Between any joint that could move I'd silcone everytime regardless. Don't want to be going back to a job for water ingress for the sake off a bit of silicone.
I disagree in terms of your first example because I have 2 kids :) When they bath our bathroom is like a swimming pool. Anywhay best regards for you Andy, my naightbour from Gosforth.
Ha ha, I have 2 kids - never been an issue. Most splashes etc. just dry up. There would have to be serious quantities of water for full tanking of the room to be needed. 👍😉
Yep I’d silicone it, especially if you have no idea how it was installed ( if it’s tiled all the way ) gaps in floor boards, electrics. I just moved into a house where the bath panel was attached to vanity unit and the bath panel had a small gap at the bottom. Kids create a storm in the bath, along with the shower screen seal slightly leaked which went down the side of the bath panel. leaked straight through to kitchen ceiling. Sometimes over caution can save you work.
I agree, especially if you have kids or it's a rental where tenants may not take the most care. If its not access and a point that could rot over time it's cheap insurance.
Here in the US, silicone is generally used to hide construction flaws and inaccurate fit and finish just as you'd illustrated. Taking pride in a job well done is apparently an antiquated idea. Keep making these videos!
Always silicone a corner! It’s a weak spot where cracking often occurs, silicone will allow some movement. Grout smeared into a corner looks awful unless you’ve got your cute spot on and the room is bob on squat and dimensional uniform. Also think about the point of grout, it’s designed as a weak point that will give before the tile. If you butt tiles too tight in the corner it may cause issues IMHO
I use it when I think it will improve the finish without impairing practicality/usability. Personally silicone on a bath panel is a big no, unless theirs a bloody good reason. I do think people are too in the mind set of get things roughly right and mastic will hide all sins (myself included)
Code in some areas of the U.S. mandates silicone around the commode. The silicone around my tub was moldy so I pulled it out. A difficult and unpleasant task. Now I make sure to dry off the area every time it's used. Once in a while I spray the mold prevention stuff that's non toxic as well. This always seemed like too much work, but digging out the silicone made a believer of me. The other time to put silicone where the floor meets the tub is if you have a floating floor. It's flexible and allows for expansion and contraction. The perimeter of such a floor needs quarter round or some other finishing, like silicone at the tub. Good video.
No matter for what tiled room is used, vertical and horizontal edges, floor/wall and wall/wall silicone in most instances. Especially if adjacent wall is not the same. Like brick to drywall etc... Floor heating under tiles, a must is good silicone on horizontal edge to the wall... Grout will not hold eather way, it will ruin and come off...
I silicone bottom of bath panels, if they are coated chipboard or MDF. The panels are so badly coated at the seams, I don’t think about “how wet the floor” it is more the drips of water coming down the panel, and the chipboard sitting in it.
I wish they'd make bath panels out of better quality MDF. I always seal the bottom edge if it's been cut but know what you mean. Something to make a judgement call on depending on the quality of the panel I think. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman great videos, they have been really useful for me when freshening up our bathroom. I've fitted a gloss mdf bath panel but had to cut the end to make it fit. You mention about sealing any cut edges- would you seal it with smearing a thin coat of silicon?
I do think you should silicone tiled corners with colour matched silicone rather than grouting them. I believe most manufacturers recommend this and certainly most tilers that that work to modern standards. I completely agree with you about sealing shut service/ access panels though, idiocy. For me its white for sanitary wear, colour matched for expansion joints (breaks in large areas/ corners) and clear for metalwork (shower screens etc).
@@GosforthHandyman They're not great articles, but it outlines the general prinicipal. I would consider corners an isolation joint as that is where the tiling meets another plane. If you are very interested in recommend practice i would consult the British standards, i however don't want to pay for them haha. BS5385. Cheers dude.
@@rich3633 agree completely - best practice is all internal corners should be siliconed, to allow for movement. Grout will not compress or stretch, and can lead to tiles popping loose or cracking.
I was told this by my local tile shop and my tiler for those reasons you mention. I can get the name of the stuff but the grout they sell has a full range of silicone by the same company to match their grout colours perfectly so my corners and floor joints are all silicone and it matches in with the grout perfectly. One question is what do you use at the top of the tile where it meets the ceiling? I still haven't siliconed it yet
@@GosforthHandyman Several tile professionals have told me the same thing about corners. The movement cannot be prevented so they all use a sealer with elastic properties; i.e., silicone sealer to allow the wall movement without breaking the joint. Temperature extremes and high winds will both cause such movement.
Another great vid, thanks. I always silicone between toilets and floors. The reason is simply that I have children and the boy's aim isn't always 100%. If urine seeps under the loo I can't clean it, so I'd be risking the bathroom smelling of urine if I didn't silicone it. Might be the wrong thing to do but it seemed easier to prevent a problem before it became an issue.
Here in Finland it is mandatory to use silicone between walls and floor and on all corners of walls in any room which have to be waterproofed ie. any room with a floor drain.
Interesting! Yeah, wet rooms (rooms with floor drains) are a little different - especially if there could be movement in the floor. I'd agree with silicone on those corners. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Same in Sweden. All bathrooms (defined as any room with a bath or shower in it) must have a floor drain and therefore must be fully tanked from floor to ceiling. All internal corners should have silicone. Toilets and laundry rooms do not need full room tanking or a floor drain but should have a tanked floor with at least 50mm up the walls. Regarding around toilets, I think this should have silicone. Lets be honest, all toilets from time to time get pee splashes on the floor.. if it has silicone then it can't get under the toilet and get all disgusting.
@@paulekstorm-hughes1894 Well, in my daughters newly bought apartment the ensuite toilet was nicely siliconed. Then year later the neighbour from downstairs called with a spot on her ceiling. Insurance adjuster said that my daughters toilet has a broken seal and was slightly leaking for like 3 years at least. She wished it was not siliconed and just leaked forward at least a bit ...
