Replacing The Old Sealant With New Silicone Sealant

If you wish to explore the right way of sealing the shower tray to ensure a professional outcome, you are in the right place. This complete guide will cover all the aspects of removing the old sealant and preparing the area for a new silicone sealant. The act of replacing a sealant around the shower tray is enough to provide a simple and effective method of freshening up the look of your luxurious and amazingly styled bathroom.

Here, we will explain various important aspects related to this topic. Please read it all to get to know about the guideline. Let’s crack it all.

Removing the old silicone sealant

To replace the old silicone sealant with a new one, you must remove the previous one. The best way of doing this is by using a chisel, knife, or Stanley knife. Ensure wearing safety gloves while using such tools and equipment. You are supposed to slice away the sealant generally. You need to be very conscious to avoid damaging the surface or creating scratches.

Once you have successfully removed a major portion of sealant from the surface, you will be left with some small strands. You can use your thumb or fingers to rub it off. To add more, you can also do this by using white spirit. If you are using spirit, you need to dab a little on an old cloth and start rubbing over until they dissolve or come off.

• Preparation is undoubtedly the most important part of applying silicone sealant. It would be best to follow the following steps to get amazing results.
• Always read the instructions by the manufacturer before using silicone sealants. The sinner you are using must be cured before bringing it into direct contact with water.
• Removing the dust and lost deposits using a vacuum cleaner is the best practice. Soak a damp cloth in mild detergent and water to clean the shower tray surface and tiles. There you are going to apply the sealant.
• Once you have removed the detergent with a damp cloth, wipe the area using a paper towel to ensure dryness.
• It is necessary to dry the surface because moisture can resist sealant to adhere to the surface fully. It is good to leave the shower tray for a couple of hours to dry before applying the sealant.

Sealing A Shower Tray

Tools to use:

Sealing a new silicone sealant is not a single-step process. Yet it is a process that needs a range of equipment and tools and various steps to follow to get professional results. If you are planning to seal the silicone sealant, as mentioned below are the tools that you must have in order to do so.

• A good quality silicone sealant: Making juice of high-quality silicone sealant is always appreciated. These are the only sealants that make sure as they are designed for bathroom use and contain anti-fungal additives. No doubt it would be best to use the right type that can go with the floor and environment. If you are using natural stone for the wall coverings and floor, you can go with a kind of silicon sealant that is better compatible with such types of materials.
• Sealant application gun:As the name indicates, it is a device that allows you to apply scene ant in an even managed to achieve a much consistent bead. It helps a lot in getting professional outcomes.
• Gloves:While using a different kinds of tools and equipment as a knife, you may encounter injuries; that is why it is necessary to wear good quality gloves to ensure your protection from the tools and equipment.
• Smoothing tool:The smoothing tool helps in giving a very fine and even texture to your work. It would help if you considered it was used to get amazing results.
• Paintbrush:No one is unaware of the role paint brushes can play in enhancing the property of architecture to captivate the eyes of the beholders.
• Paper towels or old rags:Using old rags and paper towels for cleaning purposes and removing the old silicone sealants is a good thing to go with. After cleaning, they are also used to drive the surface.
• Painters tape:It is a tape used by painters to trace the exact marks and points to create amazing patterns and apply the paint to you decide locations.
• Silicone sealant remover:You must remove the old silicone sealant to replace it with a new one. That is why silicone sealant remover is something you need to use to make the area free for new installation.
• Box cutter:It would be best to use the small gadget to cut different objects, so keep that with you while replacing the silicone sealant with a new one.
• Joint scraper or needle-nose pliers:These are the small yet important equipment you need to remove mortar from tile joints in a very clean and effective manner.

Steps to follow

You need to follow the following steps to replace an old silicone sealant with a new one in a much efficient manner.

1. Ensuring the dry area:

It is necessary to ensure that the walls and shower tray are completely dry and free from dust and dirt. Otherwise, your seal will not adhere to the surface fully.

2. Selecting the correct aperture size:

If you are using some tool to smooth the sealant, you must select the correct aperture size to finish the bad in a manner that covers the gap between the tray and tiles.

3. Cutting of application nozzle:

You should be much conscious while cutting the application nozzle. Keep that in mind that the hole is not too big and at a 45-degree angle. The application nozzle will have marks pointing where and how to trim that notion. Typically the ideal size for application maturity is a 5 mm hole, but you can enlarge it if you need a wider bead.

4. Applying an even bead of silicone sealant:

To get professional results, it is good to start in the inner corner of the shower tray. You should apply a little pressure to the trigger of the application gun. And, it would be best if you worked towards the front of the shore betray in a single continuous movement. You need to ensure that you have applied an even bead of silicon in the entire process. Avoid applying too much quantity as it will get harder to remove,

5. Making sure there are no gaps:

You need to maintain the consistency of silicone sealant thick enough to cover the gaps between tiles and tray. Ensure that there are no visible gaps. If you notice any, consider adding a little bit of sealant to that area in a careful manner.

6. Wiping the access away:

Once you have completed every line of sealant, you are not free to relieve the pressure from the application gun. Consider wiping the excess away and replacing it with the cap.

7. Smoothing outer sealant:

After following the entire procedure, you must place the smoothing tool against tiles and tray. It would be best to start from a point where you applied the sealant first. Apply gently yet consistently pressure, pulling the smoothing tool along the direction of the length of the shower tray to remove the extra sealant.

If you have created a bead with a smooth consistency, you need not keep smoothing it as it will become untidy and not adhere correctly.

8. Living to drive fully:

It would help to leave the fresh silicone sealant to dry for above 24 hours.

Related queries

How long should shower sealant last? 

On an estimate, a good shower sealant may last for about one to two years. But, this time limit may fluctuate based on using your shower system.

How long do you need to leave the silicone sealant to dry? 

Generally, various silicone sealants take almost 24 hours to dry completely. After leaving the fresh silicone sealant for about 24 hours, you are free to expose them to moisture, water, or the other condition of regular use.

How often should you reseal a shower? 

It should be, actually, sufficient to seal your shower again every one to two years. To add more, it can also depend upon how frequently you use your shower system. You need to opt for a kind of shower sealant labeled as ‘Tub & Tile’ or ‘Kitchen & Bath’ while sealing tile and grout for you.

Do I need to seal tile in the shower? 

The shower tiles you use in your shower systems must be sealed after some years because they contain grout. To make it clear for you, grout is an extremely porous material. To avoid the building-up of moisture in tiles and grout, it is highly recommended to seal the shower tiles depending upon the usage.

Final Thoughts

Removing an old silicone sealant and sealing the new one is not a big task. But you must be aware of various important facts that we have elaborated on in the above content. This guide, we hope, will help you get professional results.