Your thoughts on splitting Silicon...

[Rich]

Hello everybody, I would be very grateful for your thoughts on this one as I am completely stumped.

Did a bathroom a little while ago for a customer, she didnt like the idea of Silicon but after much discussion came round to the idea that there wasnt much choice in the matter. Finished up and everybody was happy. Then last week we got a phone call from her saying that the Silicon has split along the top of the bath and between the shower tray and tiles, we went to look and she was right, the Silicon cad come away from the bath and shower tray. This was obviously worrying but I thought that it could have been a few things. We cut out the Silicon and removed the residue with a Silicon eater and applied a thicker bead.

Have just had a call from her again, the Silicon has come away again! I am at a loss as I have never had this happen before and needless to say I have done one or two in my time.

All joints were left clear of grout, hoovered out, wiped down with meths, siliconed with a suitable Silicon and smoothed with a Fugi kit.
The room has not been used yet.

Any thoughts peeps?

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

could it be the Silicon reacting with the meths? was it the same brand Silicon you used as last time?

 

[Mike]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

i was going to suggest too much movement in bath or shower tray but it's not been used yet.

 

[Rich]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

It was the same brand, I didnt use meths when I re did the Silicon for that reason.

 

[Stef]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

I have saw this on Silicon before but i have never came across a solution to it, hope someone can help.

Keep us posted rich if you find a solution.

 

[Gazzer]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

How thick is the bead of Silicon ? What make is it ? is there any movement in the bath and tray.

Now seeing as it is happening in 2 places I would suggest it would be a Silicon issue.

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

what are the tiles? could there be some kind of wax coating on them?

 

[Rich]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

Ceramic tiles and Ultra Silicon. There doesnt seem to be any movement in the bath or tray. I used an 8mm tool (Fugi) but all the internal angles were siliconed and none have come away, only on the bath and shower tray.

A proper head scratcher..

 

[Rich]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

I have saw this on Silicon before but i have never came across a solution to it, hope someone can help.

Keep us posted rich if you find a solution.

Have you had it happen? I have never come across it before. The only split Silicon I have seen is due to Silicon on top of grout or tiles coming loose.

 

[Gazzer]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

Has it split or come away from one of both surfaces ?
Never used Ultra so cant comment.

 

[Stef]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

Rich, i have seen it happen on jobs when the mastick man has been in.

It has happened to us on one job, we went back & cut it out & re-siliconed, the customer never phoned back so i assume that it held.

I had a new door fitted about 6 months ago & its happened on that but i put that down to a bit of residue on the UPVC.
Iv still to get round to sort it but its 1 of them "get it tomorrow" jobs in your own house.

 

[doug boardley]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

I use Ultra silicon and I've never encountered this.

 

[DHTiling]

Re: Your thoughts on spliting Silicon...

Try another brand and see if it still persists.

 

[Rich]

Neale - It has bonded to the tile but not the bath or shower tray

Doug - I have used Ultra loads of times and have never had any problems with it either, up til now

Dave - That is what Im going to do, not really sure what else I can do.


It is not very often that I cant answer these things or find out. There is nothing worse than your work going wrong and you dont know why. Couldn't be for a worse customer as well as she argued about the Silicon before we even did it. I think thats what they call sods law :smilewinkgrin:

 

[DHTiling]

Just a thought... you sure the customer isn't slicing it with a blade , so you do something else as she didn't want it in the first place :lol: