HOW TO SEAL AROUND A BATH – Making sure you have a good seal to your bath and wall is essential if you’re going to avoid water from seeping behind the bath and causing water damage to your walls and ceilings. This is an easy DIY job to do and will save you a lot in expensive repairs to your walls and ceilings later on. In this guide we’ll show you how you can apply sealant around your bath to avoid any water damage problems.
Step 1
Check your old sealant first. If there are parts that have degraded or a lifting away from the wall and bath tub then it’s time to replace the silicone sealant.
Step 2
Using the silicone scraper, remove all the old silicone around the bath tub.
Step 3
Once all the old silicone sealant is removed clean the area with a scouring pad and mentholated spirit. It’s advisable to wear disposable gloves to do this as any chemicals can cause skin irritation.
Step 4
Once the area is clean put the plug into the bath and fill it approximately 1/2 full with cold water. The weight of the water pushes the bath tub down slightly so that when you apply the new silicone sealant it won’t come away from the bath when you fill it and get in.
Step 5
With the bath tub 1/2 full with water, make sure that the area you are applying the new silicone sealant to is completely dry.
Step 6
Take your tube of silicone sealant and using a craft knife cut the tip of the nozzle off to an angle of about 30 degrees. To allow the silicone to flow you’ll have to unscrew the nozzle and cut off the plastic cap with a craft knife and then replace the nozzle.
Step 7
Place the silicone tube into a silicone gun and apply trigger pressure so that the silicone starts to come out of the nozzle. Work in a steady and smooth action keeping the trigger pressure even and moving along the line where you are sealing.
Step 8
Take a small bowl of water and add some washing up liquid and stir well. Dip your finger in the bowl and then run your finger along the silicone sealant bead. This will smooth out the silicone between the bath and the wall.
