The process of renovating a bathroom does not end with laying beautiful ceramic tiles and buying new plumbing. There are many small nuances that also need to be taken into account. One of them is a small wall gap between the wall and the edge of the bath.
We will tell you how to seal and disguise a gap that is dangerous for leakage, and besides, it is not pleasing with aesthetics. From the article we have proposed, you will learn how to seal the joint between the bathroom and the wall. To get ahead of the most suitable option for you, we present several methods.
No matter how smoothly you try to install the bath, there will still be a small gap between its side and the tile or concrete wall. The minimum gap is 0.1 cm, but in some cases it reaches 2-3 cm in width.
We do not take into account the distance to the wall of 10 cm or more, which remains on the narrow side of the bath - it can only be repaired using a profile structure and drywall or other materials at hand.
There are several reasons for the appearance of a gap, and almost all of them come down to the imperfection of the geometry of the room.
Even a small gap can cause big trouble for the family of the owners of the apartment, and for the neighbors from the lower floor.
Among the most common shortcomings are the following:
- uneven screed on the floor, causing the bathtub to skew - part of the problem can be solved by leveling the floor or tightening the bathtub mounting bolts;
- "wavy" walls formed by a layer of illiterately laid plaster;
- non-standard angles - sharper or obtuse than 90 degrees;
- defects in the plumbing product - not a perfectly even side.
The last problem is extremely rare, mainly in economy class baths. Sometimes it is easier to seal an unaesthetic joint between and a wall than to change the product or re-plaster several walls.
You can't even leave a small gap. While bathing or taking a shower, the liquid will definitely fall on the wall, and then not into the bath, as usual, but straight to the floor. And water on the floor will certainly lead to conflict with the neighbors from the apartment below, regardless of the quality and reliability made in the bathroom.
Through a narrow gap, water drops roll under the bath, where they accumulate and begin to destroy building materials, provoke the appearance of mold and fungus
You can get rid of trouble in different ways: with your own hands or with the help of professional finishers. Since special skills are not needed to seal the gap, many manage on their own.
Overview of ways to seal the joint at the bath
Various materials are used to mask the gap. Some are applied with a caulking gun, others are simply glued on.
Consider the popular ways that you can take note and implement yourself.
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When installing a bathtub, it may happen that there is a gap between its side and the wall. This will not only not decorate the bathroom, but will also increase the level of humidity. After all in the gap between the bathroom and the wall water will constantly get in, and in the space under the bathroom, due to the lack of effective ventilation, moisture dries poorly. As a result, the surfaces of the floor and walls will be constantly damp, and this threatens the growth of mold fungi.
Renovating a bathroom is no easy task. And there are no trifles in this process. Since even a small omission can cause the newly completed finish to be damaged during the operation of the bathroom.
Here, for example, if you do not attach importance to the fact that there is a gap between the side of the bathtub and the wall, then water will constantly get into it. And constant dampness is the main reason for damage to the appearance of the finish due to the formation of mold spots. Yes, and the open gap in the bathroom does not look very attractive. Let's figure out how to properly seal the gap between the bathroom and the wall.
Why are gaps formed at the joints of the wall and the bath?
In theory, the bath should stand close to the wall, and there should not be a noticeable gap at the junction. But that doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes it happens like this:
- The size of the bath does not match the size of the room, so there is a decent size gap against the wall.
- The geometry of the walls in the bathroom is far from ideal, that is, the angle of intersection of the walls is not straight.
- The installation of the bath was carried out after finishing the walls.
Advice! According to the rules, when repairing a bathroom, you must first finish the floor, then install the bath and only then lay tiles on the walls. Subject to this repair procedure, the tile will “lie down” on the side of the bath and there will be no gap at the junction. However, not in all cases it is advisable to make repairs in this order. For example, it may be necessary to replace a bathtub without updating the wall finishes.
Choice of gap filling method
In order to choose the right method that allows you to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall, you first need to evaluate its size. In addition, you will have to take into account the properties of the material from which the bath is made.
For example, when answering the question of how to close the gap between the acrylic bathtub and the wall, you should not dwell on the option using only silicone sealant. The fact is that acrylic is a plastic material and can bend over time. In this case, the silicone seal will be broken.
Advice! To prevent deformation of the acrylic sides of the bath, it is rigidly “fastened” to the walls. For this, hooks are screwed into the wall. Two hooks should be installed along the long side of the bath, one at the ends is enough.
