Replacing a mouldy shower seal with silicone: A guide on how to reseal your shower
In the world of home improvement, creating a waterproof and mold-resistant seal in wet shower environments is crucial. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to apply silicone sealant, as recommended by Danny Pen, the President of New Era Plumbing & HVAC with over 12 years of experience in plumbing, heating, and cooling.
Preparing the Shower Area
- Clean and Dry the Area: Start by ensuring the joints or corners are free of dust, dirt, old sealant, mold, grease, and residues. Use a bleach or mold remover to kill any mold, then rinse and let the surface dry completely.
- Check Surface Stability and Smoothness: Make sure the shower tray and wall edge are fully installed, fixed, and steady without movement. The surfaces should be level and free of imperfections that might prevent good adhesion.
- Prepare the Joint: If needed, cut back any old sealant neatly, and create a 45° angle fillet if recommended to ensure a neat silicone bead and proper expansion joint function.
- Ensure the Joint is the Right Size: Silicone needs space to flex, so the gap or joint width should be appropriate for silicone sealant (often around 6-10mm wide but varies depending on the shower configuration).
Applying the Silicone Sealant
- Using a heavy duty caulking gun with a revolving steel frame, ergonomic rubber-coated handles, and a silencing mechanism is recommended for silicone application.
- Apply the silicone in one run, filling deep edges with a small bead and smoothing it in with a wet finger, damp sponge, or silicone finishing tool.
- For areas in tight bathroom corners, Danny Pen recommends using a flexible straw or soft plastic edge for smoothing silicone.
- After applying the silicone, excess should be wiped off with a cloth or damp sponge.
Finishing Touches
- A top quality multi-surface masking tape is ideal for creating clean, straight edges on silicone sealant.
- Danny Pen recommends using a silicone smoothing tool for a professional finish after applying silicone sealant.
- Using blue painter's tape can help achieve crisp, even edges on silicone.
- Danny Pen suggests using an ice cube and alcohol to smooth out silicone, as the moisture and cold from the ice prevent sticking, and the rounded shape of the ice creates a clean and tidy line.
Important Considerations
- It is not recommended to add a new layer of silicone over old, poor-condition silicone, as it won't adhere and won't create a waterproof barrier.
- Newly applied sanitary silicone will start to dry within 15 minutes, but should not be used in a shower for at least five or six hours, and ideally for around 24 hours to ensure full curing.
With these steps in mind, you're now equipped to apply silicone sealant in your shower area, ensuring a waterproof, flexible, and mold-resistant seal suitable for wet shower environments. Happy renovating!
- When building or renovating a home or lifestyle, incorporating ideas for a home-and-garden can be beneficial, such as designing a bathroom with a waterproof and mold-resistant shower, which can be achieved by following a guide on applying silicone sealant.
- In the process of building or upgrading a home, tools like a heavy-duty caulking gun with specific features, a wet finger, damp sponge, silicone finishing tool, flexible straw, soft plastic edge, multi-surface masking tape, silicone smoothing tool, blue painter's tape, ice cube, and alcohol can be essential for applying silicone sealant in various areas, including showers and wet shower environments.
- While building or renovating a home, it's essential to consider the design of the shower area, ensuring proper dimensions between joints or corners, as they should be large enough to accommodate silicone sealant (usually around 6-10mm wide), allowing for flexibility and a waterproof barrier against mold.
- After constructing a home or renovating a shower, incorporate home improvement ideas that focus on energy efficiency, such as implementing a heating system that integrates with the shower, ensuring a comfortable temperature and contributing to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
- Before reapplying silicone sealant in a shower area, it's important to first remove any old, poor-condition silicone, as a new layer won't adhere and won't be effective in providing a waterproof and mold-resistant seal.
