Sealant round bath?

[Alan Holmes]

The sealant around my bath is looking rather shabby!

Rather like me!(:-)

What should I use to clean the edge of the bath before replacing the sealant?

[Lobster]

Clean off as much as you can of the old sealant first using a Stanley knife blade, then attack the remnants with 'silicone eater' or another of the proprietary solvents for silicone:

all clean, finish off by wiping with a clean meths-dampened rag to remove any final traces of grease before applying new silicone.

David

[Andrew McKay]

Start with a sharp stanley knife. Cut thru the existing sealant. You may be able to carefully pull off large chunks of the existing silicon sealant. Remove as much sealant as possible by mechanical means.

Then buy some sealant eater - about a fiver for a small tube, more than enough to do a bath. Apply this to the remaining sealant, then leave according to the instructions (usually a couple of hours or so).

When you come back the sealant will have been "eaten", you can then scrape the remains off. Re-apply the silicon eater if you have any difficulty.

Then clean the area using methylated spirit - very important - it kills the silicon eater!

Then apply new silicon sealant. Leave to cure. Job done.

Andrew

[key130]

Useful info! Where would I be able to get methylated spirit from? Checked on screwfix and B&Q but couldn't find it.

Thanks,

Al.

[Andy Dingley]

In barbecue season, nearly any corner shop. Look for the purple liquid. _Any_ hardware/DIY shop should have it anyway.

[key130]

liquid.

Thanks,

Al.

[Mike]

Useful info, thanks for the detailed description.

If I may ask, when applying the sealant, what is the best way to smooth the sealant? I've been told a finger will do, but I always find this messy and doesn't give a very good finish. Is there a tool or something that I could use instead, and where would I get such a tool? Or is there some technique to using a finger? :-)

TIA.

Mike

[Andy Hall]

A very light touch and dip the finger in water to which has been added a few drops of detergent first.

[Chris Bacon]

Use masking tape - run it along where you want the seal to finish, both sides. Gun in sealant. Use a tool such as a piece of softish plastic tube, sized to rest on the inner edges of the masking tape, and run it along the tape to produce a good finish. Don't use much too much sealant, or you may get blobs forming on the tool which mar the finish. Pull the tape off before the sealant skins, slightly away from the finished surface. Do not touch the sealant until it has set!

[David Lang]

Mike asked;

There is! Vitrex Sealant Smoother

[dave]

I wonder if a ordinary rubber (eraser) would do it - that's what the end of that tool looks like.

[Lobster]

. This had rave reviews in this ng a while ago and I bought one to try; haven't actually had occasion to use it yet though.

David

[Huge]

I use an offcut of 15mm copper pipe (cut with a pipe cutter, so it has a smooth end).