Are you sure that gappy skirting in the first bathroom was not simply due to shrinkage and the silicon has not just pulled away from the floor /skirting? When I was still working , we did a lot of work for the "Premier House Builder" !!! and about 10-15 years ago they started "sealing" the bottom of the skirting. I think the idea was part of the draught proofing that they do now. The silicon fellas used to use whatever the cheapest was they could lay their hands on as long as it was white. Anyhoo, being carpet fitters we came across situations where the floor had shrunk away from the walls - as much as a 5-8mm.
The bad silicone and gaps were there from new but you certainly can get gaps from the floor joists drying out. My guess is that the 2nd fix joinery was done before the floor was tiled and the joiner left a gap for the tiles to go under. The tilers then siliconed up the gap. That's my guess anyway. 😂👍
In germany we dont have any standing toilets anymore since the 80s, but even the hanging ones are siliconed to make it look nicer. Also it stops water from running between the wall and the toilet when cleaning for example
I typically don't caulk toilet bases unless they have to be shimmed slightly to prevent movement in case there is a leak around the wax or permanent seal because hiding it can cause subfloor rotting. Better to know there is a leak!
I was triggered at the beginning of this video, as a person who works in a hotel setting having to caulk or not between the floor tile and the shower pan I think it is something you should do at all times, solely for the reason that people do get the bathroom floors VERY wet and this causes damage under the shower pan and could potentially get through the floor and leak through the ceiling of another area if that's your set up like a 2 story home or a hotel. But air on the side of caution on not siliconing between the floor and shower pan purely base on cosmetics. I believe that in most cases the silicone in that spot serves a great purpose
I always use silicone between baths/sinks and surrounding walls, not least for splashes but also condensation running down tiles, leaving small pools that might seep into any gaps. Good vid though
Enjoyed the video as always, although chuckled how often caulk & members are referenced. A good follow up video might be how to paint over silicone in those situations you have to deal with it. I usually tape it off and shoot it with a spray of lacquer based primer. Would love to see how you do it.
Bottom of them seals on the shower door are properly minging like! Could you get some mould remover squirted in there. Half way through re doing my bathroom, really appreciating these videos on siliconing. Also really glad for turning me onto the Fischer duo power plugs, now my go to plug for most purposes
They are normally easy to remove, just pull of as a friction fit. Then can give them a good soak in the bath and give them a scrub then dry and push back on. If really bad you can cheaply buy replacement seals normally.
the 5mm gap on mdf trim and bath panels is specified, use a glass packer under all your trim before fixing you should leave a gap on all floors not just in the bathroom ie concrete floors, gives some protection from moisture
I would agree with what you say about cosmetic silicone in general and if you are going to use it cosmetically then make it neat, however, I would be more concerned about the unprotected plastic pipe coming out the floor to the towel rail. This is against manufacturers recommendations as it is open to sunlight and UV degradation. Paint it, cover it with a sleave or better still use copper. To many tradesmen don't know the difference between silicone, cork and frame sealent.
I wonder if that skirting was offset by 3mm all round or just terrible runout. I've had that sort of offset before due to ludicrously uneven floors but caulk was my friend.
On a tile to tile corner, grouting in the corners is liable to crack, due to thermal expansion and contraction or minor settlement. In a wet area, this is an invitation for the ingress of water. IMO a well finished bead of silicone provides a flexible, waterproof joint.
Gas hobs that are siliconed in are a real problem to repair. The top is designed to lift off the base panel, so access is required. That's why a foam strip or a putty-like strip is included with the hob.
Couldn't agree more with the new build, my new build ensuite shower tray panel and main bathroom panels were siliconed like no tomorrow, and when I took them off due to a suspicion, both had water leaks from various places, supports loose and not screwed down... multiple attempts to fix. I just don't know why some people are in trades tbh. But there are a lot of good people out there just have to find them
Yup - my experience too. I've seen new builds with hardly any silicone around bath panels and under the baths have been immaculate. The ones with acres of silicone have always been hiding something. 🙄😀
Idea for a video new fella... Outdoor Christmas decorations... having recently moved home and the house benefiting from a very recent re-pointing, I’m not wanting to throw holes everywhere Willy-nilly, could you’ve give some advice maybe on how to install them, how to route power/extend wires etc etc do’s & donts for beginners Only thought of this as I’ve just been to the Range in Benton and bought every LED decoration I could grab hahaha
There's no proper ventilation in my apartment bathroom (old basement apartment as well). There is a window but the walls have been tiled within the last 5 years and it was the owners first tile job so it's not the greatest, gaps and what not. Some of the grout has started cracking in corners Because it's an old basement as well as no fan, when you shower all the tile basically looks like it's sweating even if the window is open lol. Would you recommend in that situation (high humidity climate and an old basement) to caulk/silicone the corners? My main area of concern is the grout has started to crack in the corner of the shower and I really don't want them to redo it because to be honest when they had the fix a loose tile on the front of the vanity they just stuck it back on and didn't regrout between the tiles so there's just big gaps where there should be grout on my sink area now. I don't want the corner of the shower to end up that way and it start rotting the wall behind it. :/ Sorry for the long explanation/question.
In a rental property one never knows how the tenant will be - so silicone everything to stop water ingress - as well as DIYers who think they can "help put" - silicone slows them down!! Thinking maintenance means thinking prevention first. In an owner occupier house I would tend to agree with your points more.
Fantastic video! I’m trying to think why you should not be Prime Minister?! You have such an accurate moral compass. Chuckling through the video, the house I bought has almost ALL the bad things you have noted here, but I knew I was bad, but now I know how to fix it! The section on New Builds is priceless! Why do people want new builds? I’ll tell you who wants a new build; Someone with hair extensions, lip filler, and fake nails. That’s who wants a new build built by someone on an unemployment scheme. Then! After all your wisdom relating to finishing building works, then….you even have a better way to support people like yourself who enrich youtube. Whilst wannabees are begging for patreon, you even have a better way to do that! Fantastic knowledge.
Mr wife mops out the bathroom floor every day with bleach in the water and a drop of w.u.l in it. The other side of the bath side were the tiles stop is bare floorboards and before I siliconed it in used to get wet through. My friend put a one inch plastic upstand behind the bath side bottom that pushes up to it.
Never silicone around water closet (toilet). If base need shims use grout. When you have plug and need lift toilet grout is easier. Plus if there is a leak you can spot it right away with grout. If silicone is used sewer water is going under floor and can cause damage.
But on Windows inside, would you use Caulk or Silicone. To keep water out. From inside. I plan on painting my window seal plate or stain it. So I would use Caulk!!?
I toatly agree with you no need for silicone the service area such a toilet extra most people do it to finish the job nicely but not a practical enjoyed the video.
So that floor edge needs to be siliconed in my shower bc although I don't WANT a bunch of water on my floor I can't help it because I have a low profile tray. My kitchen ceiling has already suffered wetness seeping through
What about silicone used to seal the bath and sink waste in. I think plumbers mait/putty is better otherwise maintenance is a pain should you need to replace them.
Can silicon sealer be used to fix a ceramic wash basin against a tiled wall wich is mounted loosely on a pedestal, and the same for the pedestal to the floor?
3 questions/points: Was there quite some water damage under the new build bath tub at the wall side? Plasterboard screws, why use them? Can you not just use woodscrews for everything or is there a chemical reaction going on? I have been discussing with my housebuilder about silicon around the kitchen sink as I also feel water may sit at the back, though we have almost no gap as it was fitted nicely and the sealing is done underneath so it's almost down to the maintenance argument but still on the fence a bit... 😂
You mean woodscrews to hold plasterboard on the wall too? It works but plasterboard screws have a bugle head specifically designed to squash the paper of the plasterboard without breaking it. Woodscrews would break the paper so would be weaker. 👍
My toilet just won't remain in place. It's been re done 3 times. Assured it's been fixed, then it starts to wobble. The base is not attached to the floor properly.
@@hellssurprise9338 Silicone won’t form a bond with existing silicone. You need to remove old silicone with a scraper, then I clean the area with methylated spirits (I think it’s called denatured alcohol in the US) then reapply new silicone. Removing the old stuff is a ball ache but it’ll be an abomination if you don’t.
Always mask off everywhere you don't want silicone, then lay your bead, smooth it if needed then pull the masking tape before the stuff sets and glues itself to the tape.
I know this is a very new question but I'm doing the odd home project when needed but without the packet I've no clue what screws are which, is there an easy way to know?
In my new build the toilets are siliconed to the floor tiles which look fine but, in the cloakroom the cistern was leaking into the pan and the plumber had to cut the silicone and drag the whole toilet unit forward to get at replacing the bottom half of the plastic syphon fixing in the cistern - and of course re-siliconed afterwards. With these lower half fully enclosed toilets a ten-minute job now takes over an hour.
For the bath panel they have used the silicone as glue because there is nothing to support it, which of course there should of been. I don’t like grout between tile and anything that is not tile, and also prefer silicone in corners, obviously must be same colour.
@@GosforthHandyman plumber throws down a small mound of mud, level the tub, a few temporary props and add water to the bath and add a bit more mud around the lower edges. Then it's bricked in after. I know some builders add insulation around it before bricking it in.
If you have kids.... kids and bath time is great fun 'in their water park'. And that's besides the finished look a nice bead of silicone gives you. Which of course might be personal preference or if you think you might need to access under the bath regularly. Personally? Silicone all the way for the bathtub because of 'kids water park' and usual flimsy panels. No silicone under the much stiffer shower tray panel.
@14:48 & 14:53 it looks like the floor has dropped creating the gap... Mind you, a proper silicon job should have resulted in a nice rubber suspended soundproof floor ?
Between dog bathing and my kiddos giant poops clogging the toilet with possible overflow to follow, I'm thinking I should silicone tf out of my bathroom.
It's to the point where both panes are getting fully covered with condensation each morning as it gets colder. That hasn't happened at all this year up until probably this week.
Having recently had some jokers come in and use the cheapest shitty silicone EVER and after 4 months beginning to go black and orange... I’ve realised that doing this is the hardest job ever, a nightmare getting it out,’and then reapplying ‘professionally’ took my days! - but please, if you do this for a living just go for the expensive stuff and don’t cheap out!!!! #buynicebuytwice 😤
Around 12:50 you started showing a rather horrible bathroom. I can think of a few reasons why there is such a huge gap. One would be the entire house was still working, when they installed the bathroom. Maybe they can't cut wood straight / can't install panels. Or they used cheap wood which changed form due to the moisture in the room.
I suppose the excess silicone is to use up all the cartridge and justify a day's rate charged to carry out a small job. the so called "more value for money" always rules
Drives me nuts to see/hear the words 'silicon' and 'silicone' treated like they mean the same thing. Silicon is an element and had properties sort of like a semi-metallic rock; hence, semi-conductors.
@@David-hm9ic I can't tell if you're joking here or not but obviously, he's referring to "silicone'. Due to his wonderful accent it only sounds as if he's saying "silicon". I'm guessing you were actually aware of that :)
Not related to bathrooms... but save exceptional cases, SILICONE IS NOT GLUE. As an electrician I find missing 'wall cover plates'* on sky installations all the time *a device used to cover the fact the installer didn't give a flying f*** and blew all the brick on the way out thru the wall.... and then used a company issued cover plate to cover the damage. And tried to glue it to the wall with silicone. I think Sky teach their installers to blow bricks. :\ I'd sue them if they did that damage to my house The one exception is glueing a useless dashcam mount to a van windscreen. Silicone bonds very well to glass or glazed surfaces (hence its use on tiles!).
