In the bathroom, all surfaces are exposed to damp environments and frequent drops temperatures. Therefore, it is very important to seal not only the seams between the tiles, but also the joints on the border of the wall and the bathtub, washbasin or other surfaces. Silicone sealant is perfect for this.
Main advantages
In order to make pipe jointsbetween the wall and the bathroom, or be sure to use a sealant. Range building materials offers several options based on different polymers. Suitable for use in bathrooms:
- Silicone.
- Acrylic.
- Silicone-acrylic.
- Polyurethane.
Silicone based sealant suitable option, which will help to firmly hold the surface together. It differs:
- Resistant to temperature changes. Manufacturers indicate the boundaries in which the substance fully retains its properties, this is from -50 to + 200 degrees Celsius.
- Excellent adhesion. Perfectly fastens with all materials used for arranging the bathroom (tile, metal, acrylic, wood, glass).
- Duration of operation.
Silicone-based sealant has excellent adhesion and resistance to temperature differences
But you need to remember that such a sealant is more expensive than the rest. Although for arranging a safe bathroom you should not save.
How to choose the right option
- Moment.
- Penosil.
- Titan.
- Ceresit.
These manufacturers offer packages of different volumes. In addition, a dye is also added to the main composition, which makes it possible to select a sealing material that is invisible on any surface.
Advice! For homework, it is better to buy 2-3 small tubes of sealant than 1 large one. In a large open container, the substance quickly becomes unusable.
Some options have additional components that help silicone sealant resist the effects of various kinds of microorganisms and fungi. Such compounds are called sanitary sealants. They are best used in rooms with high humidity.
When choosing, you must also remember that the composition can be:
- Acidic - acetic acid is added to the composition, because the substance has a caustic and bad smell. Such a sealant cannot be used on metal surfaces, as they are attacked by acid and quickly rust. The putty is suitable for working with wooden, ceramic surfaces.
- Neutral. This option is universal, and does not harm any known substances.
Attention! Additional components in the composition should be less than 10%. Greater value degrades the properties of the sealant.
Currently on the market wide range of various sealants
Rules for working with sealant
Buying a quality product is only half the battle. It is important to use it correctly to get the desired result. Therefore, when working with silicone compounds, the following subtleties must be considered:
- The composition is covered only on a dry and clean surface. This means that you need to carefully prepare the place where the substance will be applied. The base is washed, dried and degreased with alcohol or acetone.
- Silicone sealant after drying, it is poorly removed from the surfaces, therefore the borders must be pasted over with masking tape. The more accurately the strips are glued, the more inconspicuously the putty will be applied.
- Squeeze out the substance from the tube evenly, without making gaps.
- Before the composition hardens, it is necessary to level the applied layer. To do this, use a soft spatula or cloth soaked in water and wound around the finger in one layer.
Attention! It is necessary to carry out the tool only in the direction in which the sealant was applied. Otherwise, irregularities will form.
- Masking tape is removed before the sealant hardens. When the substance hardens, it will be difficult to tear it from total mass. Then you have to cut, and this can lead to a violation of tightness.
- The time of hardening and complete drying are completely different indicators. The hardening time is about 30 minutes, after which the substance dries and stops sticking to the fingers, complete hardening takes from 6 to 24 hours (depending on the layer thickness, temperature and humidity), the period of time after which the sealant acquires all its properties.
Using sealant is not particularly difficult even for a non-professional
Re-sealing
It often happens that the applied layer has become unusable due to different reasons(covered with a fungus, exfoliated due to improper application). On the Internet you can find many photos showing such a problem. Then the procedure must be repeated again.
But now you need to not only carefully prepare the base, but also remove old layer. This will not be so easy, because, as mentioned above, silicone sealant adheres strongly to materials.
The putty can be cut off. To do this, choose a knife with a thin and sharp blade or a special construction one. The rest is cut carefully and very carefully. Please note that you cannot leave even a small piece otherwise new layer just can't do its job.
To remove absolutely all the sealant, you need to use a special softener, which is applied 2 times thicker than the rest of the sealant. After the procedure, everything is removed with a cloth. Next, you need to apply silicone sealant after degreasing the surface.
In order to understand in more detail the instructions for applying the sealant, you can watch the video.
