sanitary silicone sealant

[desrob]

any tips on applying this,i find it very hard to work with and whats the best thing to use when you get it every where,

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

use baby wipes that contain citric acid you will find it much easier to work with

 

[desrob]

use baby wipes that contain citric acid you will find it much easier to work with

i'll try that ,have you ever came across an extra long nozzle for those hard to reach places.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

no but have used a make plumbers gold i think that has a nozzle you can angle

 

[tweakyboy]

Best tip is not to use cheap £1 a tube mastic, use a good quality mastic to make your life easier. I use Dow Corning sanitary mastic at around £5 a tube, its really good to work with and doesn't smear all over the place if you go a bit heavy handed.

Also once you have applied the mastic from the gun, spray it with a lightly diluted washing up liquid mixture. Then spray your finger and tool it in, it won't stick to your finger and get everywhere.

 

[Dannypipe]

I've heard about this spraying the silicon bead with soapy water before tooling it up. I would worry about it not adhearing to the background properly.

I always masking tape top and bottom if it has to be 100% perfect.

Either way, I then use a soapy finger or I have a plastic tool which you push along the joint and it takes the excess off while leaving a perfect joint.

If it ever goes a bit squify I use 'Big Wipes' to clean it up. They'll shift it, even after its been on a few minutes.

Oh and just so you know, 'Big Wipes' won't damage chrome on brassware, but it does dry to a misty looking finish and require light buffing off with a dry soft cloth or tissue.

 

[khill]

Plumbcentre sell a tool for masticing, this is one of the jobs I cant
stand you can install a bathroom and it looks great and then comes
the mastic....this can make a great install look crap. But like tweak
says get yourself a £1 spray bottle and get handy with your finger.

 

[tweakyboy]

I also use the fugiboy kit, the best tool you can buy for masticing. I used to hate doing masticing around baths/basins but now I don't mind doing it, looks really professional once its complete.

That is one thing to worry about Danny, you must make sure you are good with the gun before hand and double check it has stuck to every edge before spraying the mastic.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

i would be careful using just your fingers when my old man was in hospital a few years back,guy in the bed next to him was seriously ill with blood poisoning from silicone sealant he was a window fitter your skins micro porous use gloves

 

[SimonG]

Try not to put too much on and a good finger, both ways.