Fiberglass Tank Repair Process

The damaged area of the tank after it was cleaned up and put in the shop.

The two holes were drilled by the manufacturer's representative to check the quality and thickness of the tank for warranty issues.

Close-up of the damaged area

The lighter area you can see under the break is where the fiberglass layers are delaminated underneath.

This tank will need to be repaired inside and out. The process is the same.

The damaged area after it has been prepared

All the loose fiberglass has been removed and the whole area has been ground to a rough texture in order to give the new fiberglass a good purchase around the repair.

You can see clearly the multiple cracking which is typical of broken fiberglass tanks.

The filling material

We will fill the cracks with this prior to applying fiberglass layers to give strength to the repair.

This material is applied like putty and then after hardening is ground smooth prior to application of fiberglass mat.

The same area after the filler has been smoothed

The filler will eventually be sandwiched between several layers of fiberglass mat.

These layers not only restore the watertight integrity of the tank, but the separation betweeen the layers by the filler adds a dimension to the repair, which makes it more rigid.

The area after the first couple of layers of fiberglass mat have been applied

Note that the applied mat appears clear. Any fiberglass where you can actually see any fibers is either broken or improperly "wetted out".

As the fibers soak up the resin which will eventually harden, they become transparent and stay that way even after the resin has hardened.

The whole area after some of the fiberglass has been applied

The finished repair from the outside

The gray color is a layer of gelcoat which seals the repair from any outside elements it may encounter once it is buried in the ground again.