Video: Silicone sealant
Where is silicone used?
Surface preparation.
Care of silicone seams.
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Different types of silicone and their features.
This article will focus on sanitary silicone sealants.
Silicones are divided into acidic and neutral. Acidic ones have a pronounced smell of vinegar. Neutrals have almost no smell.
By operational properties they are almost the same.
There is much more difference price categories silicone sealants. As usual, the more expensive, the better.
For wet rooms sanitary sealants are produced. They contain bactericidal additives.
Personally, I prefer acid sealants.
Colors of silicones are issued the most various. About colorless, I note that there are matte and glossy. In certain cases, this matters.
For example - when sealing linen winding on plumbing fittings- if you use a glossy sealant, then all the time it will seem that water has come through. Which, of course, will be annoying.
Matte sealant will just be appropriate here.
Where is silicone used?
When repairing an apartment, silicone is used:
- when installing plumbing fixtures;
- for sealing gaps between the window and the window sill, as well as around the perimeter of the window;
- for sealing water fittings;
- for sealing air ducts.
The main mistakes that occur when working with silicone.
- Insufficient preparation of surfaces before silicone. Just cleaning the surfaces of dirt and dust is not enough. Be sure to degrease the surface with a degreaser, acetone, gasoline. Do not use white spirit, thinner 646, etc. - after their application, an oil film remains on the surface.
- When removing excess silicone, it becomes a pity for beginners to throw away these surpluses, and they try to somehow use them in further work. This is absolutely impossible to do. Often, you have to throw away more surplus than in the useful balance, but there's nothing you can do about it, you need to put up with it.
- The life of acid silicone is five minutes after application. During this time, you need to have time to remove the excess, otherwise a film will form that will prevent this from being done.
- The most common mistake is removing excess silicone “dry”. Be sure to spray the silicone with the solution described below before removing it. You can’t just sprinkle water - the result will be deplorable.
Tools and materials for working with silicone.
1. Painting knife:
This knife has one secret - a spare blade hidden in the handle.
With a knife, you can cut the old silicone, clean the seams, open a new silicone cartridge.
Chisel. It is used to clean the surface from coarse dirt.
Scraper for final cleaning of surfaces.
Stick for removing excess silicone.
Specialized scraper for removing excess silicone. 
It has a built-in blade for cutting the neck of the cartridge.
Curly spatulas for removing excess silicone. The working edge must correspond to the intended width and shape of the seam.
Masking tape for surface protection.
Ice cream stick, sharpened to the desired radius.
cartridge gun
Brush for spraying soapy water.
Cutter for stripping seams from old silicone.
Toilet paper.
Spray.
Soap or neutral detergent. Suitable Fairy or App. Attention! Do not use alcohol detergents!
It is not necessary to have all these tools, it is enough to choose what is necessary for a specific task.
Surface preparation.
Surface preparation is reduced to cleaning and degreasing. Special attention: surfaces must be dry!
We clean with a chisel, scraper. Wipe with a rag with a degreaser. We are waiting for one minute - you can start silicone!
Silicone application technology.
Getting the tool ready.
We make soapy water by rubbing a piece of soap in water or adding it to water detergent. 1 tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per liter of water.
Actually, a liter is a lot. In most cases, 200 grams is enough.
We fill the sprayer. If it is not at hand, then you can use a brush or any brush.
We release the roll from the wrapper. We tear off several strips of two squares.
Cut off the end of the cartridge. We screw an extension spout onto it and make an oblique cut on it.
When silicone is applied, it is important to do it in one pass.
In this case, the width of the "sausage" of silicone should be greater than the width of the intended seam.
We obtain the desired width by cutting off the tip of the cartridge in the appropriate place.
We make the cut obliquely and we will apply the sealant, pressing the cut to the seam.
We insert the cartridge into the gun and do a test squeeze. Sometimes silicone has a colorless liquid at first, it needs to be removed.
All excess silicone is placed on a sheet toilet paper and wrapped in it so that it was impossible to get dirty later.
So, let's start applying silicone to the seam or into the corner.
The procedure for applying silicone.
For beginners, it is better to apply silicone at a time no more than 1m. Otherwise, you may not have time to withdraw the surplus.
