On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 11:04:53 +0100, Russell Odom
wrote:

http://www.gloomytrousers.co.uk/pics...bath_strip.jpg)

I'm no expert Russell, but I've just fixed an identical problem, and
it seems to have worked so far.

I ripped out the old beadin strip and all the old sealant to start
with and then, this is the important bit, filled the bath right up
with water to weigh it down as much as possible.

The rest was just lots and lots of sealant (out of a gun).
I filled in the space between the bath and the tiles/wall with loads
of the stuff, then I used a line of sealant along the back of both
fins of the beading (just like the stuff you used), and once that was
in place i also did a thin spread of sealant over the edges of the
fins.

It seems to be working?

SadKate*** wrote:

I ripped out the old beadin strip and all the old sealant to start
with and then, this is the important bit, filled the bath right up
with water to weigh it down as much as possible.

Oops, yeah, forgot to mention - I did that too. There's no visible gap
between the strip and the bath whether it's full or empty.

The rest was just lots and lots of sealant (out of a gun).
I filled in the space between the bath and the tiles/wall with loads
of the stuff,

Does this hold up OK under the movement of the bath? Is yours a plastic
bath? How much does it move when you stand in it?

then I used a line of sealant along the back of both
fins of the beading (just like the stuff you used), and once that was
in place i also did a thin spread of sealant over the edges of the
fins.

So you've fixed the strip to both the tiles and the bath? I'm loath to
do this, because I can see any movement breaking the sealant. Have you
noticed this happening on yours?

Thanks,

Russ

--
Russell Odom
http://www.gloomytrousers.co.uk/
** Remove the obvious before e-mailing **

To define recursion, we must first define recursion.

In article , Russell Odom
writes
SadKate*** wrote:
I ripped out the old beadin strip and all the old sealant to start
with and then, this is the important bit, filled the bath right up
with water to weigh it down as much as possible.

Oops, yeah, forgot to mention - I did that too. There's no visible gap
between the strip and the bath whether it's full or empty.

The rest was just lots and lots of sealant (out of a gun).
I filled in the space between the bath and the tiles/wall with loads
of the stuff,

Does this hold up OK under the movement of the bath? Is yours a plastic
bath? How much does it move when you stand in it?

then I used a line of sealant along the back of both
fins of the beading (just like the stuff you used), and once that was
in place i also did a thin spread of sealant over the edges of the
fins.

So you've fixed the strip to both the tiles and the bath? I'm loath to
do this, because I can see any movement breaking the sealant. Have you
noticed this happening on yours?

If you make sure it's very clean and use proper silicone, not B&Q's
cheapo bath sealant, it will not pull away. That stuff will stretch a
significant distance.
--
Tim Mitchell

BillR wrote:

IMHO these bath sealing strips are waste of time unless you seal them to the
bath also with silicone rubber.

Is there any reason, if the gap is quite small, that I actually *need*
to have any plastic strip at all? The gap between bath and tiles is max
5mm (although there is the rounded edge of the bath to add on to this) -
could I just fill this gap with silicone and leave it at that?

Even if they don't leak horrid mould will grow underneath.

Hmm, never thought of that. Would that be *orange* mould by any chance?
We're already starting to collect that!

I've learned that to get a good seal
a) the gap should be as small as possible to start with.
b) tile after fitting bath, not before

Unfortunately not really an option at this stage.

c) If necessary jack up bath slightly after tiling & grouting to meet point
a)

Are you implying that the bath should butt up to the tiles from below,
or from the side? e.g. (excuse ASCII art)...

T| T|
i| i|
l| ...or... l| ____
e| e||bath
____
|bath

Ours is arranged like the latter - it looks like a new bath was put in
after the tiling had been done.

d) surfaces to be sealed must be spotless. Clean with meths to make sure.

Plastic baths are the worst. You can brace them underneath to lessen
movement.

Aye, did both of those when we fitted this strip, but I'll keep it in
mind. Thanks for the advice!

Later,

Russ

--
Russell Odom
http://www.gloomytrousers.co.uk/
** Remove the obvious before e-mailing **

You live and learn, or you don't live long.

Tim Mitchell wrote:
If you make sure it's very clean and use proper silicone, not B&Q's
cheapo bath sealant, it will not pull away. That stuff will stretch a
significant distance.

OK, next question: how would I know if it's "proper"? The stuff I have
sez "Flexibility factor is High", but looking at it closely I can't see
any mention of the word "silicone". Anything else I should be looking
out for? Good/bad brands, things to avoid?

Cheers,

Russ

--
Russell Odom
http://www.gloomytrousers.co.uk/
** Remove the obvious before e-mailing **

You live and learn, or you don't live long.

Tim Mitchell wrote in message ...
That sounds like B&Q (or other brand) cheapo. It will say "silicone" if
it really is, Dow Corning make the stuff but you can get other brands.
The cheap stuff is acrylic and that will crack and pull away. When the
silicone stuff sets you can stretch it like a rubber band.
The Unibond acrylic substitute for silicone is pretty good. It's certainly
as flexible, doesn't crack, and is a lot easier to use. Some blurb on the
pack about "technology beyond silicone" which might even turn out to be
true.

In article , stuart
noble writes

Tim Mitchell wrote in message ...
That sounds like B&Q (or other brand) cheapo. It will say "silicone" if
it really is, Dow Corning make the stuff but you can get other brands.
The cheap stuff is acrylic and that will crack and pull away. When the
silicone stuff sets you can stretch it like a rubber band.
The Unibond acrylic substitute for silicone is pretty good. It's certainly
as flexible, doesn't crack, and is a lot easier to use. Some blurb on the
pack about "technology beyond silicone" which might even turn out to be
true.

I saw that but daredn't risk it, putting sealant on the bath is not a
job to be repeated very often...
--
Tim Mitchell