Regrouting around bath

Maureen43

Hello All

I want to remove the horrible grout from around my bath and replace today.

I've never done this before! I know I need a Stanley knife and some grout (which I am about to go and buy) but does anyone have any hints and tips about things to do or not to do?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

diywhynot

Do you mean grout or silicone sealant?

shop-to-drop

diywhynot wrote: »

Do you mean grout or silicone sealant?

Yes i think you mean sealant. I did this job yesterday myself. I always watch some videos on youtube before i do these diy tasks.

aggypanthus

My DH says..scrape of with stanley knife, keep it all dry, by using a hairdryer , then apply sealant with gun, then run index finger along it, to spread it out, leave 24 hrs before using. He has done hundreds !

wallbash

My tip , do it with a bath of full water .

Don't lick your finger to smooth , use a 10% washing up liquid to wet finger.

Cornucopia

This is tricky to get to a professional-ish finish. There are tools you can get which help the smoothing out process - they repel the silicone, rather than sticking to it.

My tip - make sure that you remove every bit of old silicone before you start with the new. And make sure that the area is very clean, too.

wallbash

http://www.screwfix.com/p/unibond-sealant-smoother-remover-tool/99849?kpid=99849&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CNq13u3DhbkCFbQetAod3xgA0Q

Very cheap and it worked for me.

Calling14

Mask area off you dont want siliconed. Keep lots of kitchen roll handy to wipe nozzle and your fingers. I hopeless female have now done my a few times, Need to do again shortly. Stermat great for sealant. Top tip make sure area dry before you start. Good luck

shop-to-drop

Have you done this yet Maureen?

thor

Calling14 wrote: »

Mask area off you dont want siliconed. Keep lots of kitchen roll handy to wipe nozzle and your fingers. I hopeless female have now done my a few times, Need to do again shortly. Stermat great for sealant. Top tip make sure area dry before you start. Good luck

You have had to do it many times? How long does each application last generally?

Ebe_Scrooge

Run a strip of masking tape along the bath and along the wall, leaving a parallel gap between them of the required width. Then apply the silicone. Smooth it off with a finger dipped in water+washing up liquid ( you can also use an old lolly stick with a rounded end, but I find a finger is easier ). Give it a couple of minutes then carefully peel off the masking tape.

The professionals would be horrified at the idea of using masking tape, but for someone who's not doing this all day every day it's the easiest way of getting a neat finish. My brother used to work for a bathroom installer, watching him apply silicone was just amazing, did it all freehand and it was perfect. But that comes from years of practise :-)

As others have said, half-fill the bath with water first, otherwise you'll find that the first time you use the bath, the weight will cause it to move and it will pull away from the silicone. And make sure every trace of the old sealant is removed first, and that everything is perfectly clean - this can be quite a lengthy job in itself.