Totally agree. If I *have* to drill from the inside to the outside, I always drill through with a long thin drill first to avoid blowout and then drill back from the outside to the inside with a bigger drill if needs be. What's your approach?
Generally agree that silicone is used too much, but absolutely vital to seal round the wc pan .... the last thing you want is urine getting under it and smelling. Oh, and any man who says he never misses is fibbing....
How wet ? , it's a bathroom you will have water every where and even if you don't spray water somewhere you will have condensation. I do have to respectfully disagree with you on this .
Samuel. As a bathroom fitter I couldn’t agree with you more. You can bet your backside if there’s water about it will find it’s way anywhere. Plus the fact if you do need access to anything you only need to cut around the edges with a Stanley knife, big deal if that’s too much of an issue then the fitter shouldn’t be in the game.
I have to disagree with most thing you say unfortunately. Especially bath panels, I’ve been to so many jobs fixing leaks where bath panel not sealed. The most recent one water leaked down in the kitchen. You won’t believe how some take their bath...
The BIGGEST mistake I see so often is when people fail to use masking tape when applying silicone. The results when compared speak for themselves, but the BIG advantage of masking tape is the ease with which it allows you to use a finger or thumb (gloved or not) to force silicone into a gap, yet leave a perfect finish. It also means that when fitting upstands for example the silicone can be applied to the upstand bottom edge in a thick enough bead to FULLY seal the bottom to the worktop when pressed down. This also can help to seal any gap between the worktop and the wall as the excess gets forced out. Similarly the top edge can have silicone applied BEFORE fitting then pressed in place. Technique: dry fit and test first. Stick masking tape onto BOTH the upstand AND the worktop, up close (
The only problem with siliconing around the bottom of the toilet is that if the seal develops a slow leak you possiblywon't know about it until it does damage to the structure or sub floor.
Whilst you’re comments are quite valid, you tend to find that there are rental jobs and domestic jobs. Most landlords want a quick fix for as little as possible.
How wet do I plan on getting it...ummmmm... mop wet! However wet the mop is to clean it. Does anyone think of the clean job? I love groves in silicon NOT! does the applier know water can sit in the grove , do they clean it in life ????? Slant it like a hill for runoff. The appliers need to get with the cleaners and plan better
@@GosforthHandyman yes,grout sooner or later cracks and moisture and dust get accumulated and it will turn unsightly or even mouldy black.Silicone should usually match grout colour.Only around some plastic panels could be omitted (provided areas behind waterproof/resistant)
Exactly mate. Silicon should be neatly applied in all corners vertical or horizontal if you rely on the grout your a bodger. I agree if it’s done badly with cheap silicon it looks a mess ,but if done neatly you have a joint that can expand and contract and it gives a neat edge.
Fitters of plastic windows are the worst. Silicone the outside by all means to prevent water penetration, but then they use silicone as an adhesive to add the beading which hides their rough work on the inside and then silicone the edge between the beading and the window case etc. What is the saying, once you have a tube of silicone open then everything looks like it needs siliconing :P
Between any joint that could move I'd silcone everytime regardless.
Don't want to be going back to a job for water ingress for the sake off a bit of silicone.
I disagree in terms of your first example because I have 2 kids :) When they bath our bathroom is like a swimming pool. Anywhay best regards for you Andy, my naightbour from Gosforth.
Ha ha, I have 2 kids - never been an issue. Most splashes etc. just dry up. There would have to be serious quantities of water for full tanking of the room to be needed. 👍😉
I would agree with you. I would also silicone the bottom of the shower try. It doesn't look bad and give peace of mind.
Yep I’d silicone it, especially if you have no idea how it was installed ( if it’s tiled all the way ) gaps in floor boards, electrics.
I just moved into a house where the bath panel was attached to vanity unit and the bath panel had a small gap at the bottom. Kids create a storm in the bath, along with the shower screen seal slightly leaked which went down the side of the bath panel. leaked straight through to kitchen ceiling. Sometimes over caution can save you work.
I agree, especially if you have kids or it's a rental where tenants may not take the most care. If its not access and a point that could rot over time it's cheap insurance.
Me too. Sorry
Here in the US, silicone is generally used to hide construction flaws and inaccurate fit and finish just as you'd illustrated. Taking pride in a job well done is apparently an antiquated idea. Keep making these videos!
Cheers bud and wise words! 👍👊
Always silicone a corner! It’s a weak spot where cracking often occurs, silicone will allow some movement. Grout smeared into a corner looks awful unless you’ve got your cute spot on and the room is bob on squat and dimensional uniform.
Also think about the point of grout, it’s designed as a weak point that will give before the tile. If you butt tiles too tight in the corner it may cause issues IMHO
I think it just looks tidier and neat,more finished if its siliconed well and covers up uneven edges (mistakes) ??
I use it when I think it will improve the finish without impairing practicality/usability. Personally silicone on a bath panel is a big no, unless theirs a bloody good reason.
I do think people are too in the mind set of get things roughly right and mastic will hide all sins (myself included)
Code in some areas of the U.S. mandates silicone around the commode. The silicone around my tub was moldy so I pulled it out. A difficult and unpleasant task. Now I make sure to dry off the area every time it's used. Once in a while I spray the mold prevention stuff that's non toxic as well. This always seemed like too much work, but digging out the silicone made a believer of me. The other time to put silicone where the floor meets the tub is if you have a floating floor. It's flexible and allows for expansion and contraction. The perimeter of such a floor needs quarter round or some other finishing, like silicone at the tub. Good video.
No matter for what tiled room is used, vertical and horizontal edges, floor/wall and wall/wall silicone in most instances. Especially if adjacent wall is not the same. Like brick to drywall etc... Floor heating under tiles, a must is good silicone on horizontal edge to the wall... Grout will not hold eather way, it will ruin and come off...
