Silicon stuff around a shower tray
Discussion
About 5 years old now, the white silicon or whatever the installer used* has started to peel/shrink from the wall boarding and the thin line of black is starting to be visible. It was extremely well done, a single seam about 6 or 7mm wide but it needs to be removed.
I have a wee tool from Homebase and a tube of "softener".
Anything I need to consider and what stuff should I use to replace it? I've had awful trouble in the past digging the stuff out. I'll be using masking tape to get a nice straight edge top and bottom.
Thanks
I have a wee tool from Homebase and a tube of "softener".
Anything I need to consider and what stuff should I use to replace it? I've had awful trouble in the past digging the stuff out. I'll be using masking tape to get a nice straight edge top and bottom.
Thanks
I would try to remove with a sharp blade before you use any products on it.
When replacing with new silicone use a good brand such as Dow Corning, Soudal or Everbuild. Do not use any own brand stuff from Screwfix etc.
Clean the surfaces with Meths if you have it but make sure it is completely dry before applying any new silicone.
Use a profiled stick (it's what the good guys use on site) or one of the tools that you can buy to profile the bead along with soapy water.
I am sure there will be some videos on YouTube.
If unsure have a look to see if there are any local companies near you.
I will do the odd section at home but on our commercial schemes we always employ a 'mastic man'.
When replacing with new silicone use a good brand such as Dow Corning, Soudal or Everbuild. Do not use any own brand stuff from Screwfix etc.
Clean the surfaces with Meths if you have it but make sure it is completely dry before applying any new silicone.
Use a profiled stick (it's what the good guys use on site) or one of the tools that you can buy to profile the bead along with soapy water.
I am sure there will be some videos on YouTube.
If unsure have a look to see if there are any local companies near you.
I will do the odd section at home but on our commercial schemes we always employ a 'mastic man'.
Skyedriver said:
Anything I need to consider ... ?
Suicide, perhaps. Replacing silicone beads is a miserable experience that always leads to disappointment, depression and a profound sense of worthlessness.New silicone does not bond to old silicone. Any grease or moisture will also stop the new stuff from bonding.
Removing all traces of the old stuff is usually a real pain because you're working in a fiddly little badly lit gap right next to the floor.
Getting the whole thing bone dry is often difficult. If the old sealant was shot, some moisture will have got into the gap you're now trying to seal and will probably have soaked into whatever is behind the seal.
And forming a new smooth bead is not easy.
Also be aware that shower trays often flex a little under weight, so if the silicone cures while the shower tray is empty, as soon as you stand in it for the first time, you may find the silicone bead becomes partially detached. And then you get to start all over again.
Silicone is s
t. There has to be a better way. Good luck. Have fun.
ATG said:
Suicide, perhaps. Replacing silicone beads is a miserable experience that always leads to disappointment, depression and a profound sense of worthlessness.
New silicone does not bond to old silicone. Any grease or moisture will also stop the new stuff from bonding.
Removing all traces of the old stuff is usually a real pain because you're working in a fiddly little badly lit gap right next to the floor.
Getting the whole thing bone dry is often difficult. If the old sealant was shot, some moisture will have got into the gap you're now trying to seal and will probably have soaked into whatever is behind the seal.
And forming a new smooth bead is not easy.
Also be aware that shower trays often flex a little under weight, so if the silicone cures while the shower tray is empty, as soon as you stand in it for the first time, you may find the silicone bead becomes partially detached. And then you get to start all over again.
Silicone is st. There has to be a better way.
Good luck. Have fun.
Thanks you rather echo my own experiences. Have done new without trouble but replacing old is another kettle of fish all together.New silicone does not bond to old silicone. Any grease or moisture will also stop the new stuff from bonding.
Removing all traces of the old stuff is usually a real pain because you're working in a fiddly little badly lit gap right next to the floor.
Getting the whole thing bone dry is often difficult. If the old sealant was shot, some moisture will have got into the gap you're now trying to seal and will probably have soaked into whatever is behind the seal.
And forming a new smooth bead is not easy.
Also be aware that shower trays often flex a little under weight, so if the silicone cures while the shower tray is empty, as soon as you stand in it for the first time, you may find the silicone bead becomes partially detached. And then you get to start all over again.
Silicone is s
t. There has to be a better way. Good luck. Have fun.
curvature said:
I would try to remove with a sharp blade before you use any products on it.
When replacing with new silicone use a good brand such as Dow Corning, Soudal or Everbuild. Do not use any own brand stuff from Screwfix etc.
Clean the surfaces with Meths if you have it but make sure it is completely dry before applying any new silicone.
Use a profiled stick (it's what the good guys use on site) or one of the tools that you can buy to profile the bead along with soapy water.
I am sure there will be some videos on YouTube.
If unsure have a look to see if there are any local companies near you.
I will do the odd section at home but on our commercial schemes we always employ a 'mastic man'.
