Is there a top quality/best shower/bath silicone sealant? Recommendations please

FrankFalcon

Hi all

Our bath at home...For some unknown reason the silicone around the bath seems to have failed (and water is now running down the wall under the bath).  When I press down on the bath (where the current silicone joins the tiles) I can see that the silicone appears to be not stuck to the bath.  I want to repair this the correct way first time, so I hereby ask...What is the best way to remove the existing silicone? When I have removed this I intend to fill the bath full of water and then re-silicone around the joint of the bath and tiles...Is there a top brand of silicone? One that is better than others?
Thanks all.

Bigphil1474

You should be able to pull off the old sealant once you get a good purchase. Maybe use a knife or cutter to get in at it. It's then a case of cleaning up as good as you can. I believe there is a sealant removal product available, but last time I did mine, I just pulled the old stuff off, cleaned it up with some white spirit and a gentle scraping and made sure it was properly cleaned up.

I think I just used something like Unibond bath sealant last time I did mine, probably some anti mould stuff. I just went to B&Q and bought the best I could see. You don't necessarily have to fill the bath right up, just enough to reflect the weight from when it is used so the sealant doesn't fail. I reckon I did maybe half full but ours is a ceramic bath. If you haven't sealed a bath before, I'd recommend watching a few YouTube videos, it's not as easy as it looks to get a really good finish (I've not managed it yet!).

531063

Dow corning 785

casper_gutman

531063 said:

Dow corning 785

Agreed. This is the bee's knees. So much easier to work with than the cheap stuff I'd made do with previously.

Nearlyold

Mapei Mapesil AC100 Solvent Free

I always use this, very easy to work with, low odour and seems to last.

CliveOfIndia

As above, Dow Corning is generally reckoned to be a good brand.

The key is in preparation.  Remove every last trace of the old stuff (a very sharp chisel or Stanley knife makes it fairly easy).  Clean the whole area thoroughly with Meths to get rid of any trace of grease.

To get a decent finish, run a strip of masking tape either side of the gap, apply the sealant between the two strips.  Put some water and a drop of washing up liquid in a cup, dip your finger in it then smooth the sealant with your finger.  Let it go off ever so lightly for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the masking tape, then leave it 24 hours to cure properly.

GDB2222

You really need to spend time on the prep so the bath and tiles are completely clean.  You can get silicone remover, if needed. 

vacheron

531063 said:

Dow corning 785

THIS! /I\  /I\  /I\ 

Murmansk

Having applied sealant around about twenty baths in the past year or three I can tell you that you need a Kramer tool also possibly called a Fugi tool. 

This bloke on YouTube is very good and tells you all you need to know https://youtu.be/_DI4hfHM_Hg?si=EXi5PL_SaP4LBFvu

jonnydeppiwish!

And don’t forget to fill the bath with water before you reseal it!

sheslookinhot

When you press down on the bath there should be no movement, establish why it is moving. That is your first priority. Agree with Dow Corning 785 and a full bath of water.