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Sealing a new bath to tiles

choi
Posts: 155 Forumite


We are replacing our bath
What's best way to seal it at walls
Plastic bath seal
Or just a silicon seal
We use the bath as our shower
It is fitted to two walls
What's best way to seal it at walls
Plastic bath seal
Or just a silicon seal
We use the bath as our shower
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Comments
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Silicone is best. It's worth spending a little bit more for one that's designed specifically for bathrooms, it should have a mould inhibitor in it. It's still not expensive, and it's pretty easy to replace if necessary if it does get manky in the future.
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Ebe_Scrooge said:Silicone is best. It's worth spending a little bit more for one that's designed specifically for bathrooms, it should have a mould inhibitor in it. It's still not expensive, and it's pretty easy to replace if necessary if it does get manky in the future.3
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Martin_the_Unjust said:Ebe_Scrooge said:Silicone is best. It's worth spending a little bit more for one that's designed specifically for bathrooms, it should have a mould inhibitor in it. It's still not expensive, and it's pretty easy to replace if necessary if it does get manky in the future.
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Silicone every time. The best stuff to get is either Dow 785 or the Everbuild stuff. I'd also recommend getting one of those silicone profiling kits. I have one of the original Cramer/Fugi kits but you can get cheaper generic copies - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Sealant-Profiling-Bathroom-Instructions/dp/B07VKFTLN4/ref=sr_1_5.
There's a couple of good videos on YT if you've not done it before.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DI4hfHM_Hg&t=33s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EErbuodMOAM
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Also, another tip is as it's a new bath silicone the end where the taps will go before you fit them as it'll be easier to access the wall without the taps in the way.5
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Everything said above.I've just had a reminder of how amazing these simple tools are when I sili'd sis' bathroom last week.As said above, the tricky bits are behind taps, but if these are already fitted, one way around this is to use a slim tool if one's included, or simply slice one in half to make one if not. It needs to pass behind the taps whilst still being kept at right-angles to the wall and bath, and also making nice firm contact with both surfaces. A further tip on this is, do a 'dry run' of these tricky areas first, and see if you can actually keep the run going smoothly in, ideally, one single go. If you cannot - if you keep bumping into the taps, for example - then try holding the tool in a pair of pliers or waterpump pliers, and see if this allows you to avoid the taps. Use one hand to hold the tool in place using the pliers and to pull it along, and the other to help apply the controlled pressure on the tool from the side so's it sits neatly against both surfaces.As the tool runs along the tiles, it'll dip into the grout lines and leave a matching dip in the sili bead - that's fine!If you find you haven't applied enough sili before using the tool and you've left a hollow behind, don't worry - carry on that run to the corner, apply a little more sili where it's needed, position the tool behind that bit you need to redo, don't press it firmly into place until you start to move, and then - as you glide it along and are approaching the filled bit - press it slightly more firmly into place until it 'touches down' smoothly on the already-formed bit, and it'll seamlessly carry on and smooth out the filled bit too at exactly the same level.The bevelled bead shapes are so neat, that you can afford to have them thicker that perhaps you'd considered - this will make a more reliable seal. But that's your call.Other tips - make sure both the tile surface and the bath are thoroughly clean to ensure the sili will adhere fully. And before you run the bead that's going to be formed by the tool, first - using the uncut narrowest tip of the sili nozzle - get the sili as far down between the tiles and the bath lip as you can - the more you seal down there, the more reliable the watertightness will be.0
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Jeepers_Creepers said:As the tool runs along the tiles, it'll dip into the grout lines and leave a matching dip in the sili bead - that's fine!1
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No doubt you are aware of this, but you fit the bath first, tight against the wall, then silicone that join. Then, tile the wall, so the tiles overlap on to the edge of the bath, then silicone that join, too.
No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?0 -
neilmcl said:Jeepers_Creepers said:As the tool runs along the tiles, it'll dip into the grout lines and leave a matching dip in the sili bead - that's fine!Ah! I've just seen them in the vid! Coooool.0
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I've never used the silicone tools (and thrown the free ones away), but I've always had great results with a soapy finger.Issues are often down to too much being applied or not doing it before the surface has started to cure.1
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