Believe the current stuff was Dow Corning.When replacing with new silicone use a good brand such as Dow Corning, Soudal or Everbuild. Do not use any own brand stuff from Screwfix etc.
Clean the surfaces with Meths if you have it but make sure it is completely dry before applying any new silicone.
Use a profiled stick (it's what the good guys use on site) or one of the tools that you can buy to profile the bead along with soapy water.
I am sure there will be some videos on YouTube.
If unsure have a look to see if there are any local companies near you.
I will do the odd section at home but on our commercial schemes we always employ a 'mastic man'.
(I used to use something called "Ice White" but not seen that for years.
I had to replace out bath tub last year which also had a glass shower screen. I decided to swap the bath, shower screen, taps etc and keep the tiles in place.
The hardest part was getting all of the silicon off everything and where it had failed and allowed water to get behind thing. I bought some spray to help remove the silicon, sorry I cannot remember the name of the stuff. It kind of worked, it sprayed like a gel and smelt a lot like white spirit which I'm guessing it may have been.
I watched countless YT videos on the removal and refit process and the subsequent sealing, they may help if you have any questions.
I bought some rubber blocks to help get a decent even line of silicon around the tub when refitted, lots of soapy water etc. It looks better now than when it was fitted originally if I do say so myself.
The hardest part was getting all of the silicon off everything and where it had failed and allowed water to get behind thing. I bought some spray to help remove the silicon, sorry I cannot remember the name of the stuff. It kind of worked, it sprayed like a gel and smelt a lot like white spirit which I'm guessing it may have been.
I watched countless YT videos on the removal and refit process and the subsequent sealing, they may help if you have any questions.
I bought some rubber blocks to help get a decent even line of silicon around the tub when refitted, lots of soapy water etc. It looks better now than when it was fitted originally if I do say so myself.
Multisolve to remove old sealant
https://www.ct1.com/products/multisolve-2/
Upgrade to BT1 (or CT1) to replace it
https://www.ct1.com/products/bt1/
https://www.ct1.com/products/multisolve-2/
Upgrade to BT1 (or CT1) to replace it
https://www.ct1.com/products/bt1/
TimmyMallett said:
hellorent said:
Dow corning 785
x7Removing the old stuff is a pain, but its worth putting the effort in to get it mega clean and ready. Dow Corning 785 stuff is brilliant. I did an en suite about 12 years ago and used it and none of it has gone mouldy or failed.
I've just done this job in the last week.
Razor blade to remove the old beading which had been smoothed by the plumber with a finger so concave, too thin at the edges and held water so developed mould easily. Given a bit of a clean and left to dry then just applied a nice big bead of new sealant and used a 12mm quadrant shaper from a cheap set bought on Amazon. New bead now has the highest surface area along the seal points and the chamfer stops water from sitting. Never had any issues in the past with this method. Very quick and easy job.
Razor blade to remove the old beading which had been smoothed by the plumber with a finger so concave, too thin at the edges and held water so developed mould easily. Given a bit of a clean and left to dry then just applied a nice big bead of new sealant and used a 12mm quadrant shaper from a cheap set bought on Amazon. New bead now has the highest surface area along the seal points and the chamfer stops water from sitting. Never had any issues in the past with this method. Very quick and easy job.
Don’t use masking tape use proper finishing tool eg Cramer Fugi
Don’t use a tool that makes a concave shape as the edges will be too thin and will separate sooner. Use the angled profile of a Cramer Fugi or similar sized just a bit larger than the gap you are covering
Don’t use soapy water it impacts adhesion and the job won’t last as long. It’s also totally unnecessary if you use a tool like those mentioned above.
This is all stuff I have learned over the years. Doing silicone is no longer daunting, messy and short lived. It’s quick and easy and lasts well.
Don’t use a tool that makes a concave shape as the edges will be too thin and will separate sooner. Use the angled profile of a Cramer Fugi or similar sized just a bit larger than the gap you are covering
Don’t use soapy water it impacts adhesion and the job won’t last as long. It’s also totally unnecessary if you use a tool like those mentioned above.
This is all stuff I have learned over the years. Doing silicone is no longer daunting, messy and short lived. It’s quick and easy and lasts well.
blueg33 said:
Don t use masking tape use proper finishing tool eg Cramer Fugi
Don t use a tool that makes a concave shape as the edges will be too thin and will separate sooner.
That's what appears to have happened here.Don t use a tool that makes a concave shape as the edges will be too thin and will separate sooner.
Used masking tape when I did clear on the worktop to tiles in the kitchen and that worked well
Using tape creates a stress riser of sorts in the silicone and thus make it more susceptible to pulling away. It takes quite a bit of practice to do it well straight out of the nozzle but on the way to mastery you'll go via aids like those plastic profiles or even a soapy finger (oo'err!). If you're going down the soapy finger route the foaming soap sold in pump packs works pretty well.
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