How to make a neat seam with silicone sealant. How to seal the seams between the bathroom and the wall with silicone. Different types of silicone and their features
Creating neat, smooth and durable silicone joints between tiles requires skill and experience, which are so lacking in home craftsmen. small and handy spatula makes the job much easier and guarantees a good result.
When grouting fillet joints, you must constantly monitor that long side tool without gaps adjoined to ceramic tiles. The spatula is moved with light pressure and at a slight angle, creating the effect of cutting silicone
Sealing seams and joints when finishing a bathroom or kitchen is, as a rule, the last, but far from the easiest stage of work. It turns out that not only “dashing trouble is the beginning”, but also “the end is the crown of business”. Filling and sanding silicone joints on walls, floors and corners wet rooms difficult for non-professionals. As a rule, the main problem is the smoothing of silicone. Attempts to perform this operation with a finger lead to the appearance of prints, while the silicone is distributed unevenly and “crawls out” on the surface of the tile. The second problem that often occurs when sealing is uneven edges. Before filling the joint with silicone, the tile in the junction area is sealed with masking tape, but if it is removed too late, the integrity of the sealant will be broken at the junction of the tile and silicone, and dirt will begin to accumulate in the holes formed over time.
form smooth tight seams from silicone, a special spatula helps, gently sealing the sealant with the formation of sharp edges. It is important that the tool is always wet, then the silicone will not stick to it. If this happens, the excess sealant is removed with a piece of cloth, after which work continues.
Types of waterproofing joints and options for the location of the tool for smoothing with a spatula
- Seam with a steep angle.
- Seam with a gentle angle of inclination.
- Expansion joint for tiles with sharp edges.
- Expansion joint for tiles with rounded edges.
Sealing - photo
The tip of the tube is cut to match the width of the fillet weld and silicone is applied along the fillet weld.
The expansion joints between the tiles are rubbed with a slightly rounded section of the spatula.
Then they process it with corner sections. In this case, the seam is slightly recessed.
Note: What are spatulas
Types of spatulas: features of choice and application
At big renovation you can't do without a tool like a spatula. Spatulas level surfaces, putty and tile adhesive are applied, gaps and cracks are sealed, old wallpaper is removed and much more is done. For each type of work you need to choose the right spatula.
Spatula for putty are usually used for final stages finishes, that is, with plastering and painting works. Depending on the size of the treated area, a facade or painting spatula is used. A high-quality facade spatula should be made of of stainless steel. For cheap products, carbon steel with a special coating is used. Such a spatula is short-lived and inconvenient to use - over time, the coating wears off, and the blade rusts. If upon purchase you see grease near the base of the steel, then it is better not to buy such a tool.
Facade spatula Convenient for leveling large surfaces. for example, the facades of houses or wide recesses in the walls. Apply with such a spatula thick layer putties on the walls, so it is important that its handle is strong and the blade resilient. For high-quality models, the blade is connected to the handle very tightly and has a width of 20-40 cm. It is better not to buy spatulas with a straight handle: they are extremely inconvenient.
The handle should be at a slight angle to the work plane, and the lighter the handle, the better. A paint spatula is used when it is necessary to process small surfaces, repair cracks, small depressions or putty complex structures.
It differs from the facade one in the width, thickness and elasticity of the blade. The blade must be stainless steel only. Important detail- the degree of elasticity of the blade. Pull the blade towards you to check. If the blade is bent easily and strongly, the tool is no good. But it's also bad if the blade doesn't bend at all. Look for a moderately springy blade. Do not buy too narrow and long spatulas
Rectangular blades- more convenient than trapezoidal or drop-shaped: it is easier to choose putty from a bucket with them.
It is necessary to distinguish spatulas with sharpened blades, which are used to remove old wallpaper, putty, paints and which are not suitable for applying the mixture, from spatulas with blunt blades designed for such work.
Spatula for tiles used for applying tile adhesive.
This tool is equipped with teeth - they help to apply glue evenly and get rid of air bubbles in adhesive solution, which reduce the quality of gluing. On sale there are spatulas with different sizes teeth. They determine the thickness of the adhesive layer depending on the need. Professionals advise buying spatulas with different height teeth. This will allow you to adjust the thickness of the adhesive layer. To determine whether the notched trowel is correctly selected, glue is applied to the tile and drawn over it with a spatula. Then the tiles are laid on the floor or on the wall. If the glue slightly goes beyond the boundaries of the tile, and when it is lifted it fills the entire surface, then the spatula is chosen correctly. The plastic spatula for wallpaper is intended for smoothing pasted panels. It is much more convenient to use than such traditional devices as old towels or rollers. However, plastic spatulas are effective only on flat and smooth surfaces. Before purchasing such a spatula, pay attention to the plastic - it must be High Quality without cracks, chips or burrs. Check if the handle is comfortable. Professionals prefer spatulas with a width of 20-25 cm. After use, any spatula should be immediately washed from putty or glue. The solutions dry quickly, and it will not be easy to wash the instruments after a while.
Update the seams in the bathroom. What will be needed?
To update the seams you will need:
- Silicone sealant. You need to choose one designed for bathtubs: it should be noted on the packaging that it is resistant to water, detergents and mold.
- The gun for extrusion of sealant.
- Scraper to remove old silicone.
- Cleaning agent for removing old silicone.
- Spatula with different profiles to form new seams.
- Mold remedy.
- Painter's / regular tape.
- Sponge.
- Paper towels.
Please note: this is the maximum. Below we will figure out what you can do without, and what you cannot do without.
Step 1. Remove old seams
Grout manufacturers advise using special knives to quickly remove old silicone, but I wanted to make repairs as budget-friendly as possible and experiment at the same time, so I managed with an ordinary narrow clerical knife. I have to tell you, he did a perfect job. If the grout refused to give up without a fight, you would have to use special agent to remove old silicone.
Please note: if you are squeamish and even in nightmare If you can’t imagine that you are a plumber, then ask to remove the old sealant and clean the seams of someone else. It's a lot more dirty work than you might think..
Step 2. Prepare the walls.
Before applying silicone, you need to wash and degrease the surfaces, if necessary, treat them with a fungicide and wait until they are completely dry. In addition, it is worth vacuuming well so that dust does not stick to the seams and prevent the silicone from sticking.
Step 3. Choose the right tool.
It is important to choose silicone not only well-known brand(so that the dirty work does not have to be redone in a year), but also in a convenient package. The most common option is a large can that is inserted into a special gun. Professionals work with such pistols, it is convenient to squeeze out the product with them, and a large package is enough for the entire bathroom. Minus - the gun will have to be bought separately. At the other end of the spectrum are emergency funds. self repair in jars with a spatula nose, from which silicone is easy to apply directly over old seams. I settled on the third option, having bought a regular 50 ml tube. Looking ahead, I will say that this was just enough for me for a seam 2 meters long.
Step 4. Apply sealant
Now the most important step. You have to decide how to apply silicone.
In this video, it is advised to simply squeeze the product out of the gun and smooth it with a spatula.
In this, the spatula is proposed to be replaced with a finger, and in order to protect the walls from excess and form even seams, use masking tape.
When I tried to repeat the technique from the second video, I ruined the first part of the seam: my fingers turned out to be thin, and the distance between the tiles was large, so the silicone was smeared too much. Then I decided that I couldn’t do without a spatula, and I cut it out of an unnecessary plastic card. I must admit that a little bit of silicone still seeped between the card and the wall, but it was saved from dirt by a prudently glued tape 3-4 mm from the edge of the tile (ordinary, I also saved on painting).
Please note: in order to understand how far from the edge of the tile to stick adhesive tape, attach a spatula to the wall and mark the point where the tool begins to come into contact with the wall - the seam will begin there, and this will be the distance you need. If you stick the adhesive tape closer, then, breaking away, it will take away part of the silicone, forming a step on the seam.
So, no masking tape, no sealant gun, no special scrapers were for small repairs Not needed. The most useful, perhaps, is a spatula, which can form profiles of different radii, and from all useful little things I would have bought it. But with a limited budget, you can always get by with improvised materials.
Please note: it is better to apply silicone with a margin: let you clean off half with a spatula, but the seam will be formed the first time, and then you will not have to fill in random gaps, unsuccessfully trying to do it carefully.
In the photo above - before and after (I only smeared the seams between the tiles on the wall here beforehand, but the joint between the floor and the wall is ready). I am satisfied: it has become noticeably better, although my seams turned out to be far from ideal. And not least because I had no idea how much patience, calmness and concentration is needed for this work. At first I was let down by inexperience, then fatigue. I hope you do not repeat my mistakes and thanks to this article, if necessary, you can easily do minor repairs in your bathroom!
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Bath joint or shower tray with a wall has always been and will be a problem node.
