Mouldy silicone in shower - cost to remove and replace?

Ozzig

I found Mould Magic worked very well, but I needed a lot more that I thought and it was pretty expensive (some might say I should stay away from internet shopping after a few wines )

Lorian

It's hardly a big enough job for anyone to be interested in. Assuming it really is just silicon replacement

Everbuid silicon eater £6 might need two
Silicone £7
About an hour mostly waiting for the silicone eater to work.

stuart45

Ebe_Scrooge said:

stuart45 said:

Worked with a New Zealand chippy years ago that couldn't believe we used silicone around the base of  the shower tray, going mouldy.

I'm intrigued - what do they use in New Zealand as a sealant?

OP, yes, try soaking it (overnight if possible) with bleach first, that will often get rid of a lot of gunk.  But if it does need replacing because it's too-far-gone, it really is an easy DIY job.  Just take your time, and preparation is key - make sure to get rid of every trace of the old stuff, and give it a wipe over with meths to remove any trace of grease/oil/whatever.  But it's not difficult, and will only cost a few quid.

This diagram might show it better.

bob_a_builder

One of these and some of this ....

https://www.screwfix.com/c/sealants-adhesives/silicone-remover/cat850052?cm_sp=managedredirect-_-sealantsadhesives-_-+siliconeremover#_=p

breaking_free

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions.
Yes I've already tried the bleach held in place with toiletpaper overnight trick. I've done it before successfully but it didn't work this time round - that mould penetrated too deeply.

It is actually my lodger who allowed the mould to build up in his shower - that's AFTER I'd already done the toilet paper/bleach trick one time and told him he had to clean his shower properly to prevent the mould returning. He didn't learn and now I have a mouldy shower that he's agreed to stump up the cost for, so I need to find out how much it will be.

So far I've contacted 3 locals and, as has been suggested above, it's probably too small a job for them to bother with. I want to give my lodger his deposit back asap minus the cost of the mould removal, hence why I'm asking here.

lisyloo

Is your lodger a reasonable person?
could the lodger fix it with the agreement that a job well done = deposit back and job not properly done means it will still need to be done commercially.

i have a similar issue with solar panels.
i need one fixed and it it requires 2 people (1 person alone it not allowed to work on DC electricity).
they won’t take people off the larger installs to do a small repair job.

the cost is not your issue.
getting someone at all is.
if neither you nor the lodger are prepared to fix DIY then I’d suggest a reservation on the deposit until it’s sorted.
id suggest £300 (it shouldn’t cost that but you don’t want to be out of pocket).

is your lodger not motivated to help? Or do you not trust them?

or do it yourself and charge less than a commercial handyman but still get some recompense for your time.

unfortunately lack of labour is an issue everywhere.

Bendy_House

£300?! Ouch!

For a bit of siliconeing?

It shouldn't cost anything like that, and it's no-one's fault that there are few Handypeeps out there available to do the job (apart from those who voted B, of course).

I don't think that's a reasonable amount to charge. It is quite time-consuming, right enough, but I'd have thought a 'no job too small' person would be happy with, say, £100-£125 or so for this - should be very doable in 2 hours.

A weekly spray with Mould-buster should have kept it at bay. But once it gets deeply set, it's probably too late.

What's reasonable to expect a lodger to do?! Wipe the shower dry after every use?

lisyloo

I am NOT saying it will cost that.
i am suggesting a temporary reservation so the lodger can get the rest of their deposit back whilst lowering the risk of the landlord being out of pocket.
it would greatly relieve the situation if the lodger gets most/some back.

what figure would you suggest to practically guarantee they won’t be out of pocket? £150? £200?
up to the landlord but you get the idea.

lodgers and tenants are expected to return the property in the condition it was before, minus wear tear (that doesn’t include mould).
they should keep the place well ventilated, clean and treat any mould at an earlier stage.
wiping down is a good option, turning on extractor fan or opening windows should be done for ventilation (whatever is available) and mould remover when it first appears should nip it in the bud.
as a tenant/lodger I would fix everything DIY and that’s always been a good enough standard for the landlord in my experience.
my experience is that they will settle for less than perfection if they don’t get any hassle (like this).
its the hassle that gives them the most grief.

when I’ve smashed a glass or dish I’ve replaced it with at least the same.
sometimes that means non matching stuff but I’ve saved the landlord doing it and non matching cereal dishes should be ok if it’s not the ritz. I bleached the tiles slightly removing the mould, but it was barely noticeable.

TerminalChimp

Unless you have a friend/good contact who will do it for you, you might struggle to get a professional in to do this, or if you do it will cost a lot more than it should. You could always try one of those trade apps, but you're taking your chances a bit. I've used Rated People for a few things, and it's been okay. 

I've siliconed a bath and shower before, it's achievable, basic DIY and YouTube is full of videos on how to do it.   As I am not confident with a mastic gun, I used Frog tape to create my edges, so it didn't really matter that my bead wasn't perfect. The result good enough and it took me a few hours and it cost about £20 in materials. 

TerminalChimp

lisyloo said:

I am NOT saying it will cost that.
i am suggesting a temporary reservation so the lodger can get the rest of their deposit back whilst lowering the risk of the landlord being out of pocket.
it would greatly relieve the situation if the lodger gets most/some back.

what figure would you suggest to practically guarantee they won’t be out of pocket? £150? £200?
up to the landlord but you get the idea.

lodgers and tenants are expected to return the property in the condition it was before, minus wear tear (that doesn’t include mould).
they should keep the place well ventilated, clean and treat any mould at an earlier stage.
wiping down is a good option, turning on extractor fan or opening windows should be done for ventilation (whatever is available) and mould remover when it first appears should nip it in the bud.
as a tenant/lodger I would fix everything DIY and that’s always been a good enough standard for the landlord in my experience.
my experience is that they will settle for less than perfection if they don’t get any hassle (like this).
its the hassle that gives them the most grief.

when I’ve smashed a glass or dish I’ve replaced it with at least the same.
sometimes that means non matching stuff but I’ve saved the landlord doing it and non matching cereal dishes should be ok if it’s not the ritz. I bleached the tiles slightly removing the mould, but it was barely noticeable.

I mean, if the job isn't going to cost £300, why would it be reasonable to withhold £300? I don't think you can charge people for 'hassle', it's hardly the tenants fault that the OP (sorry!) can't do this themselves, or can't find someone to do it, is it? 

I agree, the tenant is liable, but £300 isn't reasonable. It sounds like a random number and doesn't relate to the situation. I mean, why not £400 or £500?