My Bath Seal Keeps Cracking and Leaking

[balkul]

Hi, I recently had a new bathroom fitted and although the bath has been resealed a thousand times and left for at least 48 hours, the seal always cracks, water seeps through and drips into my dining room downstairs. Does anyone know what I can do to fix the problem, because the cowboys who put the bath in says its my fault for not leaving it long enough to set.

 

[wotan]

Sounds like the old sealant should be dug out, and high quality flexible silicone sealant should be used, the area should be dry and free of debris.
Is there excessive movement of the bath? this could be cracking the sealant.

Wotan

 

[conny]

As Wotan says, dig the old sealant out completely. Make sure the area to be sealed is dry/grease/dust free. Then fill the bath with cold water to just below the overflow outlet. This will weigh down the bath to its maximum flexibility level. Make sure the sealant nozzle is cut at an angle and wide enough to fill the gap with one filling if possible. If the gap is more than 10mm you will probably need 2 passes with the sealant gun. After filling the gap and before the sealant 'skins' over get a wet sponge and VERY LIGHTLY run the sponge along in one continuous stroke to smooth out the surface. Leave for 24 hours till the sealant has set before removing the plug and letting the water out.
If you have a shower head over the bath test for leaks by spraying along the joint, but only after the 24 hour setting period.

 

[balkul]

Thank you, will it also help if i buy one of those bath strips from B & Q or the like and put it around the bath? Does the type of silicone make that much difference?

 

[conny]

The sealant MUST be the flexible type that is used with a sealant type cartridge gun. If the gap is excessive buy some foam strips from an upholsterer shop and pack these down into the gap. This stops the sealant from dropping right through, (People have been known to pack this gap with old newspapers, anything to stop the sealant falling through).
If you have tiles along the wall then a 'Decor Strip Spashback' can be used, but it must be used AS WELL as the sealant, not instead of. Get one that has a peel-off strip on each edge so it sticks to the tiles and the bath edge.
Lets know how you get on.

 

[conny]

Any joy with this yet Balkul?

 

[foxhole]

Bath is moving, any attempt to seal will fail until this is remedied.

 

[lifesagasman]

i've found that baths with a lot of movement nearly always leak again. i fix it by standing in the bath and wedging solid packers under the tile edge. that seems to limit the movement. also silicone will never stick to itself. all traces need to be removed before resealing (which is nigh on impossible)
something i learned in a stint in injection moulding is that the mould release agent won't allow a seal to be made with silicone, so, on a new bath, wipe down thoroughly the sealing surface before gunking up