Choosing the Right Bathroom Sealant
Bathrooms are moisture-rich environments with high foot traffic. Whether you’re living in a one-bedroom flat or have 5 people sharing the master en-suite, these rooms need proper care and maintenance to keep them working at their best. Bathroom sealant is one of the easiest and effective ways to refresh the corners of these rooms while also prioritising hygiene. This is why we’ve pulled together this guide to help you better understand your options for bathroom sealant and how to choose the right one.
The Reasons for Sealant in a Bathroom
Sealants are designed to provide a waterproof seal over a cavity. In bathrooms, the abundance of water in the air and flowing from your brassware poses a number of complications. If allowed to flow out of this room, you risk the chance of a leak coming through the ceiling. If water is allowed to get behind fixed units, it increases the likelihood of mould forming. And, if this is left untreated, it could cause havoc for those with respiratory health issues.
Sealant in a bathroom is largely used to create the waterproof seal and smooth finish around a fixed bathtub.
Types of Bathroom Sealant
Because of the high moisture content, we always recommend using a silicone-based sealant to finish off your bathtub. These can also be used around shower trays and sinks to do the exact same job. Silicone sealant is:
- Resistant to high and low temperatures.
- Able to bond with a wide variety of materials.
- Resistant to expansion and contraction due to heat.
- Very durable and able to form tight seals that last up to 4xs longer than rubber.
- Able to look clean and tidy as soon as you’ve finished applying it.
- Water repellent so ideal for these sorts of environments.
- Resistant to chemical changes.
Many silicone-based sealants that are designed for use in bathrooms also include a fungicide. This allows your seal to be resistant to mould growth too.
Our Top Picks for Bathroom Sealant
At Sealant & Tools Direct, we stock a wide range of sealants for different applications. So here are our picks for the best bathroom sealants on the market today.
Dow Corning Dowsil Coloured Silicone Sealant
With a powerful fungicide built into the formula, this silicone-based sealant will adhere to a wide range of different substrates. Once it cures, it gives a high-gloss finish and, unlike many other options, comes in a number of different colours including white, black, grey, brown, aluminium and clear.
We sell it as a box of 12 multipacks or in individual cartridges.
Everbuild 200 Exerflex Contractors LMA Acetoxy Silicone Sealant
Offering the strength and durability needed by contractors and homeowners too, this versatile silicone-based product can be used on a wide variety of applications - including sealing baths, showers, basins and other sanitaryware. It provides good draught protection and has a permanently flexible, quick curing design. The low viscosity allows for fast application and it also has an antifungal compound to prevent mould growth.
We sell it as a box of 12 multipacks or in individual cartridges.
Rainbow RAL Coloured Silicone Sealant
If it’s very important to you to match a colour scheme in the bathroom, you’ll want to go for the Rainbow RAL coloured sealant. Available in all of the RAL Colour System shame, it can be used both internally and externally. The formula offers a low-modulus, neutral-curing finish that adheres to most surfaces and can withstand exposure to direct sunlight too.
Once you’ve chosen the right bathroom sealant for your needs, it’s time to move on to the application process. Thankfully, this is something you can do with minimal equipment and without much prior experience.
Equipment List
To seal around a fixed bath, shower tray or sanitaryware, you will need:
- Protective safety gloves.
- Protective safety glasses.
- Masking tape.
- A sharp safety knife.
- A sealant gun.
- Your chosen silicone-based sealant.
Step-by-step Bathroom Sealant Guide
Applying your sealant should only take a few minutes, especially if you follow our guide here. We’ve included handy tips throughout to help you get the most out of your finish.
- Clean your surfaces
Before applying new sealant, make sure you’ve removed any old sealant and loose residue. Wipe down the surfaces and use a hoover, if needed, to remove all debris. If you have existing sealant, it can be removed by cutting into the line and using a flat-head screwdriver. The remaining strands can be shifted with white spirit and an old cloth. Be careful while doing this - you don’t want to scratch the bath surface.
- Mask up your lines
Using masking tape and outlining the lines you want to make beforehand is the best way to get a clean and smooth finish around your bathtub.
- Prepare your sealant
Most silicone sealants are sold in cartridges. To apply them, you simply need to snip off the seal and cut the applicator at an angle with a sharp knife or scissors.
- Apply the sealant
You want to get the applicator of your sealant gun as close to the edge of the bathtub as possible. Pull the sealant gun trigger and move the gun towards you in a smooth, consistent manner. Tip: We recommend working from the top corner of your bath, coming towards you, down and then into the bottom wall-side corner.
- Smooth down the sealant
Once the sealant has been applied, wet your finger and run it along the line to smooth everything out. You can also do this with a sealant applicator or a wooden spoon. This will ensure that no dirt or bacteria can get behind the seal.
These steps will make it easy for you to apply bathroom sealant yourself, and with professional-like results. If you have any questions or need help finding the right product for your needs, please get in contact with the Sealant & Tools Direct team here today.