Silicone Replacement In Bathroom

[raro]

The silicon sealing between the bath tub and the wall turned black recently and there are also some cracks in there. Needs to be replaced.

Never done that before, reckon I can just carve it out with a knife? What next? Anything to consider before injecting a truckload of silicone in the gap? What brand would you recommend? I saw at the shop plenty of different brands that all claimed to be perfect for the job, but...

thanks!

[Bangkokhatter]

Make sure you dig it all out, just buy a sealant with a picture of a sink or bath on it and a gun to apply it.. When it comes to re-sealing half fill the bath with water unless you only stand in it to have a shower. Wipe off the excess with a wet cloth or wet your finger and use that. Oh and don't cut the nozzle too much.

[raro]

thanks for that....so any silicone showing a bath tub will do? I'll report back!

[marshbags]

Make sure you dig it all out, just buy a sealant with a picture of a sink or bath on it and a gun to apply it.. When it comes to re-sealing half fill the bath with water unless you only stand in it to have a shower. Wipe off the excess with a wet cloth or wet your finger and use that. Oh and don't cut the nozzle too much.

If you use a little washing up liquid straight from the bottle it prevents it sticking to your finger and wipe the excess off your dinky with a bit of tissue, don,t overdo the sealant which can be controlled better if as BH suggests you only cut a small amount off the nozzle.

Do a tester and if need be cut a little more off and try to control the pressure ( flow of sealant ) on the gun.

After completing the job, ease up on the gun by pressing the bit after the spring near the trigger to release stop the flow.

Prices vari so ask the knowledegable DIY supplier which one is best as the cheaper ones are usually por quality.

Finally always leave the stuff in the nozzle after use and attached as this stops the sealant left in the container from hardening and allows you to re use it again.

Dig out the hardened bit in the nozzle and apply the pressure to continue using it when you want to re use it.

marshbags

Edited May 29, 2012 by marshbags

[aussieruss]

HI raro cut old silicon out as much as posible make sure dry put masking tape each side i have seen (sika)silcon in thailand this is a good one or (bostic)as no 2 run silicon in gap to make full then dip finger in dishwashing liquid then run finger in 1 motion start to finish dont touch again take tape of asap done regards russell ps have done this every 2nd day for 35years good luck

[transam]

Some use a sealant that is not silicone and a lot cheaper.

Run a sharp bade alone all edges to remove the old. Use masking tape along the tub and a strip along the tiles. Buy 100% silicone in the colour of you choice using a ''gun''. When applied, wet your finger and run along the silicone leaving a nice curve that goes to nothing on the tape, leave for 10 minutes and remove the tape pulling away from the silicone.

[Kwasaki]

As above but don't forget to vent the bathroom with a fan and open a window if you have one, silicone sealant is not good stuff to breath for any length of time, wear a mask and wear some rubber gloves keep it off your skin.

The vapour from silicone sealant can irritate eyes too so take care.

Edited June 1, 2012 by Kwasaki