Bath/Shower Sealant

Question

Hello,

We have quite a newly built bathroom (coming up to a year on this new build and April past was the first year of completion.) However we looked and there is water leaking where the tub/tile meets the wall on the other side of the shower door near the shower head. After troubleshooting it appears to not be a leak (bathroom contractor confirmed) and a sealant problem with where the top of the tub meets the tile. Now the issue is plumber just put another layer of sealant on top of the current one on shower side as well as on where the door connects to the wall (although this wasn't the issue as it was bone dry). I've been reading that you should remove sealant first before applying again, should I be worried? The wall where the leaking was occuring is lightly damaged and now needs fixing (bathroom contractor said he can do that in future but would charge, which seems a bit strange as sealant failed after less than a year of use.) Just want some opinions on the whole situation.

Cristian · Accepted Answer

Hi, from what you’ve described, I would be a little concerned about simply applying a new layer of silicone over the existing sealant.
The correct way to reseal a bath is normally to remove the old silicone completely, clean and dry the area thoroughly, and then apply a fresh continuous bead of good-quality sanitary silicone. Applying new silicone over old silicone may look fine initially, but it may not bond properly and the problem could return.
Considering the bathroom is only around a year old, the original sealant really shouldn’t have failed this quickly if it was applied and prepared correctly. If the water damage to the wall was caused by that failed seal, I would also question why you should have to pay separately for repairing the resulting damage.
I would recommend asking them to remove the existing silicone and reseal the bath properly rather than just adding another layer on top. It’s much better to address it correctly now than risk further water getting behind the tiles or damaging the wall again.

Tom · Answer

100% the old silicone should be cut out, the surfaces cleaned thoroughly so there’s no debris / dirt and then the new silicone applied. New over old doesn’t bond properly and bacteria / mould will multiply between the two causing issues.

Steven · Answer

Best solution, remove all silicone, insert waste plug full bath with cold water and new sealant all around

Bath/Shower Sealant

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