The fact that the sealing is done poorly, you can long time and not know. Your neighbors will be the first to know. Moisture accumulates gradually, after each shower and, over time, finds weak spots in floor waterproofing (if any).
It is good if the floor, under the bathroom, is made with a slope and the flowing water is noticeable. If not, then high humidity will create more ideal conditions for the development of the fungus.
There are several ways to close the joint between the wall and the bathroom. There are no simple and effective ones.
Accessibility and simplicity usually suffer from fragility and poor appearance. And high-quality sealing requires significant labor costs. Therefore, it is rarely performed.
The firm "Ravak" offers to install a decorative strip for bathtubs in the joint between the bathtub and the wall. Seal the joint and fix the bar to the silicone of the same company.
sealing the joint with a decorative strip “Ravak”
The recommendation is good. And probably correct. But the corner is noticeable, stands out strongly and does not paint the room. In addition, plastic, over time, turns yellow and becomes dirty, and is difficult to clean. This advice from “Ravak” has been around for many years and is not very popular. Although this method can achieve reliable waterproofing.
The most common method today is sealing with white plumbing silicone.
White color is the most optimal for any tile. It merges in color with the bathroom and is the least noticeable.
Long-term practice of this method brought out two manners of its execution. Both working and efficient, lead to the same result. Which one is better is hard to say. It all depends on who gets used to doing it.
First.
For this technique, it is necessary, in addition to silicone with a gun, to have a spray with soapy water and a plate for forming a slope on the sealant. The material of the plate can be anything, from a purchased special profile to the rounded end of the handle on a brush.
Application of silicone along the bath joint
The technology is simple. Apply silicone along the seam with a gun. At this stage, the main thing is to achieve a uniform thickness of the extruded silicone. The second step is to moisten the surface around the applied silicone. Its meaning is that, during the formation of the slope, the silicone is not smeared on the sides (and does not stick). A soapy, wet surface will prevent this. On a dry and clean surface, the sealant adheres firmly. Therefore, the joint to be sealed must be dry and clean.
Wetting the surface with soapy water
The next step is to form a slope with a plate. Some people use their fingers for this. The finger is soft and does not give clear edges. Dimpled silicone smears over the surface.
Formation of a silicone seam with a plate
Firm "STAYER" produces a set of special plates for the formation of a seam of silicone. If it releases, then there is a demand for such a device, then the method is popular.
STAYER spatula for forming a seam on sealants
Second way.
With this method, the cleanliness of the edges of the tile and bathtub is ensured with the help of two strips of masking tape, without wetting with soapy water. The tools and technology are the same. After removing excess silicone with a plate, the tape is removed. The edges remain even and the surface of the tile and tub is clean.
Adhesive tape before sealing
Removing excess sealant from the joint
Tape removal
Using this method, it is necessary to take into account one feature. The distance between the two tapes must be done taking into account the size of the bevel on the plate, which forms the seam. The diagram shows that if the silicone enters the paint job during the formation of the seam, then removing the tape, we undermine the edge of the sealant. The silicone at the edges will, in this case, have some thickness, and not fade away, as we planned.
Correct "A" and incorrect "B" distance between paint strips.
It is necessary to level the applied sealant quickly (within a minute), in one pass along the entire length of the seam. If interrupted, irregularities at the docking point will become noticeable. Therefore, you need to manage with one smoothing to align the joint. If you later try to trim it (after 3-5 minutes), the sealant becomes covered with a film and begins to stretch.
How long after applying sealant should masking tape be removed?
“Everything needs to be done at once and quickly. Until the silicone hardens. Then there is still a chance to smooth the seam in case of unsuccessful removal of masking tape.
If you remove the next day, when the sealant has already set, the edges of the seam will tear in different ways. A straight line will not work.
What is the disadvantage of sealing the joint with silicone?
- Silicone blackens from fungus.
- Fastening strength in case of improper execution, weak. If you pull on the torn piece, the entire tape will stretch.
Blackening of silicone in the bathroom
Removing old silicone in the bathroom
This may serve as an answer to the problem: “How to remove old sealant from a bath?”
You can easily remove it with sharp blade, but in some cases it is necessary to use, in addition, chemical method. On sale there are special tools that soften the outdated sealant - Remover, Gasket, Penta-840. You can use nail polish remover (regular, manicure). In this case, it is better to wet a felt mitten. Hard bristles help to remove, and the wool will not fall apart (like a sponge), under the influence of a solvent.
