2015
Before you tile over fiberglass keep in mind that tile requires a smooth and flat base but does not adhere properly to fiberglass surfaces you risk the tiles loosening over time and breaking off the shower. As the tiles loosen, water settles underneath, and the moisture buildup can cause mold and mildew. One consideration if you do not want to remove the fiberglass is to paint it.

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- Jennifer Thompson on Aug 01, 2015
  What kind of paint would adhere to fiberglass panels in a wet environment? We have textured FRP as our tub surround and flat FRP on all the other walls in our bathroom. I also wonder if you have a suggestion for making the seam strips less noticeable?
  
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- Monica on Aug 01, 2015
  @Jennifer Thompson Epoxy paints are your best choice because the epoxy adheres firmly to the fiberglass and will not chip or fade. The biggest benefit of using epoxy is that it seals and covers damaged areas, including cracks or splits in the fiberglass. A foam paintbrush ensures that the paint goes on smoothly. A regular paintbrush might leave behind brush strokes in the finished shower. If you worry about the epoxy peeling off, apply a coat of clear sealant once the epoxy dries
  
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- Monica on Aug 01, 2015
  you may try using fiberglass mesh drywall tape with 3M patch plus primer on the seams.
  
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- Jennifer Thompson on Aug 01, 2015
  Fantastic, thanks for your wisdom and the knowledge!
  
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Georgia Garrett on Aug 01, 2015
The way we did it was take out the shower tray (under the fiberglass). In order for it to be walk in you have to have the center considerably (2-3") lower than the existing floor or the water will run out onto the floor. We purchased a new tray. I really recommend a professional do this. I had it done and absolutely love it.

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Fran on Aug 01, 2015
Hi, we have a fiberglass shower floor and about every 2 years I paint it with marine paint, the stuff they use on boats. Works great and the floor looks brand new. Clean it really well and then wipe with alcohol. You will be amazed. Hope this helps . Just follow the directions for drying time.

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Kristin Hargrove on Aug 01, 2015
Can the fiberglass wall also be painted with marine paint? Mine has yellowed from the sun.

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Fran on Aug 02, 2015
Hi Kristin, my shower stall walls are tile so I have not painted them. I really think it might work though. You just have to make sure you don't use any abrasive cleaner on it because it will scratch. Good luck .

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Patricia Rowley Norman on Feb 09, 2017

We are working on a new construction project and have installed a fiberglass shower. My problem is what do I use to cover the lip around the stall that is screwed into the wall to hold the shower in place? Will ceramic tile adhere to the edge? We have installed cement board above the shower but what do we do with the 1" fiberglass surround?

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- Bailee on Apr 16, 2017
  
  I had the same issue. I took a mud sheet rock joint compound and leveled the edge where the lip was and simply made a gradual angle to match the rest of the wall. Its worked perfectly so far!
  
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- Eleanor Korf on Mar 16, 2018
  
  Usually a fiberglas shower surround is installed using the "lips" to nail or screw it to the wood 2 by 4 studs, then when the wallboard is installed it is usually butted up against the finished edge which should be slightly higher than the wallboard. The "crack" between the shower and wallboard should be caulked then wall painted. If the wallboard hasn't been installed, or has been improperly installed (i.e. wallboard installed before the shower) you have a different problem, and since I gathered this is new construction I would insist the shower be re-installed correctly. If you get no satisfaction from the builder you might have to go with the suggestion written above, or you might try these: Because tile is not easily affixed to fiberglas you might check with a store that sells tile and see what "glue" might work with tile on fiberglas. then edge the shower with tiles (I am assuming you would want to use small decorative edging tiles). If there is no product that will guarantee it will adhere tiles to figerglas you could possibly get away with using larger tiles as edging using a substance that adheres at least somewhat to fiberglas on part of the tile and another product that will adhere the remainder of the tile to the wallboard. You might also look around and see if you can find a metal edging that could be put up to close the gap. I hope these suggestions make sense to you. FYI, I usually get information from at least three or more store employees, or people who do this type of work, then if I get the same information at least two times (preferably more) I go with that.
  
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Kate on Oct 12, 2018

I took the shower door off and tiled around the edges with river rock. Looks very nice.

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- Mary Dorsey on Jul 13, 2019
  
  Hi Kate. Do you have a photo of the river rocks you tiled around the edges where you took the shower door off? I would love to see. Needing ideas.
  thanks,
  Mary
  
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- Kate on Jul 14, 2019
  
  The pictures didn't go through.. I will try again. Do you have email so I can send it there. I cant get the pictures to load. So sorry. Kate
  
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Kate on Jul 14, 2019

Hope this helps. I like rustic looks.

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Kate on Jul 14, 2019

Hope this helps

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NICOLE on May 07, 2020

Did your glass shower doors slide along chrome edging that had screws for it to be attached to the shower stall? I took my doors off too along with the edging, which had been caulked and screwed to the sides. Any ideas on how to fill in the screw holes? I’d like to leave the glass doors off also.

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