When applying silicone, it must be taken into account that spraying with soapy water causes this solution to flow down.
Therefore, if you start the silicone of the vertical seam, then the lower horizontal seam will then have to be dried.
So it is better to start from the bottom tier, and then move up.
It is also useful to start from the corner at once in both directions. Let's say half a meter.
If a vertical seam goes up from the same angle, then in front of the silicone bottom seams you need to stick masking tape on the section of the vertical seam so as not to soak it when spraying with soapy water.
So, silicone was applied to two sections half a meter from the corner. When applying, it is important to try to fill the gap in the corner as deep as possible.
This will keep the silicone in place.
To achieve this, you need to press the cartridge nose with a cut to the corner and, when extruding, make sure that there are no voids.
The silicone should lie in an approximately even layer, slightly larger than the width of the intended seam.
If somewhere there was a pass, then you can go back and add more silicone.
After the end of the application, we shoot the stock with a special button on the gun to stop the movement of the sealant.
The next step is to moisten the scraper with soapy water, which will remove the excess.
By the way, an ordinary teaspoon is well suited for this purpose.
If you do not let the silicone dry on it, then it will be quite suitable for further use.
When removing excess, you need to make sure that the silicone does not fall from the scraper (spoon).
At this point, gently tear off the scraper from the seam, spread the excess on a piece of toilet paper, wipe the scraper clean, moisten with a solution and continue to remove from the place where we finished.
If excess silicone remains on one of the surfaces (outside the resulting seam), then you should not worry about this - it can then be removed without problems - with a scraper with a blade.
Here it is important not to get carried away and not to climb onto the non-wetted area of the seam, because it is impossible to remove silicone “dry”! - The edges of the silicone will be smeared along the walls and it will be impossible to trim it!
So, the excess is removed, you can continue applying silicone.
We continue again in both directions in order. If there is a corner ahead again, then we start from the corner and approach our stopping place.
If there is a rounding along the way, for example, the edge at the sink, then silicone is applied as usual, and removed with a scraper in a perpendicular position - that is, gradually tilting it, following the radius of the rounding.
In some cases, you can correct the shape of the resulting seam with a finger dipped in soapy water.
With silicone adjoining the sink to the wall, it is important not to “fail” the seam so that there is no recess in which water could stagnate.
This can be achieved by removing the excess with an ice cream stick placed horizontally.
By the way, the faucet on the sink at this moment can greatly interfere, so you need to remove it in advance or use a short stick.
Having finished with the lower tier of horizontal seams, proceed to the vertical seams.
Removing excess silicone, cleaning surfaces.
Excess silicone remaining on the wall (floor) can be easily cleaned after drying with a scraper with a blade. The remains are wiped off with a cotton cloth.
If you happen to accidentally drop silicone on the front surface, then you can immediately wipe it off with a rag moistened with a degreaser, or you can wait until it dries and peel off without problems.
True, at the same time there is a risk of stepping on it and pulling it all over the apartment, so it is better to use the first option.
How to remove silicone from a joint and clean the surface.
Old silicone from the seam can be removed by cutting through it sharp knife separating from adjacent surfaces. Clean up the remains with the same knife or scraper with a blade.
If you have time, you can wet a rag special composition and put on the seam for 24 hours, and then easily removed.
Care of silicone seams.
The curing time of the joints varies depending on the thickness of the joint and the humidity in the room.
On average, after two hours it is already possible to pour water on the seam, and after a day - wash it.
If silicone was used to seal the tile joints of the plumbing hatch, then it takes from three to five days to wait for complete hardening.
Silicone does not require special care, it is enough to wash it with soapy water with non-abrasive sponges or a regular cloth.
If blackness began to appear on the silicone, this means there is increased humidity in the room, or in this place the silicone has a hole in which water stagnates.
The fight against blackness comes down to eliminating these causes.
Below is a video showing the silicone window sill.
4 comments
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I tried to work with a cosmophen. The result did not suit me. You have photo video good example? And, maybe share the welding technology?
Agree with the previous statement. The only minus cosmofen can no longer be replaced as silicone, but at the same time it is not necessary. It does not turn yellow and does not turn black. Unfortunately there are no photos either. The principle of operation is approximately the same as with silicone.