The next way to seal the joint is the easiest and most affordable. This is a self-adhesive profile. Names may vary. border tape, self-adhesive tape. All produce - Poland, Ukraine, Russia.
An alternative to silicone - curb tape
Different kinds curb tape
Before mounting, remove the old silicone (if any), clean the surface of residues with a solvent and wipe dry. Then, remove the protective film from the profile and press it to the surface. Docking in the corner is done by cutting two profiles diagonally at the same time.
What are the disadvantages of this method?
Again, all the same plastic, and all - the same problems. Although the tape is less visible compared to the "Ravak" decorative strip. The Germans have a particularly interesting solution.
Self-adhesive profile produced in the EU
Removal protective film from curb tape
What is the most good way joint seals?
The most successful is the most dreary. I saw it by accident. Its meaning is to apply silicone to the surface of the tile during cladding. Make the seam between the tile and the bathroom minimal. This requires precise fitting of all tiles. The top of the tub is not level. Each tile is cut at the place of its installation.
Applying sanitary silicone to tiles when facing
Application of silicone to the end of the tile
You can't do without silicone - the grout will definitely burst along the edge of the bath from temperature expansion or fluctuations in the case of an acrylic bath. So that the silicone does not come off as a “sausage”, it is applied to the end and on reverse side tiles. Pressing down the tile, we connect both layers. It is already impossible to pull out without undermining the tile.
But for this method, it seems to me that it is necessary to additionally apply silicone to the end of the bath during installation.
Application of "Ravak" silicone on the end of the tub before installation
It is right.sprayer Pressed the red button!
Exactly!I want to go back to
At first I thought that this was a split of a long seam into shorter sections, but after your second explanation, it turns out that we go through the entire seam several times, each time removing a little excess sealant? so to speak, gradually leading to perfect evenness, so it turns out?
It is very desirable to do everything as thinly as possible, as beautifully as possible, and at the same time at the same time! In, but it doesn’t always work out that way, it happens that the bathtub has very sloping edges, almost everyone acrylic bathtubs so, it’s probably not only me, many probably are cunning, as I already wrote, first I blow out the foam, cut off the excess, if the seam is more than 7-8 mm, I do this: the first day I make two parallel seams, the next day I make a perpendicular one, I confess honestly sometimes I do it in two layers!And the last series of questions that remain.
Now, if you need to seal the bath around the perimeter from three sides, it’s hard to do it from all sides at once. And if you do the sides in turn, then it will take some time after the first seam to the second, not to mention the third. The junction will turn out fine (where the seams are connected) if it takes about 10-15 minutes for all the seams (I'm optimistic)?
In general, in the instructions and everywhere it is written that when sealing, the old sealant must be removed. Is it because it doesn't stick to rubber (or dried sealant if there is a difference)? With regard to the junction of the seams, when it has not yet frozen, will everything seize normally? Will there be leaks in this place?
Leaks can be, in case, it bends a lot when filled with water, if something, a wall or a bathtub is greasy, or dusty, dirty. and I will say this that people cause more than once in the same bathrooms to renew the silicone lead, which means people like it
Small tiles, probably not the topic, but if in your case you glue a white plastic glazing bead around the perimeter, it might be better, you can use silicone, as I advised above, in several layers, but will it be beautiful?And such a serious question. With small seams, everything seemed to fall into place, but I have a small seam width on both sides - 5 millimeters, but on one side I didn’t drown the polypropylene pipes into the wall and accordingly I foamed it, but the seam width is about 2 cm, moreover, it must be carefully sealed and around the pipes, here it seems to me that you can’t manage with a finger. Of course, I messed around there for a long time, it turned out so-so. How to do it right there? Or put narrow pieces of tiles on such a small seam, and seal between the tiles and the bathroom?
you can’t get off with a finger, or rather it won’t help much
Now, if you look at your fingers in profile, you can understand that with a finger, it’s just the easiest way to get off in this case, even if it’s big, even if it’s forefinger, there will just be a different slope of the seam, and a different shape! It is not joke.Not specified - which finger to level something!?
Not all are acidic, some are neutral.Liquid silicone begins to quickly turn into rubber as soon as it comes into contact with air. At the same time, it highlights acetic acid- from here strong smell vinegar at work. Literally in 20-30 seconds, the outer layers lose their fluidity, after which, when trying to smooth them, they come off with frozen films.