DIY - Bath Sealant query

[davidP]

The silicon sealant around my bath needs replacing but it's a bu**er to remove. Anybody got an tips on the best way to remove it and clean the area so that the new stuff goes on cleanly.

[Elton]

I did a search on www.anglingsites.com and came up with this page:

 

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/decorating.html

[davidP]

Thanks Elton - must be some anglers with strange habits out there

[Elton]

davidP:

Thanks Elton - must be some anglers with strange habits out there    

You can search for anything on there - it plugs in to many of the leading search engines

 

Actually, I did find quite a few references to silicone sealant on anglers' boats

 

Tight lines,

 

Elton

[poledark]

Elton, as a bathroom installer of many years experience, my advice is...If the bath is steel or cast iron then careful use of a razor blade/stanley blade will remove all the old stuff. Petrol will finally remove all the final residue,but will take a few minutes. Do not go mad with the blade, "metal marks" are difficult to remove.

I used to use Meths to finally clean up (to degrease)

 

If it it plastic/fibre glass then be very very careful how you scratch the old stuff off.

 

Do not use cellulose cleaner as described in one of those answers!.

 

Make sure the bath is fixed securely, otherwise you are wasting your time.

 

Make sure the area is THOROUGHLY dry, use tissues and a hairdryer.

 

Mask out with 1" wide tape all round where you need to put silicone,leaving a gap about 8mm wide along bath top and tiles, take special care at the corners, you will find your blade useful here. do all the areas at the same time.

 

Pump in the silicone all round, and as soon as you can run a wet finger along all the bath rim to push silicone well in to gap and smooth it out.

Immediately you are satisfied with the look of it all peel off the tape. Take care where you drop it.

DO NOT TOUCH THE SILICONE YET, let it set.

 

You will end up with a lovely straight seal that is broad enough to flex a bit.

 

Den

[chris parker]

Spot on advice can I add to do the sealing when the bath is full of water. It will give a better seal.

 

There is also a product called Silicon Eater which will dissolve old sealer

[Peter Gowman]

In addition to the above very good advice, make sure you buy 'silicone', and not one of the cheaper alternatives. In this case it is worth paying the extra, because the product is far superior.