Using silicone along all joints?

metricspaces

I've noticed most bathrooms in hotels that are tiled on wall and floors use silicone sealant on all joints/edges - where the walls meet the floor, corners of walls etc. Wondering if this would be recommended for a bathroom in a house?

I'm guessing the reason all the edges/joints are sealed is that most dirt collects in these locations so sealing them will avoid ending up with dirty grout and the bathroom will stay fresher looking for longer.

Maybe a hotel bathroom has such heavy usage that it warrants this and there would be no great benefit in a bathroom in a house?

SC024

I think its a neater job If done right of course, also if there is any wall movement say one wall is stud the other is block etc. it's less likely to crack than grout.

Gumbo

I recently got all 3 bathrooms done during renovations. The tiler done this also. Ran silicone around every corner. He used white/grey depending on grout colour.

He said it also helps prevents grout cracks in the corners.

metricspaces

Thanks. I've got two new bathrooms tiled so I'm thinking of doing this too.

I've never used silicone sealant. But guessing once you cut the nozzle the correct diameter it should be simple enough. If I make a mess is it easy enough to wipe off immediately and start again?

rustynutz

There is a knack to applying silicone in a neat bead, it first has to be applied to the joint as neatly as possible, slightly overfilled, spray with washing liquid /water solution, and remove excess silicone with back of silicone tube.

Not as easy as it sounds, and an absolute mess if it goes wrong

Gumbo

rustynutz wrote: »

There is a knack to applying silicone in a neat bead, it first has to be applied to the joint as neatly as possible, slightly overfilled, spray with washing liquid /water solution, and remove excess silicone with back of silicone tube.

Not as easy as it sounds, and an absolute mess if it goes wrong

My mate uses the same method, but he buys boxes of ice pop sticks and uses them instead of the tube.

SC024

Better idea for tight corners, back of tube has too wide a radious, Do you have any of the plastic 1-3mm packers that the window guys use?

kceire wrote: »

My mate uses the same method, but he buys boxes of ice pop sticks and uses them instead of the tube.

rustynutz

SC024 wrote: »

Better idea for tight corners, back of tube has too wide a radious, Do you have any of the plastic 1-3mm packers that the window guys use?

I usually squeeze the back of tube to give the radius you want, but packers or lollipop sticks work too, specially in tighter areas

metricspaces

Seems pretty straightforward. Overfill slightly and use a tool like this to get you a nice finish http://www.woodies.ie/unibond-sealant-finishing-tool-1000295 . Nice video of it here https://youtu.be/wQxtQhpA5Vo

Worst case, if it's a mess, just wipe it all away immediately and try again?

Tails142

It doesn't wipe away too easy, you might have to wait for it to cure and then peel it off, but yeah it's nothing to worry about.

I moved into a house and the bathroom wall to floor joint is in clear silicone, I think it is manky. White silicone would probably look better, you can get anti-mould ones too.

You can get silicone remover too that sort of makes it swell up and lose its stick after curing. Redoing that clear silicone joint is on my to-do list.

heldel00

Have spent years watching my husband apply silicone, lick his finger, wipe off the excess and then rub it on his trousers. It is very nearly grounds for divorce!
Edited to add that that little gadget from Woodies is on his Christmas list!