Sealant for round window frames

Eliza_2

Mornin' all. My landlord came round a couple of days ago to replace a small window which for the last couple of years has been pouring with water and housing several families of woodlice etc so am very grateful. However he has left the protective film on round the window (it's upvc) and seems to have sealed the edge of it into the sealant. Before realising this I pulled one corner of the film to remove it and have removed a load of sealant as well as plaster all along one wall along the side of the window..

What kind of sealant would have been used - it seems like the stuff you put round baths but sure it isn't. I'll have to fix the wall with filler then redo round the actual frame. Not sure how I'm going to remove the film around the other 3 sides of the window, a sharp knife would do it but might damage the plastic. Hey ho, what fun having a penny pinching landlord who does everything (poorly) himself!!

Will be off to B and Q later today so grateful for advice re sealant. Many thanks.
Eliza

macman

Frame sealant.

Ebe_Scrooge

Silicon sealant is the most common way to seal around windows - which is the same stuff you use round baths. Even if that's not what he's used, it'll do the job perfectly well, and you can buy it in different colours, commonly white or brown ( brown is useful if you're sealing around wooden or wood-effect windows ). You'll need to buy a sealant gun if you don't already have one, it'll only be a couple of quid. You can buy tubes of sealant that don't need a gun, but to be honest I find the traditional "tube + gun" is a lot easier to use.

Hope this helps.

Eliza_2

Thanks, I had assumed it was something special - I've got some bath sealant, will get to work with it later. Many thanks again, really helpful.

Leif

I've applied caulk which is similar, and it is easy to apply. I'm told silicon sealant is harder to apply as it is sticky, and you need to wet your finger with soap. I'm sure a Google will help. I have this task to enjoy too ...

MaggieBaking

Yes, a stanley knife scored around the edge will remove the rest of the film. We haven't used silicone but when caulking I've had a bucket of water to wet my finger in and run along the top edge to smooth the surface which works really well, along with an old cloth or some kitchen roll to wipe any excess on. I believe you can get a v-shaped tool to give you a neat corner with silicone.

Leif

With caulk I find a wipe with a damp sponge works wonders. No idea if it works with silicone sealant. Avoid the silicone eaters and remove with a scraper/knife carefully applied as Maggie says.

Barneysmom

I find using soapy water in a trigger spray bottle easiest when using silicone, even the cheapo cleaning spray does the trick.

keystone

Eliza wrote: »

Thanks, I had assumed it was something special - I've got some bath sealant, will get to work with it later.

Please don't - get yourself some proper frame sealant.

Cheers

Edit: Andrew got there first!

and so did Macman.