Ways to seal small gaps
If the gap between the bathroom and the wall is small, that is, its width does not exceed 10 mm, several methods can be used to close it:
- Putty putty. The gap can be covered with grout, which is used to process seams on tiles. Such grouts are usually white in color, they are resistant to moisture and retain color for a long time.
Advice! When choosing this method of sealing the gap, it is recommended that after the grout has dried, treat it with a special gloss, which is used to protect the bathtub from rust.
- Application of sealant. A narrow gap can be covered with silicone sealant using a white compound (or match the sealant to the color of the bath). The sealant is applied in an even layer with a mounting gun, then the seam is leveled with a spatula or simply with a finger dipped in soapy water.
- Close the gap with a self-adhesive border. This border is produced in the form of a tape wound into rolls. To stick the tape, remove the strip of protective paper covering the adhesive layer.
Advice! The self-adhesive border should be installed on a well-cleaned, degreased and dried surface.
- Tile outer corner sticker. Glue this part to white silicone sealant. The ends of the corner are cut at an angle of 45 degrees so that they lie well in the corner of the room.
- The sealant is applied to the gap in such an amount that, when installing and pressing the corner, the composition begins to protrude both from the side of the wall and from the side of the bathtub. Excess sealant is wiped off with a rag.
Advice! When sealing a gap near an acrylic bathtub, it is recommended to first draw water into the container. Water from the bath can not be drained until the sealant dries, that is, 12-24 hours.
Methods for sealing medium-sized cracks
If the gap size is from 10 to 30 mm, then other termination methods should be chosen:
- It is possible to close the gap using a wider self-adhesive border. Self-adhesive tape is available in different widths, so you can find this border for sealing gaps up to 3 cm in size.
- Installation of a border made of plastic or tiles. In the first case, “liquid” nails are used for the sticker, in the second case, adhesive compositions used for ceramic tiles are used.
Decal borders - not too difficult work, but it requires accuracy and patience. We close the gap like this:
- First you need to take measurements and cut the borders to the desired size. And at the ends you need to cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
- Plastic is cut with a conventional hacksaw to process a ceramic plinth, it is convenient to use a grinder and a disc with a fine diamond coating.
- Before sticking, the plinth should be applied in place for a control measurement. After making sure that the border lays down correctly, you need to stick strips of masking tape along its edges. This will protect the bathtub and the wall covering from the adhesive composition that has come out.
- Glue is applied to the back of the skirting board and the border is set in place. It is important to press it to the surfaces until the initial setting of the adhesive occurs.
- External and internal corners are closed with special corners.
- After the glue has completely dried, the places where the plinth adjoins the wall and the side of the bath are treated with a transparent silicone-based sealant.
Ways to seal large gaps
If you need to close a gap whose width is more than 3 cm, then the methods proposed above will not work. More serious measures will have to be taken. Large gaps can be filled with mortar. For this purpose it is allowed to use:
- Cement mortars with the addition of plasticizers. This material is sold in the form of dry mixes.
- Sand solutions. Sand is additionally included in the composition of such a solution. Such solutions allow you to create more durable coatings that do not crack or shrink.
- Epoxy mortars are resin-based materials, they are characterized by high strength, elasticity and water resistance. However, the cost of this type of grout is much higher than conventional cement grouts.
Closing the gap goes like this:
- Formwork is being built under the bathroom so as not to pour the mortar onto the floor.
- The created recess is filled with mortar.
- The dried solution is finished with materials that are in harmony with the wall decoration. For example, ceramic or PVC tiles are laid on top of it.
So, to seal the gap at the side of the bath, you can use various methods. The most popular solutions are described above, but if necessary, you can remove the gap using other methods. With even a little construction experience, you can find your own way to solve the problem. The most important thing is that the sealing of the gap is airtight and aesthetically attractive.
After installing the bath, a sufficiently large distance may remain between its edges and the wall, which is very inconvenient. This usually happens if the dimensions of the product do not match the size of the room. Sometimes the problem lies in improper installation or repair work.
When such a gap is formed, it can be eliminated in several ways.
The main ways to eliminate the gap
To eliminate the resulting gap between the bathroom and the wall, you should use tools and tools such as:
construction foam;
outer corners;
To seal a gap with your own hands, which does not exceed a few millimeters in size, you can use a sealant. You can buy a special waterproof aggregate that is poured into the gun. The greater the distance, the more material will be required. The application of each subsequent layer is carried out after the previous one has dried.
In the process of laying tiles, you can eliminate the gap using corners. This material is used when the distance between the bathtub and the wall is 10-30 mm. Other types of materials are also used, for example, skirting boards or self-adhesive borders. Before installation, the place where the gap will be sealed must be treated with a degreasing agent and dried.