I silicone bottom of bath panels, if they are coated chipboard or MDF. The panels are so badly coated at the seams, I don’t think about “how wet the floor” it is more the drips of water coming down the panel, and the chipboard sitting in it.
I wish they'd make bath panels out of better quality MDF. I always seal the bottom edge if it's been cut but know what you mean. Something to make a judgement call on depending on the quality of the panel I think. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman great videos, they have been really useful for me when freshening up our bathroom. I've fitted a gloss mdf bath panel but had to cut the end to make it fit. You mention about sealing any cut edges- would you seal it with smearing a thin coat of silicon?
I do think you should silicone tiled corners with colour matched silicone rather than grouting them. I believe most manufacturers recommend this and certainly most tilers that that work to modern standards. I completely agree with you about sealing shut service/ access panels though, idiocy. For me its white for sanitary wear, colour matched for expansion joints (breaks in large areas/ corners) and clear for metalwork (shower screens etc).
Do you have any links to manufacturers who recommend silicone in all tiled corners? Never heard of this! Fair enough in a shower obviously.
@@GosforthHandyman They're not great articles, but it outlines the general prinicipal. I would consider corners an isolation joint as that is where the tiling meets another plane. If you are very interested in recommend practice i would consult the British standards, i however don't want to pay for them haha. BS5385. Cheers dude.
@@rich3633 agree completely - best practice is all internal corners should be siliconed, to allow for movement. Grout will not compress or stretch, and can lead to tiles popping loose or cracking.
I was told this by my local tile shop and my tiler for those reasons you mention. I can get the name of the stuff but the grout they sell has a full range of silicone by the same company to match their grout colours perfectly so my corners and floor joints are all silicone and it matches in with the grout perfectly.
One question is what do you use at the top of the tile where it meets the ceiling? I still haven't siliconed it yet
@@GosforthHandyman Several tile professionals have told me the same thing about corners. The movement cannot be prevented so they all use a sealer with elastic properties; i.e., silicone sealer to allow the wall movement without breaking the joint. Temperature extremes and high winds will both cause such movement.
Another great vid, thanks. I always silicone between toilets and floors. The reason is simply that I have children and the boy's aim isn't always 100%. If urine seeps under the loo I can't clean it, so I'd be risking the bathroom smelling of urine if I didn't silicone it. Might be the wrong thing to do but it seemed easier to prevent a problem before it became an issue.
Here in Finland it is mandatory to use silicone between walls and floor and on all corners of walls in any room which have to be waterproofed ie. any room with a floor drain.
Interesting! Yeah, wet rooms (rooms with floor drains) are a little different - especially if there could be movement in the floor. I'd agree with silicone on those corners. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Same in Sweden. All bathrooms (defined as any room with a bath or shower in it) must have a floor drain and therefore must be fully tanked from floor to ceiling. All internal corners should have silicone. Toilets and laundry rooms do not need full room tanking or a floor drain but should have a tanked floor with at least 50mm up the walls.
Regarding around toilets, I think this should have silicone. Lets be honest, all toilets from time to time get pee splashes on the floor.. if it has silicone then it can't get under the toilet and get all disgusting.
@@paulekstorm-hughes1894 Well, in my daughters newly bought apartment the ensuite toilet was nicely siliconed. Then year later the neighbour from downstairs called with a spot on her ceiling. Insurance adjuster said that my daughters toilet has a broken seal and was slightly leaking for like 3 years at least. She wished it was not siliconed and just leaked forward at least a bit ...
Are you sure that gappy skirting in the first bathroom was not simply due to shrinkage and the silicon has not just pulled away from the floor /skirting? When I was still working , we did a lot of work for the "Premier House Builder" !!! and about 10-15 years ago they started "sealing" the bottom of the skirting. I think the idea was part of the draught proofing that they do now. The silicon fellas used to use whatever the cheapest was they could lay their hands on as long as it was white. Anyhoo, being carpet fitters we came across situations where the floor had shrunk away from the walls - as much as a 5-8mm.
The bad silicone and gaps were there from new but you certainly can get gaps from the floor joists drying out. My guess is that the 2nd fix joinery was done before the floor was tiled and the joiner left a gap for the tiles to go under. The tilers then siliconed up the gap. That's my guess anyway. 😂👍
In germany we dont have any standing toilets anymore since the 80s, but even the hanging ones are siliconed to make it look nicer. Also it stops water from running between the wall and the toilet when cleaning for example
I typically don't caulk toilet bases unless they have to be shimmed slightly to prevent movement in case there is a leak around the wax or permanent seal because hiding it can cause subfloor rotting. Better to know there is a leak!
I was triggered at the beginning of this video, as a person who works in a hotel setting having to caulk or not between the floor tile and the shower pan I think it is something you should do at all times, solely for the reason that people do get the bathroom floors VERY wet and this causes damage under the shower pan and could potentially get through the floor and leak through the ceiling of another area if that's your set up like a 2 story home or a hotel. But air on the side of caution on not siliconing between the floor and shower pan purely base on cosmetics. I believe that in most cases the silicone in that spot serves a great purpose
I always use silicone between baths/sinks and surrounding walls, not least for splashes but also condensation running down tiles, leaving small pools that might seep into any gaps.
Good vid though
Worthy topic: appreciate the thought process in this video. Sad (but interesting) that the same trades are challenged on both sides of the Pond!
Enjoyed the video as always, although chuckled how often caulk & members are referenced. A good follow up video might be how to paint over silicone in those situations you have to deal with it. I usually tape it off and shoot it with a spray of lacquer based primer. Would love to see how you do it.
