Removing Old Silicone Sealer

[Kevin Rayner]

Is there anything to remove old sealer as the sealer around my bath is beginning to lift and needs replacing.

Thanks

Kevin

[Andy Hall]

You can buy silicone sealant digester from B&Q etc. You need to remove as much as possible mechanically first, and then this stuff will soften and loosen the rest.

You must then clean very carefully and with meths before replacing it.

.andy

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[Kevin Rayner]

Thanks. Unfortunately the bit behind the taps needs doing which is going to be difficult to shift manually but I'll give this stuff ago.

[Grunff]

It might be worth removing the taps. Most taps come off pretty easily, and the better access will allow you to do a much better job of applying the new silicone.

[Ian Stirling]

Consider sacrificing some of your cutlery, or other tools, to make appropriately shaped scrapers.

[Kevin Rayner]

The plumber put gate valves on the hot and cold pipes to the taps when the bath was put in so this should be relatively straight forward, if the unions on the taps aren't too tight.

Kevin

[BillV]

If he used those gate valves with the round-spokey tops, then beware as quite often the tops shear off when you try to use the valve after a period of time. The full bore lever valves are much better I notice the posh bathroom showroom near here uses these exclusively on all its installs.