Larger gaps require the use of concrete or similar mortars. In the process of performing work, a structure similar to formwork is installed - it does not allow the solution to get under the bath. After the mortar has dried, they begin laying the tiles.
For the successful completion of work to eliminate wide gaps, work should be carried out only after the bath is completely filled with water. In this position, it should remain until the moment of solidification of the substance. In order for the finishing elements to reliably adjoin each other, the ends of the material are filed. As a result, the angle should be 45 degrees.
If concreting is required, it is recommended to reinforce the concrete. For this purpose, pieces of reinforcement are driven into the wall, the distance between which is 150 mm. As an additional putty, the gap can be treated with sealant, as shown in the video.
Performing work at each stage, it is necessary to ensure that construction debris does not get into the bath. By following these recommendations, you can easily close the distance between the bathroom and the wall with your own hands.
Sealant selection
The best option would be to choose a silicone-based sealant. Experts recommend abandoning materials that are made on the basis of acrylic. When choosing a sealant, you should purchase a neutral material (the second category - acid sealant - is distinguished by the release of a specific odor).
If you need to choose a different material, then polyurethane-based sealants are suitable as an alternative. They can create a particularly strong base, which will at the same time have elasticity. Due to its special composition, this substance has good adhesion properties.
There are other sealants on the market, but they are less commonly used when sealing gaps between a bathtub and a wall, especially the size shown in the photo. In addition, an important point is the method of applying the substance. Therefore, you need to carefully select the appropriate construction tool. This can be a mounting gun, with which you can process the holes in such a way that the laying of the substance is uniform everywhere.
In my example, acrylic with a one-sided screen of the same material, its length is 1.70 m / p. And the length of the wall to which it leans is a little over 2 meters. It turns out that there is a meaningless empty space between the wall and the end of the bath, where water will most likely drain due to the lack of a shower curtain, and the view of the acrylic bath fittings that is completely open for viewing will spoil your mood.
Let's figure out how close the space between the bathroom and the wall , at the same time you will learn how to properly install an acrylic bath. This example is also suitable for other types of baths, if you have a plastic or wooden screen, then do the same as I described.
In the case of acquiring a cast-iron bath, you can do without a purchased screen and close everything according to the same principle, continuing the drywall construction along the entire length, which I will actually try to talk about and show a photo of this. You can buy cheap in online stores, and it will help to buy 2 times cheaper than in a construction warehouse.
Bathtub installation and its connection to the sewer pipe
We bring it in and put it in the corner of the room under (the mixer must be installed in advance). We put a straight level of 2 meters (at least 60 cm) on the edge of the bath and, based on its indications, we adjust the legs in height by rotating them along the thread.
Now we bring the plastic screen and check whether it will fall into place or whether it should be lifted a little higher. We connect the drain system (sump) to the sewer outlet in the wall, install a backup drain of water from overflowing the bathtub with water by lubricating the rubber gaskets with silicone, or with acrylic sealant.
We connect the bath and check the drain system for leaks.
We move the bath away from the walls of the fit along the angle in both directions by exactly 1 cm, this distance is necessary for filling with mounting foam. We fill the “plastic bowl” to the very top with water along the way, first checking the drain system for leaks. Thus, the water does not drain until the very end of all work, up to the grouting of tile joints.
Let me explain, the weight of water imitates the ultimate future operational loads, then you drain it and you will be sure that the work done will not crack along the tile seams.
We close the space with a box, followed by ceramic tiling
Let's start making a drywall box. Drywall will need preferably moisture resistant at 12mm. First of all, we draw on the walls the outline of the final result of the work, in some way a continuation of the acrylic bath if it were from corner to opposite corner.
Now we retreat from this outline in all stripes exactly 3 cm, this is exactly how much is needed for the thickness of drywall, tile adhesive and the thickness of the tile.
A drywall box, after filling the seam with mounting foam, ceases to sag.
We shoot the guide profile along the perimeter with the retreat just made. You can’t do without drilling tiles, you will learn about this process and actually how and with what to drill. I do not recommend making holes immediately with a puncher directly through the cladding without pre-drilling, the tile may not withstand and crack.
The frame from the profile should be fenced with an indent of 1 cm. from the end of the bath, which is needed for mounting foam. You will also need a profile for jumpers, they will significantly strengthen the structure. Pay attention to the photos provided for it, it clearly shows how to use profiles in the manufacture of a metal frame.