The bathroom is a special room in the apartment, which is almost always warm and humid. Such conditions are a favorable environment for the appearance there. Getting rid of them in the future will be quite difficult. Therefore, all cracks and gaps in the joints of the surfaces in the bathroom must be repaired during the repair. And for these purposes, silicone sealant is most often used. And in order to do everything neatly, you must first familiarize yourself with how to use it correctly.
Application of silicone based sealant
There is different types sealants, and the most common is silicone. It has excellent properties and is perfect for grouting in bathrooms. There are two types of it: acidic, used only for metals that do not rust, and neutral, used for any surfaces. It is a neutral sealant that is often chosen for bathrooms. Among the advantages of silicone sealants are:
- high degree of strength;
- excellent elasticity;
- good resistance to temperature fluctuations;
- excellent water-repellent characteristics;
- long service life.
Attention! The best option for bathrooms there will be a silicone sealant labeled "sanitary". It contains special antibacterial additives that prevent the formation of fungus.
Preparation of surfaces for sealant
Using silicone sealant is very easy. But first you need to make preparatory work where it will be used. Surface preparation consists of three steps:
Sealant allows you to securely seal all joints and seams
- cleaning the joints and seams in the bathroom from dirt and dust - you can use a vacuum cleaner for this purpose;
- degreasing surfaces intended for sealing with sealant - to do this, wipe the cleaned seams with acetone or alcohol;
- drying working surface- wipe dry or do it with a building hair dryer.
Attention! Careful preparation of the seams in the bathroom under the sealant will ensure its best adhesion to the surface.
How to use sealant
Silicone sealants are sold in standard packaging - tubes. Before you start using the tool, you need to prepare it. For this, the tip of the tube should be cut at an angle, which facilitates the application of silicone, and put on the cap supplied with the sealant. After that, the prepared tube is filled into a special gun and fixed in it.
Having inserted the tip of the tube with sealant deeper into the seam, it is necessary to evenly apply silicone over the entire surface to be treated. The pressing force when working with a pistol must be compared with the moderation of movement along the gap or junction. This will result in a smooth and beautiful seam. Silicone serves to protect the surface from moisture penetration. Therefore, saving sealant here will be inappropriate. All voids in the processed seam must be filled. If this is not done, then when the silicone dries, cracks may form between the surface itself at the junction and the sealant.
Not always the seam from the first time can turn out perfectly even. There is nothing terrible here. While the sealant has not had time to harden, you can remove its excess and level the seam with a rubber spatula slightly moistened with water, or use a small scraper constructed from a piece of plastic for this purpose. Many smooth the seam with just a finger when nothing suitable is at hand. But it’s better to at least moisten your finger in soapy water before that.
Advice. In order not to stain the surfaces adjacent to the seam with silicone, it is better to stick mounting tape along it before applying the product as close to the joint as possible and remove it after completion of work.
How long does it take to dry after applying silicone sealant for the bathroom
Drying times for silicone sealants vary by manufacturer. But regardless of its composition, it can dry in different ways. It depends on the type of surface, and on the thickness of the applied layer, and on the temperature in the room. Upper layer sealant ceases to be sticky after about 20-30 minutes, but inside it still remains liquid.
After a few hours, the silicone hardens, and it takes about a day to dry completely. For deep and bulky seams, even more time may be required - up to two days. And all this time it is necessary to protect the composition applied to the seam from moisture that can get on it, that is, it is better not to use the bathroom.
Application of sealant
How can I remove old silicone sealant
Before sealing gaps with sealant during repairs, the seams must be thoroughly cleaned of the old layer of silicone. You can remove it:
- mechanically - scrape off the already hardened, old layer of silicone with a sharp knife;
- special means - a layer of old sealant sometimes cannot be removed with a blade or knife. In this case, special washes and solvents will help to remove it.
The better to dissolve silicone sealant
A small amount of this product can be wiped off with alcohol, gasoline, white spirit. Enough on sale and a variety of solvents, with which the sealant is removed from the surface. But most of them do not completely clean off the silicone, but only soften it. But after that, it will be much easier to remove it. But it should be borne in mind that all these tools may have some restrictions on the use on certain types of surfaces. Therefore, you first need to try them in an inconspicuous place.
