Correct Dow Corning sealant for the jobs?

[CluelessDIYer1]

I've emailed them directly but the form seemed like a right mess so i'm not confident of a response. Certainly not a swift one for me to get cracking this week.

This stuff came recommended, but i didn't know there was so many different types.

* First off, i'm not fussy whether it can be paintable or not - it'll be staying white anyway so paintable sealant isn't a concern of mine.

JOB1: Where the window frames meet the walls/wooden windowsill on the interior - the sealant has become either manky or loose or manky+loose. Needs digging out & renewing.

JOB2: Where the window frame in the kitchen meets the tiles - this sealant is manky & needs renewing.

JOB3: Where the tiles meet the kitchen worktop surface - needs renewing.

JOB4: The rear of the sink & where the bath meets the tiled wall - needs doing & re-doing in parts.



There's so many different numbered tubes though. I don't mind if i'll need to buy different ones as they're not that expensive, but obviously it'll be handy if 1 will do all jobs.

So with so many different numbers, which am i looking at?

http://www.dowcorning.com/applications/search/products/?WT.svl=1

 

[Gazman16]

Job 1
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wurth-Acr..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item20c7bc8d95

Masking tape a nice straight edge on the frame, Seal it, Run your finger in both directions a few times, Then paint and remove tape straight away.

Most silicone's are going to go manky at some point so unless you plan on doing this every few years thats what I would do.

Job 2
For sealing to PVC frame you want low modulus, neutral cure. Maybe something with mold resistance as well. Masking tape both edges.

Job 3
Do you have black or dark work tops? I did mine in black silicone (low modulus, neutral cure) about 10 years ago and it looks like it was done yesterday, Again masking tape both edges.

Job 3 & 4
To be honest this is the window fitters part of the forum so most of us only carry caulk and low modulus, neutral cure sealants and we tend to use them for everything lol.
I have never tried any of the bathroom/mold resistant sealants so can t comment on how well they last.

Having said that I have sealed up many baths with low modulus, neutral cure and I know that 2-3 years later they are still looking nice and clean. Again masking tape both edges for nice straight lines.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

Thanks.

What am i actually looking for in the wording on the tube itself?

You said neutral cure & low modulus. I've googled what this means but when i look at the tubing they don't state either of these terms. I was having a look in the local stores rather than order online & wait on them arriving.

With that said, the local stores seem quite dear (£8+ a tube) so i may end up ordering after all.


The reason i looked at silicone is because i imagined it'd be waterproof & therefore a good option. I've had a look in my mums bathroom & kitchen & her sealant has gone manky black. Not nice.



Is the acrylic stuff just as good regards being water resistant? I found a tube in the shed which looking that the price tag on it came from the £1.00 shop. I didn't think it'd be too good a quality though.

Oh & our work tops are light sorry.



So yeah, what wording am i looking for on tubing? Or is acrylic sealant just acrylic sealant - the same as a 30p pack of ibuprofen Sainsbury's own brand is the same as Nurofen at £3.00 or whatever it costs - all in the packaging?


EDIT: Photos oh where i'll be using it...






EDIT x2: After more googling i found that water/shampoo etc will react with the silicone which is why it goes black in the bath example.
I was wondering - just around the window frame will it still go black since it's not in contact with water, or does it just need the moisture that's in the air to turn it black?

 

[God]

Decorators caulk where it meets the walls and stelmax where it's plastic to plastic

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

Decorators caulk where it meets the walls and stelmax where it's plastic to plastic

Thanks.

Never heard of this stelmax product before. Is it acrylic/silicone? I'm guessing it's not going to be silicone since the advice seems to be to stay away from silicone due to the manky black look.

Do you guys just use decorators caulk for most jobs then out of interest (going back to my sealant-is-sealant question - before we delve into mould resistant requirements etc)?

 

[Gazman16]

Caulk once over painted is basically the same as any wall surface, Mold is possible but less likely, It also looks much neater, The Wurth sealant I gave you a link to Is one of the best quality caulks, It shrinks less than most and can be used inside and out.

Personally Im not a huge fan of Stelmax, It goes off almost instantly like superglue and once its on its never coming off so your sealing technique needs to be pretty damn good if you want it to look neat. At least with silicone it can be cleaned off and redone if you need to.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

Thanks. Since I'm new to this & have only done a little bit in the past i'd not be bragging about my technique so thanks for that.

Just to add, I don't want anyone to take my questions in a challenging sense. I'm just here to learn

 

[Newboy]

For the jobs 3 & 4 - Dow Corning 785

 

[God]

Stelmax in a new tube is a **** to use. You are right you need it right first time but leaves a better finish than silicone

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

I think based on what you guys have said i'm going to bin the Dow Corning, or just silicone sealant in general. I don't fancy it going black. I'll go with the acrylic stuff like you've said.


When sealing, bit of a silly question to you, but would you paint first & seal last or seal first & paint last? I'm really not bothered whether it gets painted or not. I'd imagine seal last so that when you're taking it off again to replace, whenever that may be, you're not lifting the paint with it?

 

[Newboy]

Don't use acrylic in jobs 3&4

Use a decent silicone sealant