As soon as the frame is ready and screw it to the profiles on self-tapping screws with the help of a screwdriver, an ordinary screwdriver will not work no matter how hard you try.
The next stage of work, fixing the bath. Take and shake the balloon and screw it to the tool. If you don’t want to fork out for a foam gun, then you can get by with a foam bottle with a tube included in the kit.
The bath should be filled with water and not drained until the end of all work.
The essence of the work, without draining the water, fill the seam between the acrylic bathtub and all adjacent sides with foam. Do not overdo it with foam, remember that it tends to expand greatly, and therefore, if you are not sure of the perfection of your actions, then glue all the edges with masking tape.
However, before starting this important work, try to release a stream of foam into some empty cardboard box or mortar bag, at the same time check the tool’s serviceability, sometimes the guns for mounting foam get clogged or even worse. Until the foam hardens, there is nothing to do yet and it is impossible, the setting time is from 2 to 3 hours.
You can cut the mounting foam with an ordinary clerical knife with replaceable blades.
We cut off the excess of hardened material with a knife and you can start laying tiles, but first install a plastic screen, it is from it and from the upper edge of the acrylic "basin" that the laying of the first solid tiles should begin. Everything will go to the junction of the box along the walls and along the floor to porcelain stoneware. On a specific example, you will learn about the secrets of wall cladding and more.
The latter is a plastic plinth around the perimeter, which serves faithfully for the sake of beauty and draining water from the walls into the inside of the bath. Go to the hardware store and find the right material. Using silicone or acrylic sealant, glue directly to the cut foam. And the last grouting between tiles,.
For now, that's all I remember. There will be questions, you are welcome in the comments. Good luck with the repair!
Letyaga Gennady Petrovich
During renovations in the bathroom, the question often arises of sealing the seam between the bathroom and the wall. It is easier to do this if the bath is installed before tiling - in this case, tiles or panels are attached to the edge of the bath, and the gap between them can be made invisible with sealant or grout. If the bathtub is installed in a room with already tiled walls, sealing the seam is a more difficult process. Poor-quality sealing of the seams in the bathroom leads to the fact that water begins to seep through each joint, which, under conditions of constant high humidity in the room, contributes to the occurrence of mold or fungus. In addition, constant puddles on the floor in the bathroom will create problems for the neighbors below. To avoid these troubles, it is very important to correctly and efficiently seal the gaps between the bathroom and the wall.
At its core, the methods for sealing gaps near the bath are divided into two types - for small joints and for wide ones (more than 3 cm).
The first type includes methods such as:
Using grout for tiles.
It is used for grouting the narrowest joints (up to 5 mm), the advantage of this material is moisture resistance, durability, and the possibility of tinting to match the color of the tile. Grout for tiles, including cement, should only be used to hide the seams between the wall and the cast iron bathtub, since steel and acrylic bathtubs tend to change their dimensions (settle under the weight of water or expand under the influence of hot temperature), which can lead to cracking, destruction of the sealing composition.
Sealing bathroom grout with tile grout
The technology of grouting the seam near the bathtub is simple: first, it is cleaned of dust and dirt, degreased. The trowel mixture is applied with a spatula into the seam joint, leveled in it. After about 24 hours, the grout can be smoothed out with sandpaper and tinted if necessary.
Silicone sealing
It is possible to seal the seam with silicone sealant if its width does not exceed 1 cm. Just as in the previous case, the joint is cleaned, dried, and degreased. The edges of the bath and wall tiles are sealed with masking tape to prevent sealant from getting on them. To seal the joints, use a mounting gun. Silicone sealant is applied across the entire width and length of the gaps, the excess is removed with a damp cloth. The time of complete drying of the material is 8-24 hours.
The advantages of using a sealant is that it does not change its color over time, it is moisture resistant, plastic, and safe. In addition, it, like grout, can be tinted. In addition to silicone, there is an acrylic sealant, as well as a combined one. Experts recommend using a combined one, since silicone sealant can cause rust on the surface of a steel bath, and acrylic is less plastic. You should choose a sealant with antiseptic additives, for acrylic bathtubs - special compositions for polymeric surfaces, while the material should not be too cheap, because in this case it will not have sufficient quality characteristics.
Seal the seam in the bathroom with a sealing solution The use of any sealing solutions has one common drawback: they are not suitable for cases where the tiles have uneven joints: they cannot be masked as much as possible.