Silicone-based sealant is a convenient and practical tool, and it is quite simple to use. Using it in the bathroom allows you to effectively protect this room from the appearance of traces of mold and fungus there.
How to use silicone sealant: video
Silicone sealant: photo
The key to a well-sealed seam is hidden in proper preparation and mastery of simple skills. Learning the technique of applying sealant will save you a lot of trouble: a stained joint, leaking construction and soiled clothes.
Finishers consider a spatula made of rubber or plastic to be the main tool when working with sealing compounds. Its shape is different - in the form of a spoon, a rectangle, or another one that is most suitable for the seam being processed. For starters, two or three spatulas are enough, and later you can get a set with blades of various radii. You will also need:- Sealant gun;
- Spray gun for soap solution;
- Masking tape, rags;
- Acetone or alcohol.
- At an angle of 45 °, the tip of the nozzle is cut off, the resulting hole should correspond to 2/3 of the seam size;
- The nozzle is screwed onto the tube, the protective foil is pierced several times with a wire;
- By pressing the trigger, the piston extends to the end, the sealant cartridge is placed in the gun body;
- The spout of the tube is filled by working with a lever.
Silicone-based sealant is a dense and viscous compound that fills joints, gaps and cavities in various grounds. Thus, the sealant protects the surfaces from the damaging effects of the environment.
Silicone sealant is most widely used in the construction industry, because it is more effective than mastics and putties made from other materials.
Properties
The basis of the seal is silicon (silicone) polymer. It defines the characteristics of the sealant:
- Elasticity. Thanks to this, the compactor can be used on movable bases. The composition compensates for deforming movements at the joints.
- Strength, resistance to mechanical and tensile loads.
- Good adhesion to ceramics, glass, metal, wood, concrete, plastic.
- Resistance to atmospheric influences and ultraviolet. Thanks to this, silicone sealant can be used outdoors.
- The temperature range at which it is possible to use silicone is from -50 to +200˚.
What does it consist of
For the production of seals are used:
- synthetic rubber (silicone);
- a filler that gives the composition the desired volume;
- plasticizer;
- a vulcanizing agent that imparts viscosity to the sealant;
- hardening additive and adhesion modifier;
- a pigment that gives the material color;
- antiseptics that destroy harmful microorganisms.
There are two types of vulcanizers added to the sealant. Based on this, there are two types of silicone sealant:
- acid compounds. They are easy to identify by the specific smell of vinegar. These sealants are very durable. However, they cannot be used on marble, aluminum and cement mortar due to their resistance to acetic acid.
- neutral counterparts. They are used to work with bases of any type.
Application area
Based on the area of \u200b\u200btheir use, there are such types of silicone seals:
- Sanitary acid sealant. It is waterproof, impact resistant harmful microorganisms. Due to this, the composition can be used in wet rooms.
Sanitary sealant has good adhesion to glass, ceramics, enamel, wood, brick, concrete and metal. With its help, joints and cracks around plumbing fixtures, on pipelines, on wall cladding, floors and ceilings in wet rooms are sealed.
- Heat resistant compound. It can withstand temperatures up to +300˚. It has good adhesion to glass, metal and ceramics. Resistant to technical oils, fuels and greases. Due to its characteristics, it is used in heating networks, air conditioning systems, kitchen and automotive equipment.
- Glass seal. It has good adhesion to smooth and porous substrates. Resistant to ultraviolet and temperature extremes. Used for ceramics, wood, bricks, glass elements and mirrors. For acrylic and PVC, this material cannot be used.
- General purpose silicone. It is designed to work with porous substrates, ceramic, glass and metal surfaces that don't rust. The composition can not be used on acrylic, PVC and iron.
- Sanitary material on a neutral vulcanizer. Resistant to external influences. It is designed to work with building materials. Such a sealant cannot be used in wet rooms.
- Neutral silicone for processing natural stone. The material is UV and weather resistant. Such a sealant can be used to process bases made of stone, glass, PVC and acrylic.
- General construction neutral sealant. It can be used outdoors and indoors, when processing hard mates. The material has good adhesion to all building materials.
- Roof sealant. The material is weather resistant. It is designed to seal roof elements: cladding, chimneys, attic windows, etc.
