Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Fiberglass shower question

Hi All.

I have an old one-piece fiberglass tub/shower stall in my bathroom. Recently I've noticed that as I walk around in the tub I can hear a popping sound whenever I lift my foot from a specific section, about a foot or so away from the drain.

It seems like weight doesn't matter, because I can use my hand and press down on that section and get the same result. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's trying to stick to the floor but then it lets go and then I hear the sound.

I haven't seen any signs of leaks yet and I definitely want to take action before then. Do I have a problem? Tell me what other information to provide and I'll be happy to do so.

Thanks in advance!

dpsw

You can't do anything until the floor cracks. These stalls, depending on manufacturer, needs to be set in a bed of plaster or other type of setting material. This stuff will support the floor of the stall.

In order to fix this potential problem, you would need to remove the stall, which is not fun.

How old is 'old'??? If very old, it is not worth removing and fixing what is supposed to be the support. Replace the whole unit, but with a quality unit that does not require support. My suggestion would be a precast stone base and tile or man made product(solid surface) sidewalls. It will outlast you, and I don't know your age.

Thanks to both for your replies.

I'm fairly certain the shower came with the house, making it nearly 30 years old.

I've been contemplating re-doing the entire bathroom but my timeframe was longer. I think this issue may speed up the process. The annoying part is that this is the only shower in the house, so I have to find someone that can do the work quickly (or at least do the new shower quickly....

Thanks again!

dpsw