Tips For Siliconing

[Flintstone]

we do all kind of tiling and mastic .let me know if you need some help.
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It's a thick old mastic line that

 

[On one]

It's a thick old mastic line that

Seen thicker over the last couple weeks.......in hotel bathrooms and commercial rest rooms.
In the picture it looks a nice,uniform line though.

 

[SJPurdy]

What are readers opinions on the minimum and desired widths of corner flexible joints?

 

[Flintstone]

I always try and keep a bead of Silicon about the same width as the tile spacer

 

[Qwerty]

I always try and keep a bead of Silicon about the same width as the tile spacer

So on tiles with a 2mm grout joint, you will have a 2mm Silicon bead. That is only 1mm on the face of each tile where they meet. Take into account a 0.5-1mm expansion joint in the corner unless you are butting tiles up to each other. Realistically this means you will only be covering 0.5mm of each tile edge with Silicon.

In my experience, a 5mm bead is the norm with 6-7mm featuring occasionally depending on the tile or circumstance where siliconing.

 

[Flintstone]

Ok maybe a little larger that the 2-3mm joint, but not anywhere near as big and thick as that picture.

 

[Qwerty]

The picture looks like a neat 5mm bead to me

 

[mma]

4/5mm for me, too much and it can stand out. I like it to be subtle. If I was really good at it, think I would like to be a mastic man! Got a bit fed up with tiling towards the end of last year. Tips, don't apply too much Silicon, use a smoothing tool with water/washing up liquid, baby wipes and a big roll of tissue (type window fitters use) keep the same nozzle if you have success with it. I don't go too mad with one of them spray bottles either, if the Silicon hasn't stuck somewhere it gets behind and then becomes a pain to re stick. I quite like Tilemasters Silicon, very easy to use!

 

[SJPurdy]

Thanks for those replies, much of which I agree with.
I think the picture of corner joints by Juris looks very neat and the width looks ok but there is nothing to scale it against other than it looks to be a standard tool profile.
Last time I read BS5385 though (2009 version) I am sure it states minimum 6mm wide joint (that's the gap in tiling). Personally I think this is well over the top excepting where there is an expectation of movement to occur - a 6mm gap would allow for 1.5mm compression or stretching of the sealant (assuming 25% elasticity); which is more than I would expect in say the corner joint of a bathroom. Are we all saying then that the BS is "wrong" and we do not adhere to it? in my experience we don't but how do we justify this?
PS just trying to get some debate/opinions not criticise anyone

 

[Old Mod]

@SJPurdy
Do you not think we can be driven more by aesthetics and current trends to a point Steve?
Large joints of any kind are frowned upon by clients whether they be builders or homeowners, everyone wants no joints more or less, certainly with those I come into contact with.
Yes yes, I know what BS says, but the client doesn't normally care what BS states do they!
They just want it their way, and if designers or retailers show tiles with virtually no joint, that's what they want. They want what they THINK they bought haha
Only trouble with that is that guys that go before us in the construction of the room are not driven by the same aesthetics, and neither are their materials!