Half size silicone sealant?

Feb 07, 2016 25 Replies

All the silicone sealant at places like Wickes comes in sizes of around



300ml. For a small job, that's far more than I need. Why don't the DIY sheds sell smaller sizes? I mean the same size tubes, so they fit the mastic guns, but half full, or one third full?

they'd cost just as much

NT

Surely the amount of goo inside the tube must make a difference to the cost of manufacture and transport?

Since when do those costs enter into the retail price??

Wilkinson sell 100ml & 150ml silicone but they cost more than a 300ml tube.

Presumably because not very many need so little and because they'd rather you buy the full 300ml and throw the rest away.

It does. So do scale of manufacture & adding another retail SKU.

NT

I bought some small soft tubes of silicone from my local market (for a pound each) for that reason. I hate going back to a nearly full tube of silicon a few months after opening it to find the lot gone off. ;-(

I think I've seen the std size tubes of silicon in Poundland but I'm not sure if that's cheaper than Wickes / Toolstation (or the same type of stuff).

Cheers, T i m

You can buy 6 spare nozzles for a quid ay Toolsatan.

Because that wouldn't give the vendor any advantage. Consider the mustard principle.

Bill

is the right answer. What's in the old nozzle is the only stuff I throw away

Yup, I generally do that (and it comes out in a nice conical plug) but left much longer and the whole tube goes off. Even worse when it's something expensive like Tigerseal. ;-(

Like the OP, I would much rather pay the same (even) for a smaller tube simply to prevent the wastage because it's very rare I'd use a whole tube at a time.

Cheers, T i m

Bit of a faff, but I've found that a double layer of cling film twixt nozzle and container stops the propogation of curing. Most of the time ICBA and just use whatever is handy to block the nozzle.

Totally Peter?

That's usually about the time you, your tools or what you are working on are covered in silicone? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I believe you like your furniture and I can't remember if I've run my mums writing desk past you before? If not and if you don't mind, may I contact you off list for your opinion / advice please?

Yes Colemans made their fortune based on what people threw away, not what they ate.

I've not seen any silicone in Poundland - it's all acrylic sealant. I suppose silicone is too expensive to hit the price point?

Theo

You may be right. I meant to look today but got blown in the other direction. ;-(

It may be yes as the cheapest Toolsatation do is nearly two quid:

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Cheers, T i m

Don't really know - it was a way of doing it, but never for long enough to be sure, to be sure.

If possible, I prefer to avoid silicone as it's Death To Paint, Glue, Solder and Plating! It does get everywhere.

Sorry, not I - and my house can't take any more :-(

They are in business to make money. The contents are not all that expensive and the tube containing it is a major part of the cost.

If you want to make it stay OK for a while then a layer of cling film over wrapped tightly with aluminium foil under the official sealing cap will make it sufficiently gas tight after the already exposed stuff cures that it will keep for a while in a cool place.

Obviously you will have to cut a bit more off the end of the applicator or drill it out since some will cure inside the applicator itself.

The only small sizes I have seen were either more expensive or the same price as the full size tubes.

Ok.

True. Mum had her lounge re-decorated recently and she asked me why they guy had left a wavy line over the bay window frame? I had a quick look and saw it was the 5l of silicone the DG fitters had used to fit the trim round the outside. ;-(

It can, that's for sure.

When I had the DG fitted here I stopped them before the 'siliconing loads of uPVC trim over everything' stage and made good myself 'properly'.

Sorry about the confusion Peter. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

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