DIY question - resealing round shower/bath

[Spinney]

Is there an easy way to get the old silicone sealant off a bath/shower tray (prior to putting new stuff on) without damaging the bath?

I've done this before, and it was a right faff - you can't even (carefully) cut the stuff off cos its so rubbery.

 

[biggs682]

it one of those jobs thay is a right pain to do , and so messy .

sorry cant give you any ideas just sympathy for having to do it .

 

[vernon]

I have struggled with this on several occasions. There's dedicated platic tools which I would waste your money on because they do not work.

The best tools are patience and a masterful wielding of a long snap off craft knife blade to get behind/under the sealant. I hate the job and I've yet to find a way of making a seal that lasts for more than two or three years.

 

[BigTam]

Try this from Screwfix, dogs dangly bits

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-sealant-remover-100ml/17175

 

[summerdays]

I've no idea on tips to take off old seal, but when we had a new bathroom put in our old place, he filled the bath with water then put the silicone on, and we were told to leave the bath with water in for the following 24 hours.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Is there an easy way to get the old silicone sealant off a bath/shower tray (prior to putting new stuff on) without damaging the bath?

I've done this before, and it was a right faff - you can't even (carefully) cut the stuff off cos its so rubbery.

Last time I looked, B&Q sell a sealant remover, it softens the sealant then you scrape it off with the tool.
Ah, here we go: linky
Have fun!

Edit: beaten to it by BigTam!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I've no idea on tips to take off old seal, but when we had a new bathroom put in our old place, he filled the bath with water then put the silicone on, and we were told to leave the bath with water in for the following 24 hours.

Good tip, Summerdays: I knew about the water, didn't know you have to leave it for 24 hours.

 

[BigTam]

Last time I looked, B&Q sell a sealant remover, it softens the sealant then you scrape it off with the tool.
Ah, here we go: linky
Have fun!

Edit: beaten to it by BigTam!

 

[MrJamie]

Can't really offer any advice, just more sympathy and a link to a random DIY forum http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=72441

We had professional bathroom fitters do a terrible job sealing the bath, didnt last too long before water found its way through the ceiling below. Pretty sure they'd sealed the bath without water/weight in it, so when someone had a bath tiny gaps would appear in the seal. An ex-bathroom fitter friend resealed it much better and its been good for ages, sometimes gets cleaned with some HG Mould chemical stuff that keeps it a bit whiter.

 

[Mark Grant]

I use a nice new blade in Stanley type knife and a piece of new green scourer. Also useful is a scraper thast uses a Stanley blade. I find that you can cut most of it out, then follow up with the scraper to remove the silicone from the tiles and the green scourer. Make sure it is dry before applying a neat, fresh bead of a good quality mould resistant silicone.

 

[Fnaar]

Some workman fella years ago left a sort of plastic handle into which a Stanley knife blade fits, so you can use the whole length of the blade. I use that for this precise purpose.

 

[Night Train]

I use a blade to cut/scrape the sealant from the bath. That is fine if the bath is enameled metal, not so good if the bath is plastic. A plastic edge might be easier for that.

In addition to filling the bath with water I also lower the screws on the feet a few turns and then when the sealant has cured I 'jack' it back up again by putting the same number of turns back in the screws. That pre-compresses the sealant and reduces the chance of it being stretched under load.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Sulphuric acid.

 

[02GF74]

sealant remover - but check it does not react i.e. damage your bath/sjhower tray if it is made from plastic (well fibregrass covered with stuff). - try on a small area that is out of sight,

 

[Onthedrops]

Not so much removing sealant but applying new.

Don't know how many of you wield the old silicone gun, but I would advise to push the gun forward, effectively pushing the nozzle over the newly dispensed silicone rather than pressing the trigger and dragging the gun backwards.
If you push the gun forward when applying you will get a nice concave bead of silicone which helps the water to drain off the sealant and into the bath. Dragging the gun backwards puts, in many cases an uneven convex bead. This will result in water sitting on top and bottom of the bead. If the water is not always removed you will end up with the dreaded black spots!!!