How to properly apply sealant. Step-by-step instruction
Silicone-based sealants are available in 310 ml plastic tubes. Before using the sealant, it must be prepared:
- First of all, the tip of the tube is cut off.
- Next, the cap that comes with the kit is put on it.
- After that, the distributor is cut at the desired angle.
- Then the prepared sealant is inserted into a special gun. Then it is fixed in the tool.
Starting work, you should insert the cap of the tube into the joint and, pressing the trigger of the gun, evenly distribute the sealant on the base to be processed.
Important! The pressing force when using the tool must be compared with the speed of its movement along the joint. This will make it possible to obtain a smooth and aesthetic seam as a result.
The sealant should not be saved. All gaps must be filled. Otherwise, when the sealant hardens, cracks may appear between the base and the seal.
Often the filled joint does not turn out to be absolutely even. In this case, you do not have to wait until the sealant dries. It is necessary to remove its excess and trim the seam with a moistened rubber spatula. You can also use a small plastic scraper for this. Professional builders often level the filled joint with a finger dipped in a solution of laundry soap.
How to remove from the surface
The silicone seal is flexible yet durable. It adheres firmly to the base. It is not easy to tear the seal from its surface. The material has to be cut by inserting a sharp knife between the interlocked surfaces. Therefore, it is necessary to work with silicone sealant carefully.
But what if you still need to remove the hardened sealant from the base? When the silicone layer is quite thick, it is relatively easy to remove it. It should be hooked with something and simply torn off the base.
A different situation arises if you have to remove a thin layer or spots of inaccurately applied material. They are difficult to remove, especially when you need to maintain a sealed joint.
In this case, you should carefully separate the removed layer from the one that needs to be saved. To do this, cut through the material in the problem area with a sharp knife, and wipe off unnecessary residues with your finger. This method is well suited for a fresh compactor that has not had time to gain 100% strength.
Old material is removed only with the help of chemical compositions softening it. Manufacturers produce many cleaners that can help remove old sealant. The best of them:
- Silicone Remover. It is a universal cleaner for all surfaces.
- Sili-kill from the Dutch manufacturer Den-Braven. After its application, the silicone is simply removed with a sanitary napkin.
- Permaloid-7799. This preparation is designed to remove silicone sealant from metal substrates and painted surfaces.
- Permaloid-7010. It serves to remove the sealant from plastic, including PVC, acrylic, polystyrene.
How to avoid buying low-quality silicone and fakes
No one is protected from acquiring low-quality sealant and fakes, even in large construction stores. To avoid the risk of detachment or cracking of the seal, consider the following:
- Damage on the label indicates a violation of the rules for storing the sealant. When the package has been frozen and then thawed, the material must not be used in it.
- The mass of the tube is more than 340 g with its capacity of 310 ml indicates a high content of non-functional impurities in the material.
- If the density level of the seal is less than 0.85 g/cm, this means that the product is of poor quality.
- The inscription "100% silicone" indicates that the products are falsified.
- The unnecessarily low cost of the sealant also indicates a fake.
- In any case, the products must have accompanying and warranty documents.
The areas of use of silicone sealant are divided into 3 categories:
- foundation compaction with outside buildings;
- sealing seams and joints indoors;
- sealing surfaces in damp rooms.
This must be taken into account and choose a sealant with the appropriate inscription on the package.
Before purchasing, you should find out the composition of the sealant. A quality seal consists of the following components:
- silicone polymer (26%);
- organic (rubber) mastic (4-5%);
- thiokol, polyurethane polymer and acrylic putty (total volume up to 3%);
- epoxy resin (up to 2%);
- cement additive (up to 0.4%).
Sealants with antiseptic additives must not be used on surfaces that come into contact with food and drinking water. Also, such seals are unsuitable for terrariums and aquariums.
Sealant can be used to seal small window gaps. external works. The material will not crack under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and will withstand temperature extremes.
To seal dark wood, mirrors, glass, mosaics, it is best to choose a transparent sealant. It is desirable to process floor joints with a dark sealant.
Silicone-based sealant is available in several varieties. Therefore, it is universal and can be used for sealing seams and joints on any grounds, both indoors and outdoors.
Watch this video. It contains a lot of supplementary information and information on the topic of the article.
