Bath Sealant

[malana-3]

Having removed the old sealant from around a bath (as best as I can) what is the best way to prepare the bath top and tiles before applying new sealant? In previous experience the new sealant has lifted after only a few months. Any tips would be gratefully received. Thanks

[The Builder]

The most obvious thing is de-greasing the surface. Also, silicone doesn't like damp surfaces. It must be completely dry.
Don't forget to fill the bath with water before sealing, then wait overnight for the sealant to go off before emptying the bath. It just "pulls" the bath down to its lowest position, so avoiding settlement.

[alavahalf]

'As best you can'... does'nt sound good enough. You must get rid of nearly all the old sealant.
When I do it, I usualy use a stanley type blade as a scraper, so as to get right down to the tile surface.
When you are happy with the preparation remove all dust with a vacum.
If you want a proffesional even finish get some of these Fugi tools, they are brilliant.
You just overfill the area between the top of the bath and the bottom of the tile, and scrape off the excess with the Fugi ... I cant be without them for finishing worktops, basins and baths.
When I've siliconed around a bath, the owners often say I must be really skilled to make such a good finish with the silicone ... I never disagree ... but I dont tell them about my little secret ... watch the video.

http://www.byretech.c...5aSzaMCFQ1t4wod0l5ewQ

[johnk]

Ala. that's brilliant, I'm buying one!

[Dodger666]

Just ordered one too. And to think the of the amount of sealant I've wasted over the years by squirting it in and wiping the surplus off.

[Mosaic]

I got some sealant remover from screwfix which really gets rid of the fiddly bits without too much scraping - I din't want to mark the acrylic bath by scraping too much.