Which sealant is best for a shower?

The bathroom is that part in the house in which there is always high humidity. In fact, everyone loves to take a hot bath or shower. In connection with the release of steam, condensation occurs, moisture and dampness appear. That is why when repairing this part of the house, it is worth paying the most attention to repairing the seams around showers and bathing devices. And here the question arises, which sealant is better for a shower cabin? We will deal with him in this article.

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What is sealing necessary for?

Sealing the joints will protect you from moisture on the concrete base, foundation and walls. If you do not perform this procedure, then with the constant influence of moisture even on such a solid and durable material as concrete, it will eventually become unusable. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to protect the walls and floor. For this purpose, special sealants for the shower are used.

Important! Sealant is a paste-like material, which is used for durable jointing of joints in various fields. It is often used in construction, in plumbing, when installing boilers and heating systems, for rooms with high humidity.

As you have already seen, this material is a means of widespread use, therefore it is very important to use a paste-like mass precisely for the purpose for which it is intended. Given the diversity of such products in the building materials market, the question arises as to which sealant is best for a shower.

Using the tips and recommendations outlined below, you can do repairs in the bathroom yourself, without resorting to expensive craftsmen for help.

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The best sealant for the bathroom

When choosing a sealant for a shower cabin, it is worth paying attention to the fact that silicone products are the most popular. This is due to the fact that they are used for bathrooms and kitchens, and for a long time they protect walls and floors from unnecessary excess moisture.

Silicone benefits

The main properties of silicone sealant:

• moisture resistance;
• long term of operation;
• protection and resistance to various kinds of ultraviolet rays;
• flexibility;
• strength;
• resistance to fungal formations and other unhealthy microorganisms, for which the environment of high humidity and heat in the bathroom is very favorable for reproduction.

Important! When buying a joint remover, note that the paste-like antibacterial mass is used to install showers, bathtubs, washbasins and toilets. All tubes are marked with images of these objects, which means for what purpose it is suitable.

The composition of a quality solution

The highest quality options for this tool are made from:

• silicone rubber;
• special unique pigment;
• plasticizer;
• troxotropic substances;
• fungicide and catalysis.

Important! When deciding which sealant is best for a shower cabin, it is worthwhile to give preference to those products that have the lowest content of various impurities and the highest - of pure silicone. In this case, the percentage of shrinkage is two. But you need to understand that if “100% silicone” appears on the product, the manufacturer simply makes an advertising move and immediately deceives you.Therefore, whether it is worth trusting such products is up to you, but it is better to give preference to those companies that honestly prescribe the composition of the sealant.

Trusted Brands

The most common manufacturers who have gained stable trust and consumers - both private craftsmen and professional builders, plumbers:

• Somafix;
• ANTIA;
• STERN;
• Tytan;
• Ceresit.

Important! All silicone joint protection products containing fungicide are excellent for use in the bathroom. This is due to the fact that this tool additionally protects against the appearance of various types of fungus and mold.

Kinds

The modern market offers each buyer an acidic and neutral sealant. We advise you to choose the second option, since it has a large scope and it does not have a sharp specific smell. And the method of using such compositions is much simpler, that is, if you do not have special skills in working with such materials, you will not have to experience any difficulties.

Important! In some cases, I use aquarium silicone to seal the seams.

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Tips for sealing joints in bathrooms and showers

Have you already chosen and purchased sealant for a shower cabin? Now you can start the work itself. However, at this very moment, many questions arise about how to do this, what to look for and what other funds will be needed. So, let's deal with all these issues.

Instruments

To seal joints in rooms with high humidity, you will need:

• paste-like water-repellent material;
• rags;
• sealing cord.

Training:

1. Before you begin to do this procedure, it is necessary to prepare work surfaces, namely to clean them from dust and dirt.
2. Do not use large amounts of water so that it does not fall into the seams.
3. Cleaning should be carried out immediately before the seams.
4. Regardless of the type of sealant, all joints must be dry.

Remove the old sealant:

1. If you need to remove old moisture repellents, then it is worth using sandpaper or a small piece of wire. In some cases, a brush with metal bristles is used.
2. Glass and plastic surfaces, as well as metal plates, are wiped with various liquids containing alcohol in the composition.
3. All surfaces after cleaning, it is recommended to wipe with a lint-free cotton cloth.

How to remove sealant from a shower tray?

Often there are cases when it is necessary to remove the old substance, which already inappropriately protects the surface from moisture in the joints. Sealant for a shower cabin is removed from the pallet using any construction solvent:

1. One of the best tools to remove old, aged seals is white spirit. For the procedure, you need to dip a rag in a solvent and apply at the junction with the remnants of the old product. Removal occurs when rubbing the solvent and cleaning with a blade.

Important! Removing old moisture-proofing agents from glass and ceramics also occurs with solvents.

2. From improvised means for removing pasty viscous mass using brush blades, salt and sand. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in this way, you can damage, scratch the surface.
3. To speed up the process, you can use special modern flushing silicone sealant. It is advisable if this tool will be released by the same manufacturer as the previous sealing mixture. Then the 100% result of quick cleaning of the desired surface is guaranteed. But all this is possible provided that you are ready to invest additional funds, since such washes are not always cheap.

Important! All means for protecting joints, regardless of composition, are used at temperatures from 5 to 40 degrees Celsius. The substance itself should be at room temperature.

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Self-sealing seams

You have already determined which sealant is best for the shower cubicle, purchased it, and now get to work. In this part, we will tell you about the sequence of actions when filling all seams.

The sealant for the shower cabin stands out from the tube with a sharp, thin tip with a slight pressure or when the can is turned upside down - if the sealant is supplied in a metal can.

Important! The procedure for sealing joints should be carried out rather quickly, since the sealant hardens in a short time.

Instructions for sealing joints with various sealants:

1. Clean and dry all surfaces on which you will work.
2. According to certain instructions and technology, assemble a shower cabin. All actions for collecting this item should be accompanied by smearing the joints with sealant. So, when installing and securing the side walls and concrete structure, use a moisture barrier.
3. If excess silicone mass occurs, it is recommended to remove it with a cotton rag.
4. Next, we close the seams on the front side of the cab to take a vertical shower. For this action we need a special sealing cord. It is necessary for insertion into the junction of the frame.
5. Again, paste the paste-like mass from the tube.
6. Wait for the sealant for the shower to dry.
7. After a day, check all the seams. To do this, direct a strong stream of water on all surfaces that have been treated. Most likely, the seams are not completely sealed.
8. Repeat the procedure and check again.

Important! Sealing seams occurs in two stages. This is due to the fact that during the first procedure it is impossible to see all the joints and repair them properly.

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Stock footage

We told you about which sealant is better for a shower cabin and how to use it. However, do not forget about safety measures - work with gloves and make sure that silicone does not get on the skin or eyes.