removing silicone sealant

T

TabithaRose

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this may be a stupid question but diy isn't something I'm good at :) what is the best & easiest method of removing silicone sealant from around the edges of a bath

thanks in advance ;)
 
Its painfull, you can pick up sealant remover from most good bathroom shops or just get a brillo pad and scrub like crazy!
 
I have used a Stanley knife to cut away the most of it, then went back over with the edge of a Stanley blade to carefully scrape / cut away the remainder. Worked fine.
There is also a product you can get to dissolve it, comes in a tube suitable for a mastic gun i.e. in a similar tube to silicone. You leave it on for a while to melt the old stuff.
It works well, but may not be needed, and I guess you would need to clean up well afterwards and not leave any behind to melt the new lot ;-)
 
It may be too late but when using silicone to seal an area you should spread the sealant as thinly as possible then to remove the excess use some sort of liquid soap on your finger, run your finger along the sealant and clean of the excess of your finger as you go.

The problem with trying to clean off silicone that is set is that you disturb the seal if you pull or drag at the silicone.
 
just a handy tip for any one sealing a bath for the first time, half fill it with water when your doing it, less likely to break seal when in use!
 
Full marks to Davy Jones. If sealing a shower put 2 x 25 Kgs bags in the tray first.
 
Here's another tip:

Clean the areas to be sealed with a cloth moistened with methylated spirit and warm surfaces with a hairdryer prior to sealing. This ensures an excellent bond.
 
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