It’s a common issue: after using the bath or shower, you step out only to find a puddle of water on the floor. This is usually due to a missing or poorly sealed joint between the walls and bathroom fixtures. Luckily, you don’t need to call a plumber to fix this!
All you need is silicone sealant, a few plumbing tools, painter’s tape, and a bit of patience. AdmiGram.com will teach you the proper way to seal the joint yourself. It’s easier than you think!
Sealing bathtub-wall gaps with silicone
Remove old seals
Experts recommend using special knives to quickly remove old silicone. However, if you want to keep the repair budget-friendly, a regular narrow utility knife will do the job just as well as tools from Bosch or Wolfcraft. If the old sealant or grout is stubborn, you might need a special remover for old silicone or grout.
Prepare the walls
First, thoroughly dry the area you’re sealing — if it’s a deep joint (like the gap between the wall and the bathtub), you can use a hairdryer. Before applying silicone, make sure to clean and degrease the surfaces. If necessary, treat them with a fungicide and wait until they are completely dry. Remember, no silicone sealant will adhere to wet surfaces. Additionally, vacuum the area to ensure dust doesn’t stick to the joints and interfere with the silicone.
Even if it seems you’ve thoroughly removed the excess silicone, it often just spreads into a thin layer that collects dust and eventually peels, ruining the appearance of the joint. Protect the surfaces with painter’s tape — apply it along the entire joint on both adjoining surfaces. For a neat joint, be meticulous and apply the tape as straight as possible.
Choose the right sealant
For the best results, choose a quality sealant in convenient packaging. The most common type is a large tube that fits into a special gun. Professionals use these guns to easily apply the sealant, and a large tube is enough for the entire bathroom. The downside is that you’ll need to buy the gun separately. A cheaper option is emergency repair kits with a nozzle-spatula, allowing you to apply silicone directly over old joints.
Apply the sealant
All household sealants (like sanitary sealant for acrylic bathtubs) come in tubes that fit onto a gun. Using this tool, it’s quite easy to apply a neat layer of silicone. Depending on the width of the joint, cut the nozzle at a specific point to create a dispenser. Push the silicone as deeply into the joint as possible.
Remove excess
Use a wet cotton cloth, wrap it around your finger in a single layer, and run it along the joint to remove excess silicone and shape the seam. Remove the painter’s tape immediately, before the silicone sets, pulling it gently to avoid disturbing the fresh sealant. If the silicone is damaged in any spot, smooth it again with a wet cloth or just a wet finger. That’s it! Now just wait for the sealant to fully cure, which takes at least 8 hours. After this, you won’t have to worry about water seeping into the joint for a long time.
