Applying silicon bath sealer (No.2 and No.3)

[Barb]

Hi, further to the previous post re various tools for a good finish:

(1) What do you folks recommend regarding weighing the bath down, so the gap is not opened when full with a body in?

This is only probably a couple of mm but repeated stress seems to quickly open the badly-applied sealant (which is why I want to do it again).

It seems wasteful to put loads of water in the bath ... I suppose I could put lots of books and stuff in, and then stand or sit in the bath while doing the job? How do professionals do it?

(2) What's the best way to remove old silicon sealer, to completely replace it?

Thanks.

Barb

[Ian_m]

1. Fill bath with water is what I do. I have made in the past made a board, out of old block board and 2"x2" covered in cloth to sit on top of the bath to allow you to work near the joints without getting wet. If bath does move more than a mm when full, then fix it, no silicone will be able to cope with this. I ended up screwing a nicely routed peice of 2"x" to the wall to ensure my bath would not move.

1. You can get silicone sealant remover. Follow instructions and it works fine. Used it numerous times to remove crap builder installed silicone and replace with my own attempts !!!

[DIY]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but movement of a couple of mm will cause even well-applied sealant to break down eventually, irrespective of whether you apply sealant with the bath empty in the up position, or full of water in the down position. Advice to apply sealant with the bath full of water defies logic. The only fix for this problem that I know of is either to support the edge of the bath on a wooden frame so that it doesn't move when being used, or fit a bath edge sealing strip, such as Teleseal, which is able to cope with movement. Other than that, replacing an acrylic bath with a steel bath is the only other solution.

[Barb]

Thanks for the comments and hints, guys.

DIY, the Teleseal looks a great solution - however, the builders have recessed the bath into the wall a bit, and the tiles come down to the edge with a *very* small horizontal lip, particularly in the middle where the bath is slightly wider - so the Teleseal wouldn't have the 1cm+ purchase on the horizontal.

Actually, this recess, I think, prevents water going through too much, because there must be over an inch of bath going into the wall under the tiles. There isn't a problem, just that the sealant is stained and breaking up, having been in probably over 7 years.

The builders don't seem to have used much sealant anyway, and I thought a good, thick strip, maybe leaving it a little proud? Also, perhaps getting one of these stick-over strip things, to direct the water away from the sealant/join?

(The tool-thingy looks good, too, for a novice like me, who has the kitchen to do as well while I'm at it!)

What do you think.

Barb

[DIY]

In the circumstances fresh sealant and a bath edge sealing strip seem your only options. Fit the sealing strip with the bath empty (in the up position) so that the bath edge moves downwards slightly when in use. This will open up a small gap between the bath edge and sealing strip but the sealing strip should still provide a run-off for any water. If you fit the sealing strip with the bath full (in the down position) then repeated emptying and filling of the bath will result in upwards pressure on/movement of the sealing strip, causing the adhesive to fail.