Bath edge sealing strip

**F5 Dave** · 27th April 2012, 11:20

OK so a question for the professional or uber DIYer:

I have a nightmare relationship with the edge of the bath to the wall of my shower/corner bath. It leaks when the water runs against it. I cleaned it up & applied some of that Red Devil brand sealing strip from M10. it leaked & peeled back over time. Heck I have some in the en-suite sink & it peels back all the time.

Ok so in a rage I rip it all off & clean the heck out of it with meths & all sorts & hit the edge with a cartridge of All Clear sealant. Sealed.

After several months it looks, well a bit like some sealant, however smooth I made it. So I clean the heck out of it & go find some more sealant strip. Hmm, only choice this suspect Red Devil stuff, but the slightly wider version. Take an age putting & pressing it on.

Looks pretty mint & I'm congratulating myself at taking the time to clean it properly & do a good job.

For about 2 months.
And the fucking useless shit still lifts, hell I had got it clean with meths & shit so it should bond to the bath & to the wall (which is a white plastic shower backing). Arseholes! So I get out the F2 glue & try to glue the bits down. Looks pants, sort of works. Every month the edge looks grimier with the glue residue etc.

In the garage the other day & hear; drip drip drip.

Fuck.

OK so is there another product I should be using? Something that might actually stay stuck for years?

**Grumph** · 27th April 2012, 11:52

I thought you were buying Devcon in bulk ?

Sorry...irresistible.

**Haggis2** · 27th April 2012, 11:58

I had a plumber mate and his builder bro redo my shower when I bought a new house. They used a white silicone sealer which looks good and is still like new 2 years later. I'll have a look and see if I can find out what it was. The only draw back is it is no good to paint over but it doesn't sound like that will worry you. I'll let you know if I can find out.

**slofox** · 27th April 2012, 12:25

I'd probably go to a plumbing supplier and ask them.

**flyingcrocodile46** · 27th April 2012, 12:34

You are very unlikely to get more than a temporary fix but there is a product made specifically for this issu. It is a two peice PVC bath mould.

Pretty sure placemakers will have them. See their guide
http://www.placemakers.co.nz/media/2...oom_Shower.pdf
Check out the right hand side of illustration 5 which shows a sketch of it.

It ain't perfect (does let water in if not installed perfectly) but is probably better than silicone by itself as it looks a lot better. Use silicone to seal the gap properly before you hide its ugliness with the 2 peice bath edge mould.

**boman** · 27th April 2012, 12:51

I used Selleys, white Bathroom silicon sealer. 3 years, no leaks, looks like new.

Although it was new bath installation.

**unstuck** · 27th April 2012, 13:03

I used windscreen sealer, looks like shit but works a bloody treat. Missus wants me to redo it though, it is on the around to it list.

**F5 Dave** · 27th April 2012, 16:19

Originally Posted by flyingcrocodile46

You are very unlikely to get more than a temporary fix but there is a product made specifically for this issu. It is a two peice PVC bath mould.

Pretty sure placemakers will have them. See their guide
http://www.placemakers.co.nz/media/2...oom_Shower.pdf
Check out the right hand side of illustration 5 which shows a sketch of it.

It ain't perfect (does let water in if not installed perfectly) but is probably better than silicone by itself as it looks a lot better. Use silicone to seal the gap properly before you hide its ugliness with the 2 peice bath edge mould.

from pdf:
"Two piece universal flashing allows the panel to be glued to the wall, running below the top of the bath"

, well the bath is fixed flush to the wall (gib) & a corner section of plastic about 5" tall & 5" left & right from a corner screwed & glued to the wall. So the only way water can get through is the join of the bath top (flat) & the plastic.

**Icemaestro** · 27th April 2012, 17:50

+1 to the selley's no more gaps bathroom one, pink thing. bunnings I believe.

**jonbuoy** · 27th April 2012, 18:24

Are you filling the bath with water before you seal it? They can flex and pull the seal away when filled with water and a big hairy arse.

**Zamiam** · 27th April 2012, 19:47

Silaflex MS - smooth it using our finger BUT wear a latex glove otherwise the bugs/oils on your skin will cause it to go mouldy. Wet glove for smoother finish. Make sure you let it set properly. It's a flexible sealant as well. Nothing compares

**Coldrider** · 27th April 2012, 20:22

Maxisila (really good for tiles) with the smoother additive, it is a hard case watching DIYers handling silicone sealers. The more it is played with, the worse it gets (not funny really).

**Laava** · 27th April 2012, 20:53

Do not use No More Gaps or MS silicon. Ms is great but it is not designed for bathrooms. The best silicon to use is kitchen and bathroom sealant which you can get at ITM or similar. BUT your problem is that in general silicon does not like to be applied to silicon. Silicon is a good product but this is one of it's weak points.
You should post a photo?
Anyway, you are best to mechanically remove as much silicon as you can by scraping and using a scourer etc. You will notice that when you get it all off you then find out that there is still a thin layer left and then when you have that off there is a still thinner layer!
Don't despair! This is the time to put silicon remover on there and use as per instructions. It comes in a tube same as the silicon and should be readily avail. It is not great for removing bulky silicon hence the removing as much as poss first.
Then mask out and re-apply the bathroom and kitchen silicon taking care not to touch with your fingers as Zamiam said.
I use glad wrap, just pull abit out about 100mm and stick it over bath edge or hand basin. Then cut strip into 3 bits and just wrap a bit around end of finger like a condom. [Do NOT use as a condom!] Then you can wipe and just dab the whole thing off onto handy box or newspaper and start again with next bit. then you will get a nice finish that will last for a long time. I typically use about 6 bits to do the average bath edge.
It is a good idea to fill the bath with water if there is likely to be movement in relation to adjacent wall.

**Coldrider** · 27th April 2012, 21:00

Originally Posted by Laava

Do not use No More Gaps or MS silicon. Ms is great but it is not designed for bathrooms. The best silicon to use is kitchen and bathroom sealant which you can get at ITM or similar. BUT your problem is that in general silicon does not like to be applied to silicon. Silicon is a good product but this is one of it's weak points.
You should post a photo?
Anyway, you are best to mechanically remove as much silicon as you can by scraping and using a scourer etc. You will notice that when you get it all off you then find out that there is still a thin layer left and then when you have that off there is a still thinner layer!
Don't despair! This is the time to put silicon remover on there and use as per instructions. It comes in a tube same as the silicon and should be readily avail. It is not great for removing bulky silicon hence the removing as much as poss first.
Then mask out and re-apply the bathroom and kitchen silicon taking care not to touch with your fingers as Zamiam said.
I use glad wrap, just pull abit out about 100mm and stick it over bath edge or hand basin. Then cut strip into 3 bits and just wrap a bit around end of finger like a condom. [Do NOT use as a condom!] Then you can wipe and just dab the whole thing off onto handy box or newspaper and start again with next bit. then you will get a nice finish that will last for a long time. I typically use about 6 bits to do the average bath edge.
It is a good idea to fill the bath with water if there is likely to be movement in relation to adjacent wall.

Good post, I apply the sealant from the applicator tip and spread with a iceblock stick (using the curve to press and shape) never touch with fingers. Trying to fill a too larger gap is a failure waiting to happen.