Cheers! If it's getting painted over I generally remove the silicone and replace with caulk... if possible. 👍👊
Bottom of them seals on the shower door are properly minging like! Could you get some mould remover squirted in there. Half way through re doing my bathroom, really appreciating these videos on siliconing. Also really glad for turning me onto the Fischer duo power plugs, now my go to plug for most purposes
They are normally easy to remove, just pull of as a friction fit. Then can give them a good soak in the bath and give them a scrub then dry and push back on. If really bad you can cheaply buy replacement seals normally.
the 5mm gap on mdf trim and bath panels is specified, use a glass packer under all your trim before fixing you should leave a gap on all floors not just in the bathroom ie concrete floors, gives some protection from moisture
I would agree with what you say about cosmetic silicone in general and if you are going to use it cosmetically then make it neat, however, I would be more concerned about the unprotected plastic pipe coming out the floor to the towel rail. This is against manufacturers recommendations as it is open to sunlight and UV degradation. Paint it, cover it with a sleave or better still use copper.
To many tradesmen don't know the difference between silicone, cork and frame sealent.
Another interesting video and I like your mantra 'think maintenance'
Most of theses silicones are generally used to tidy up untidy edges and 70% used for water prevention. Generally corners of tiling is siliconed
Yup - an awful lot of hiding rough edges etc.
Yup. Hides a bad tile job or very rough edges. Just found that recently.
I wonder if that skirting was offset by 3mm all round or just terrible runout. I've had that sort of offset before due to ludicrously uneven floors but caulk was my friend.
On a tile to tile corner, grouting in the corners is liable to crack, due to thermal expansion and contraction or minor settlement. In a wet area, this is an invitation for the ingress of water.
IMO a well finished bead of silicone provides a flexible, waterproof joint.
Oh defo in a wet area! I would do the same! 👍
My favourite is a nice messy smear of silicone around the joints on a gutter fitting, with all the dirt and rubbish bedded in and around it.
You are so right. Less is more.
Cheers! Indeed, less is more. 👍
Yes,less is more gets me lots of work, usually total rip-outs.Keep it going less
Siliconing the tub-tile joint could promote moisture buildup behind the tile. Water that seeps through the grout needs to drain into tub..
Gas hobs that are siliconed in are a real problem to repair.
The top is designed to lift off the base panel, so access is required.
That's why a foam strip or a putty-like strip is included with the hob.
Couldn't agree more with the new build, my new build ensuite shower tray panel and main bathroom panels were siliconed like no tomorrow, and when I took them off due to a suspicion, both had water leaks from various places, supports loose and not screwed down... multiple attempts to fix. I just don't know why some people are in trades tbh. But there are a lot of good people out there just have to find them
Yup - my experience too. I've seen new builds with hardly any silicone around bath panels and under the baths have been immaculate. The ones with acres of silicone have always been hiding something. 🙄😀
Idea for a video new fella...
Outdoor Christmas decorations... having recently moved home and the house benefiting from a very recent re-pointing, I’m not wanting to throw holes everywhere Willy-nilly, could you’ve give some advice maybe on how to install them, how to route power/extend wires etc etc do’s & donts for beginners
Only thought of this as I’ve just been to the Range in Benton and bought every LED decoration I could grab hahaha
There's no proper ventilation in my apartment bathroom (old basement apartment as well). There is a window but the walls have been tiled within the last 5 years and it was the owners first tile job so it's not the greatest, gaps and what not. Some of the grout has started cracking in corners Because it's an old basement as well as no fan, when you shower all the tile basically looks like it's sweating even if the window is open lol. Would you recommend in that situation (high humidity climate and an old basement) to caulk/silicone the corners? My main area of concern is the grout has started to crack in the corner of the shower and I really don't want them to redo it because to be honest when they had the fix a loose tile on the front of the vanity they just stuck it back on and didn't regrout between the tiles so there's just big gaps where there should be grout on my sink area now. I don't want the corner of the shower to end up that way and it start rotting the wall behind it. :/ Sorry for the long explanation/question.
In a rental property one never knows how the tenant will be - so silicone everything to stop water ingress - as well as DIYers who think they can "help put" - silicone slows them down!! Thinking maintenance means thinking prevention first. In an owner occupier house I would tend to agree with your points more.
Fantastic video! I’m trying to think why you should not be Prime Minister?! You have such an accurate moral compass. Chuckling through the video, the house I bought has almost ALL the bad things you have noted here, but I knew I was bad, but now I know how to fix it! The section on New Builds is priceless! Why do people want new builds? I’ll tell you who wants a new build; Someone with hair extensions, lip filler, and fake nails. That’s who wants a new build built by someone on an unemployment scheme. Then! After all your wisdom relating to finishing building works, then….you even have a better way to support people like yourself who enrich youtube. Whilst wannabees are begging for patreon, you even have a better way to do that! Fantastic knowledge.
Nice video Andy. Any tips for fixing bath panels? Always hanging loose and bathroom was fitted 1 year ago!
Thanks for all the information! Do you have any athletically pleasing suggestions for hiding edges can't shouldn't be siliconed?
Mr wife mops out the bathroom floor every day with bleach in the water and a drop of w.u.l in it. The other side of the bath side were the tiles stop is bare floorboards and before I siliconed it in used to get wet through. My friend put a one inch plastic upstand behind the bath side bottom that pushes up to it.
Never silicone around water closet (toilet). If base need shims use grout. When you have plug and need lift toilet grout is easier. Plus if there is a leak you can spot it right away with grout. If silicone is used sewer water is going under floor and can cause damage.
But on Windows inside, would you use Caulk or Silicone. To keep water out. From inside. I plan on painting my window seal plate or stain it. So I would use Caulk!!?
I toatly agree with you no need for silicone the service area such a toilet extra most people do it to finish the job nicely but not a practical enjoyed the video.
❤ Thank You for this great learning experience !
So that floor edge needs to be siliconed in my shower bc although I don't WANT a bunch of water on my floor I can't help it because I have a low profile tray. My kitchen ceiling has already suffered wetness seeping through
What about silicone used to seal the bath and sink waste in. I think plumbers mait/putty is better otherwise maintenance is a pain should you need to replace them.