The second type of sealing joints between the bathroom and the wall, when the gap is more than 3 cm, includes the following types:
The use of mounting foam
When using foam, moisture-resistant foam should be preferred, which will last much longer than regular foam. The seam sealing process is as follows:
- The edges of the bathtub with tiles must be sealed with masking tape.
- The gap is cleared of dirt and dust.
- The cylinder is kept for some time at a temperature that is slightly higher than in the bathroom - after that the foam will become much more elastic. Then it is shaken well, carefully and squeezed into the joint in small parts.
- Wait for the required time for the foam to dry.
- After complete drying, the excess is cut off with a knife, and the surface is masked with grout or a border. In this case, trimming should be carried out at a level below the edge of the bath, glue is applied to its surface, then leveled with a sealant to a smooth state.
Use of borders
This method involves the use of special ceramic borders for bathtubs, or made from the tiles that are present on the walls. This is an aesthetic, reliable and durable seal, but it requires more time and cost than other methods.
A ready-made ceramic border is convenient to use, but a tile border can be made from the remaining tiles after wall cladding, and there is no need to match it in color.
The border is glued to the tile adhesive, and a sealant is applied to the depth of the joint. The corner is cut at 45 degrees, cleaned with sandpaper, then glued to the ceramic finished corner. The seams are filled with tile grout. The edges of the ceramic border are closed with special plugs.
The tiled border can be made in any desired width. The joints are filled with mounting foam, glue is applied to its dried surface, to which the tile is glued at an angle of 45 degrees, cut to the desired dimensions along the width of the gap. You can lay out a tiled border in the same way as ordinary tiles on a mortar.
Using a border tape
This is a simple and effective method in terms of moisture protection. This is a plastic flexible tape with a fold in the middle with an adhesive applied to the back. It is durable, invisible on the bath, it can be matched to the color of the tile. Curb tape is great for acrylic and steel bathtubs because it seals the joints even when they change dimensions. The tape is mounted as follows:
- The surface of the seams is cleaned and degreased
- The tape is measured and cut according to the length of the joint.
- The gap is filled with sealant.
- The protective film on the reverse side is gradually removed, the tape heats up slightly (this can be done with an ordinary hair dryer), then it is glued with one edge to the bathtub, the other - to the wall.
- In the corners of the walls, the tape is glued with the ends overlapping each other, then the excess is cut off.
- After it is completely glued, it should be protected from water ingress for the time indicated on the package.
Sealing the seams in the bathroom with a border tape The border tape can also be glued to seams previously sealed with mounting foam or cement mortar.
Plastic corner (plinth)
Termination with plastic or polyurethane corners is a relatively cheap way. These are flexible waterproof skirting boards that can be used to seal joints on uneven walls. The installation process is as follows:
- The gaps between the wall and the bathroom are degreased with a solvent (white spirit), dried.
- Skirting boards are cut to the required length in accordance with the dimensions of the bathtub, the corners are sawn at an angle of 45 degrees.
- A protective masking tape is glued to the edges of the bathtub and walls with tiles in order to prevent glue from getting on them.
- A layer of liquid nails for wet rooms is applied to the reverse side of the skirting boards.
- After 2-3 minutes, the plinth is pressed into the corner of the joint for a strong adhesion of the adhesive base to the wall and bathroom.
- When the plastic corners are glued, a transparent sealant is applied to the upper and lower edges of their abutment.
This method allows you to seal joints with a width of more than 2 cm. Some types of plastic corner are framed with rubber pads along the edges, this improves its moisture-proof characteristics. There are also two types of plastic corner, one of which is installed in the manner described above, i.e. outside the tile, and the second - under it. This grouting method is best suited for cladding acrylic bathtubs, as well as cast iron bathtubs with tiled or plastic paneled finishes.
Drywall box and tiles
If the distance between the bathroom and the wall is too large (more than 10 cm), you can make a plasterboard frame to close this gap, which is covered on all sides with a primer, adhesive mortar and tiles. For the same purposes, you can use a PVC panel. It turns out a kind of shelf for the bathroom, practical and at the same time, neat.
Combination of methods
The most effective way to seal seams, which can be used for any width of joints between a cast-iron bath or any other and a wall, is to combine types. A common combination is sealing with mounting foam, on top of which a sealant is applied and borders are glued. Such joints reliably protect the gaps between the wall and the bathroom from leaks and accumulation of moisture.
To avoid the appearance of large gaps, you can follow the following recommendations:
- When overhauling, you should first lay the flooring.
- The fixing of the bath must be carried out in accordance with the installation rules, then gaps can be avoided or made minimal.
- Wall tiling should begin in the direction from the bath to the ceiling.
