Tips For Siliconing

[richie b]

i still use old ice lolly sticks and spray bottle with water and washing up liquid, spray over the Silicon lightly and soak the stick, when you get use to it you angle the stick to get any size bead you like

 

[magga]

So, those of you who use a profiling tool (I do too), what about behind bath/basin taps when you can barely even get the Silicon nozzle down there?

 

[Qwerty]

I have modified one (cut it) to make it around 15mm wide.

 

[J Sid]

So, those of you who use a profiling tool (I do too), what about behind bath/basin taps when you can barely even get the Silicon nozzle down there?

Leave it for the plumber to do round the bath.....
Water is not always turned on in the room when it is tiled, and as the bath needs to be at least half full of water when it is siliconed, I can't do it... 🙂

 

[magga]

I'm a bathroom fitter, so I can't get away with leaving it, and it can be a right pain sometimes, depending on what taps they are.

 

[J Sid]

I'm a bathroom fitter, so I can't get away with leaving it, and it can be a right pain sometimes, depending on what taps they are.

Simple, don't fit the taps till its tiled and siliconed, assuming the taps are at the bath end 😉

 

[magga]

Yeah, usually I do, just I had one recently that was all boxed in so taps had to go on first. I like the idea of cutting one though, will have to buy another set!

 

[SJPurdy]

So, those of you who use a profiling tool (I do too), what about behind bath/basin taps when you can barely even get the Silicon nozzle down there?

They are a pain. If I can I use strips of masking tapes in these tight bits and then finger or rounded stick (lolly pop stick or to match tool profile) to do the best I can before removing the tape and then doing the rest of the joints each side in the usual way with a profiling tool.

 

[SJPurdy]

I have seen some cheap silicones that state this, so I don't use them as they don't have much confidence in the adhesion and/or elasticity of their products. I have tried it (years ago) when there has been a cheap bath fitted badly so that there was dropping of the bath under load; and it didn't work so I had to get under the bath and fit wood props in all the corners to stop the bath moving (something I've done since many times) which did work. When applying Silicon everything should be as dry as possible - having a bath half filled with water is the opposite of what is required.
If there is excessive movement in a bath (or shower tray) then trying to cure it by fixing it to the tiles with Silicon puts an enormous stress on the bottom row of tiles (even if it will only be half a bath full of water and the bather) and I have been called out to look at to look at failures in the tiling due to this many times.

 

[J Sid]

I understand why you don't do it from your comments, but for me, I have always been told it should be done that way. I understand the principle behind doing it that way, and see no reason not to do it.