Can silicon sealer be used to fix a ceramic wash basin against a tiled wall wich is mounted loosely on a pedestal, and the same for the pedestal to the floor?
3 questions/points:
Was there quite some water damage under the new build bath tub at the wall side?
Plasterboard screws, why use them? Can you not just use woodscrews for everything or is there a chemical reaction going on?
I have been discussing with my housebuilder about silicon around the kitchen sink as I also feel water may sit at the back, though we have almost no gap as it was fitted nicely and the sealing is done underneath so it's almost down to the maintenance argument but still on the fence a bit... 😂
You mean woodscrews to hold plasterboard on the wall too? It works but plasterboard screws have a bugle head specifically designed to squash the paper of the plasterboard without breaking it. Woodscrews would break the paper so would be weaker. 👍
My toilet just won't remain in place. It's been re done 3 times. Assured it's been fixed, then it starts to wobble. The base is not attached to the floor properly.
The problem is that washing the floor may introduce smells where water gets underneath
Is it okay to silicone over previous silicone around the bath?
What are the problems if there are any?
Thanks
@@hellssurprise9338 Silicone won’t form a bond with existing silicone. You need to remove old silicone with a scraper, then I clean the area with methylated spirits (I think it’s called denatured alcohol in the US) then reapply new silicone. Removing the old stuff is a ball ache but it’ll be an abomination if you don’t.
Always mask off everywhere you don't want silicone, then lay your bead, smooth it if needed then pull the masking tape before the stuff sets and glues itself to the tape.
I feel the same about trade point 😂 great video!
I know this is a very new question but I'm doing the odd home project when needed but without the packet I've no clue what screws are which, is there an easy way to know?
But when ur cleaning bits drop into the holes ? Is it not a thing to silicone the hardfloors to skirting ?
In my new build the toilets are siliconed to the floor tiles which look fine but, in the cloakroom the cistern was leaking into the pan and the plumber had to cut the silicone and drag the whole toilet unit forward to get at replacing the bottom half of the plastic syphon fixing in the cistern - and of course re-siliconed afterwards. With these lower half fully enclosed toilets a ten-minute job now takes over an hour.
Absolutely! These can be a nightmare! 😭👍
Totally agree with all your points mate....great advice again👍
But what about sealing cracks and openings for keeping roaches and mice from nesting?
Sealing the bottom of the MDF panel: whats the best way? Mine has got wet and has swelled along the edges of the plastic coating.
Replace damaged panel then seal any bare timber edges with clear silicone.
For the bath panel they have used the silicone as glue because there is nothing to support it, which of course there should of been. I don’t like grout between tile and anything that is not tile, and also prefer silicone in corners, obviously must be same colour.
What did you use to get bath panel off always a difficult job
I find a thin L-bracket normally works pretty well. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman good idea I will try that next time
i bought one of those pump action suction gripper things glazers use . its great for removing bath panels
I've never seen a plastic shower pan, or a bath access panels. In Australia baths are bricked in and tiled. UK bathroom feel so bizarre to me.
Baths are bricked in? Wow, we could only wish 😂😭. It's generally either non-waterproof MDF or flimsy plastic panels over here. I can't stand either. 😂
@@GosforthHandyman plumber throws down a small mound of mud, level the tub, a few temporary props and add water to the bath and add a bit more mud around the lower edges. Then it's bricked in after.
I know some builders add insulation around it before bricking it in.
If you have kids.... kids and bath time is great fun 'in their water park'. And that's besides the finished look a nice bead of silicone gives you. Which of course might be personal preference or if you think you might need to access under the bath regularly.
Personally? Silicone all the way for the bathtub because of 'kids water park' and usual flimsy panels. No silicone under the much stiffer shower tray panel.
What did we do before silicone sealants?
Is it okay to silicone over previous silicone around the bath?
What are the problems if there are any?
Thanks
@14:48 & 14:53 it looks like the floor has dropped creating the gap...
Mind you, a proper silicon job should have resulted in a nice rubber suspended soundproof floor ?
Between dog bathing and my kiddos giant poops clogging the toilet with possible overflow to follow, I'm thinking I should silicone tf out of my bathroom.
What would you recommend for sealing a window frame that has quite big gaps that has a draft. I used silicone but it's all cracked.
What's the frame and sill made of?
@@GosforthHandyman Window is plastic / PVC and sill is painted wood.
It's to the point where both panes are getting fully covered with condensation each morning as it gets colder. That hasn't happened at all this year up until probably this week.
I'm not going to watch it again but I'm wondering how many times "silicon" was mentioned
I had a fitter seal in a vinyl bathroom floor with clear silicone, ffs. Use neutral cure for Zenolite splashbacks.
10.00 I always sit sinks on a bed of clear silicone, tighten up sink and let it ouse out, next day when cured use Stanley knife and trim excess.
Helo
Can I use open terrace btw the tiles.
Like a tile grout
Having recently had some jokers come in and use the cheapest shitty silicone EVER and after 4 months beginning to go black and orange... I’ve realised that doing this is the hardest job ever, a nightmare getting it out,’and then reapplying ‘professionally’ took my days! - but please, if you do this for a living just go for the expensive stuff and don’t cheap out!!!! #buynicebuytwice 😤
Around 12:50 you started showing a rather horrible bathroom. I can think of a few reasons why there is such a huge gap. One would be the entire house was still working, when they installed the bathroom. Maybe they can't cut wood straight / can't install panels. Or they used cheap wood which changed form due to the moisture in the room.
Why do you use white silicone against the shower unit? I use clear silicone make the job looks 100% better. I Only use white on the tray
Freebie job and wasn't breaking in to 2 tubes. Agree. 😂👍
I suppose the excess silicone is to use up all the cartridge and justify a day's rate charged to carry out a small job. the so called "more value for money" always rules
Sometimes I wonder! 😂
Where should you not see silicon? All over your hands, clothes, tools, vehicle still happens! 😁
Lol tell me about it - on my camera! 😂😭
I want to know how it gets there. You’re so careful and suddenly, covered.
