Silicone bathroom sealant

What is it?

All surfaces and equipment in the bathroom inevitably come into contact with water. We mean not only the direct impact of water jets, but also pairs and condensate, accumulating on the ceiling, walls and furniture. Of course, finishing materials, plumbing and interior items in the bathroom are usually made of moisture-resistant raw materials, so the elevated air humidity does not affect their condition. However, even in the most well-equipped bathroom there are sites that we must independently protect against moisture.

First of all, these are joints between different elements (for example, intercutric seams, a gap between the bathroom and the wall, the connections between the parts of the water pipes, etc.). Previously, a bitumen mixture was used to seal these sites, which could not provide full-fledged moisture protection. In recent years, the sealant for plumbing based on silicone is used for these purposes. This is a modern sealing and adhesive agent with a whole complex of useful properties.

pros

The presence of silicone sealant ensures its quality as elasticity. Therefore, even after the means is grasped, the elements of the connection remain movable.
Silicone sealants are made from silicon, therefore, despite the high degree of plasticity and elasticity, after the frozen composition becomes very strong.
Silicone-based sealant can be used to connect elements from a variety of materials. It is equally well interacting with rubber, plastic, wood, glass, ceramics, etc.
After soaring, the silicone sealant turns into a durable coating, resistant to various cleaning agents, including aggressive chemicals.
As part of most silicone sealants there are fungicidal additives that prevent the appearance of mold and insects.

Minuses

In order to apply silicone sealant to the working surface, it is necessary to pre-prepare it: clean out of contamination, degrease and dry well. The bulk of silicone sealants when applied to a wet surface loses its properties.
If the composition of silicone sealant is most of the components of inorganic origin, it will not be able to paint with ordinary dyes.
Repair professionals note that some manufacturers of silicone-based sealants are poorly combined polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, fluoroplastic and polyvinyl chloride elements.

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It should be noted that all of the above disadvantages relate mostly to silicone sealants of the budget price category. Dear sealants from reliable manufacturers have a higher quality and these shortcomings are almost completely deprived.

Views

Depending on the composition, the following types and subspecies of silicone sealants are distinguished:

One-component - the most common type of sealants, which is characterized by a wide area of application. They frozen under the influence of wet air. As a rule, sold in tubes.

There are three varieties of single-component silicone sealants:

Acid - are considered a budget option; Possess a strong acetic smell. Packaging with this type of silicone sealant is marked with the symbol "A". As part of acidic sealants there are aggressive chemicals, so they cannot be used on surfaces from fragile materials, such as marble.
Alkaline - have a narrow scope, and therefore in everyday life is rarely used.
Neutral is a more expensive and more qualitative group of silicone sealants. The smell is practically absent; Well interact with any materials.

Two-component - To work with this type of sealants, it is necessary to prepare a mixture of two active ingredients that solidify, entering into a reaction with each other. Used mainly in industry.

Properties

Good water resistance - high-quality silicone sealants are absolutely impermeable to water.
High degree of elasticity - due to the elasticity of silicone sealants, they can be used to process moving connections.
The ability to adhesion with materials of various origins - in the natural sciences, this property is called "adhesion".
Resistance to high and low temperatures, as well as sharp temperature differences - most silicone sealants retain their properties at temperatures from -60 to +300 degrees.
Resistance to ultraviolet radiation - silicone sealants can be used, including for external work.
Resistance to the effects of a chemically aggressive environment.
Large service life - silicone sealant - it is a very durable material that begins to need to update only after a half or two dozen years.

Where do you use?

Silicone-based sealant is used not only when repaired in the bathroom. The area of its application is quite wide, it includes the following types of construction and repair work:

roofing;
laying of water supply and sewer pipes;
construction of glass structures (for example, greenhouses);
Laying natural or decorative stone;
Installation of vinyl facing material;
installation of double-glazed
Installation of windowsill from natural stone;
connection of parts of equipment with high heating temperature;
Installation of various plumbing equipment;
Mounting mirrors.

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Review of manufacturers - what better to choose?

There are dozens of silicone-based sealants on the construction and finishing materials market. In order not to get lost in the variety of names and not make a mistake with the choice, we advise you to give preference to one of the well-proven manufacturers.

Makroflex is a company from Finland, which has been producing sealing compounds for almost 40 years; Products of this brand are highly valued by professional finishers.
"The moment" is the German trademark, which, meanwhile, is well known to the Russian consumer; The company has long been producing production in our country, so its products are relatively cheap.
Soudal - Silicone Poland Sealant complies with all European quality standards for this building materials group.
ECON - as well as "moment" is a trademark of the Corporation of Henkel; It has convenient modern packaging and fully justifies our ideas about German quality.
Tytan is another product that manufactures from Poland; In addition to silicone sealants, Selena company, which owns a trademark, produces acrylic-based sealing compositions, bitumen and polyurethane.
Ceresit is also a product of the company that is part of the Henkel Corporation; This manufacturer boasts a wide range of silicone sealants suitable for different types of work.

Instructions for use

Silicone sealant is actively used for sealing seams and junctions between finishing materials or elements of the design of various plumbing equipment. Seaming seams are usually performed in the following order:

First, you should prepare a working surface: rinse it well, remove contaminants, treat degreasing composition and dry.
Then fill the tube with a sealant to the mounting gun.
Next you need to trim the cap tip in such a way that the width of the sealing layer coincides with the width of the seam. To do this, you need to choose the right corner of the cut.
Then you need to take care that the sealant does not blur the surfaces next to the seam. To do this, take them in painting scotch.
Now you can proceed directly to the sealing of the joint: with the help of an assembly gun, try to evenly distribute the sealing composition on the seam.
While the sealant has not grabbed, it is possible to correct the seam with a special rubber spatula or flirted in a soap solution.
Remove the greasy tape and rush the remnants of the sealant with water with soap.

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Safety regulations

First, it is necessary to provide silicone sealant relevant storage conditions. As a rule, manufacturers recommend to store a tool away from children, in a dry place, at a temperature not higher room.

Secondly, when working with a sealant, try to make the substance falling into the eye. And if it all happened, immediately rinse the eyes with a large number of clean water. Some danger represent acidic sealants based on silicone. If you have chosen to work this particularly sealing composition, then protect the skin of the hands with rubber gloves, and the respiratory tract is a respirator.

How much dries?

The drying rate of silicone sealant depends on several factors: manufacturer firms, layer thickness, work surface material, temperature and humidity, etc. Crashescing the composition begins after 20-30 minutes from the moment of application, but until complete drying passes about a day.

How to delete?

Fresh sealant from all types of surfaces is easily removed - it is enough just to wash it off with warm water with soap. However, after drying, more effective means will need to be removed. Most often, various solvents are used for this purpose, like White Spirit. There are also cleaners designed specifically for silicone mixtures. For example, it refers "foam-840". After its use, traces can remain on the surface, which are easily flushed with water with several drops of lemon juice or vinegar. Also well removes excess silicone sealant cleaning agent "Antysilicone".

In addition, remove the sealant can be mechanically using a scraper or knife. After that, pass on the surface with a dry cloth and a clutch to cleaning the surface. This method is suitable exclusively for solid surfaces.

Care

Silicone sealant has excellent performance, so the seams treated with this means in particular care do not need. Silicone-based bathing sealant retains its properties, even being in constant contact with water, with very high or at very low temperatures, as well as under the influence of various cleaning agents.