How to replace your Bath Sink or Shower tray sealant
On the same theme of "How to sell your house", today I am going to be talking to you about how a 10 minute job can transform your bathroom and costs less than £15! We all know that is something gets wet its eventually going to grow mould - and bathrooms are no different. Its not a sign of a poor cleanliness, but these small things can put buyers off in this ever increasing difficult housing market.
Equipment / Products Needed
- Bathroom Acrylic Sealant
- Stanley Knife
- Paint Scraper
- Sand Paper
- Soft Cloth
Mould is a growing life form that lives off damp. I'm not going into too much detail about Mould, but if you see mould its our natural instinct to think "yuk!". In some cases if left to grow, the mould can cause a nasty fusty smell, which in turn can spread through the rest of your house - once again putting prospective house buyers off your property.
Baths /Shower Trays /Basins / Tiles all can harbour water, and with that comes mould, its not massively deadly (in most cases), but the black mould can make a very nice looking bathroom suite look old and dingy.
So in this quick tutorial I'm going to show you an easy way to replace your bath sealant and the most surprising fact is that is can be achieved for under £15!
Instructions on Replacing Bathroom Sealant
First things first, we need to remove the grotty sealant. Now depending on the current state on the sealant will depict how long this process will take. Although there are some tools to do this, I just use a sharp Stanley knife, and slowly glide the blade up the length of the bath cutting away the sealant.
Next, with some extremely fine sandpaper, remove the remainder of the sealant to ensure a nice smooth and dry surface. Some have even used paint scrapers - although much faster you can actually end up damaging the bath - but it is a viable option.
With your masking tape, tape along the wall/tiles in a nice straight line, ensuring it is level and firmly pressed down (spirit level?). Repeat this for the bath section, making sure the bath surface is dry before applying.
When applying any type of bathroom sealant, if you want the sealant to look its best, it's always advisable to cut the nozzle at an angle, this not only helps the application of the sealant, but also the flow. As you will notice the hole at the end of the sealant is extremely small, so cutting it will definitely improve the end result.
Now you have your sealant in its gun, the masking tape on, its time to get comfortable. Although the sealant can be cleaned up if you make a mess, its quite sticky and obviously takes some scrubbing to remove it from your skin. (The whole nature of the sealant is to repel water - so washing your hands with only water will only cause the spreading of it!)
With the bathroom sealant at an angle to the corner, slowly squeeze the gun and begin at one end of the bath (usually the corner) and in 1 continuous motion gently squeezing the trigger fill the gap between the 2 layers of masking tape.
When completed - pop the cap back onto the sealant - were going to smooth it out next.
Ensure your hands are clean and dry, some say lick your index finger - however we're going to suggest a damp clean soft cloth. From one end of the bath, to the other, glide the damp cloth over the sealant making a nice smooth finish. This will even out the sealant, with the excess being spread out over your masking tape (clever eh!).
Remove the masking tape slowly and whilst the sealant is still wet, leaving a beautiful straight line of bathroom sealant around your bath.
Warnings & Tips
- Ensure the room has good ventilation, this is a must! The bathroom sealant has an extremely strong smell which to some can make you feel nauseous, so good ventilation is an absolute must.
- If the masking tape breaks whilst applying, start again. The straight smooth line will be ruined if you try and piece several small pieces of masking tape together.
- Always allow 24 hours before using the bath. This will ensure the bathroom sealant is fully dry and "sealed"
- Throw away any waste pieces of masking tape with sealant on. Not only does the sealant contain silicone, but it also contains an anti fungus/anti mould chemical which can be extremely harmful if eaten.