Drives me nuts to see/hear the words 'silicon' and 'silicone' treated like they mean the same thing. Silicon is an element and had properties sort of like a semi-metallic rock; hence, semi-conductors.
@@David-hm9ic I can't tell if you're joking here or not but obviously, he's referring to "silicone'. Due to his wonderful accent it only sounds as if he's saying "silicon". I'm guessing you were actually aware of that :)
Not related to bathrooms... but save exceptional cases, SILICONE IS NOT GLUE.
As an electrician I find missing 'wall cover plates'* on sky installations all the time
*a device used to cover the fact the installer didn't give a flying f*** and blew all the brick on the way out thru the wall.... and then used a company issued cover plate to cover the damage. And tried to glue it to the wall with silicone.
I think Sky teach their installers to blow bricks. :\ I'd sue them if they did that damage to my house
The one exception is glueing a useless dashcam mount to a van windscreen. Silicone bonds very well to glass or glazed surfaces (hence its use on tiles!).
Totally agree. If I *have* to drill from the inside to the outside, I always drill through with a long thin drill first to avoid blowout and then drill back from the outside to the inside with a bigger drill if needs be. What's your approach?
@@GosforthHandyman exactly the same as yours. Allows me to hit a mortar course too if necessary for appearance. Making good is easier on the inside
Oh Gosforth Handyman...we need to get your schedule booked up a bit more or back in your own home. You're spending too much time in that rental!!
Generally agree that silicone is used too much, but absolutely vital to seal round the wc pan .... the last thing you want is urine getting under it and smelling. Oh, and any man who says he never misses is fibbing....
Digging the 70's porn sound track , or is it Starsky and Hutch or some thing? ha ha ha
How wet ? , it's a bathroom you will have water every where and even if you don't spray water somewhere you will have condensation.
I do have to respectfully disagree with you on this .
Condensation on the floor?? A well ventilated bathroom should dry out between uses. If it doesn't you have other issues to address. 👍
Samuel. As a bathroom fitter I couldn’t agree with you more. You can bet your backside if there’s water about it will find it’s way anywhere. Plus the fact if you do need access to anything you only need to cut around the edges with a Stanley knife, big deal if that’s too much of an issue then the fitter shouldn’t be in the game.
Is it okay to silicone over previous silicone around the bath?
What are the problems if there are any?
Thanks
I have to disagree with most thing you say unfortunately. Especially bath panels, I’ve been to so many jobs fixing leaks where bath panel not sealed. The most recent one water leaked down in the kitchen. You won’t believe how some take their bath...
magnets were removed so they could cut the panel. not happy job to cut magnet with circular saw.
Here at my house we have a wood side panel on the bath and damn it’s ugly 😂
The BIGGEST mistake I see so often is when people fail to use masking tape when applying silicone. The results when compared speak for themselves, but the BIG advantage of masking tape is the ease with which it allows you to use a finger or thumb (gloved or not) to force silicone into a gap, yet leave a perfect finish. It also means that when fitting upstands for example the silicone can be applied to the upstand bottom edge in a thick enough bead to FULLY seal the bottom to the worktop when pressed down. This also can help to seal any gap between the worktop and the wall as the excess gets forced out. Similarly the top edge can have silicone applied BEFORE fitting then pressed in place.
Technique: dry fit and test first. Stick masking tape onto BOTH the upstand AND the worktop, up close (
What are you talking about..use your finger..that says it all!!
The only problem with siliconing around the bottom of the toilet is that if the seal develops a slow leak you possiblywon't know about it until it does damage to the structure or sub floor.
It depends upon the toilet design - how many have any wet joints inside the footprint of the base?
Most North American toilets sit on a wax seal that seals between the toilet and the toilet flange that is attached to the waste pipe (aka the stack).
Every corner in a tiled bathroom needs silicone
Whilst you’re comments are quite valid, you tend to find that there are rental jobs and domestic jobs. Most landlords want a quick fix for as little as possible.
I hate when you do a job and find out they used exterior caulk. Like roofing caulk. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Lol yup seen that a few times too! 😭😭
Silicone is for homeowners, urethane is a real sealant
How wet do I plan on getting it...ummmmm... mop wet!
However wet the mop is to clean it. Does anyone think of the clean job?
I love groves in silicon NOT! does the applier know water can sit in the grove , do they clean it in life ????? Slant it like a hill for runoff. The appliers need to get with the cleaners and plan better
blind me that's better than the government's slogan
In the bathroom all corners and joints should have silicon - full stop no nuts,ifs,whatnots yada yada
All?? Even in areas that won't get wet?
@@GosforthHandyman yes,grout sooner or later cracks and moisture and dust get accumulated and it will turn unsightly or even mouldy black.Silicone should usually match grout colour.Only around some plastic panels could be omitted (provided areas behind waterproof/resistant)
Exactly mate. Silicon should be neatly applied in all corners vertical or horizontal if you rely on the grout your a bodger. I agree if it’s done badly with cheap silicon it looks a mess ,but if done neatly you have a joint that can expand and contract and it gives a neat edge.
Why do you even HAVE a trade point card? No shame sir?
Lol I know - utterly pointless now. 😂
When can you tell us why you left your 1930s house
Coming soon! Hopefully this coming Sunday. 👍😀
Is it okay to silicone over previous silicone around the bath?
What are the problems if there are any?
Thanks
All talk, no action! 👎
Fitters of plastic windows are the worst. Silicone the outside by all means to prevent water penetration, but then they use silicone as an adhesive to add the beading which hides their rough work on the inside and then silicone the edge between the beading and the window case etc. What is the saying, once you have a tube of silicone open then everything looks like it needs siliconing :P