Removing and replacing silicone around sink

[Keitai]

Used a Stanley knife and other scraping gear and this silicon remover but took ages to get rid of old stuff. Not sure I got rid of everything. Used meths at the end.

After applying probably too much I used a blue edge of Cramer profiling kit but a fairer bit smeared onto drainage board and around edges. Is it ok to use a wet cloth to then immediately remove this?

How before it ready to stop water hitting it?

 

[JobAndKnock]

Rule no. 1 - don't apply too much silicone
Rule no. 2 - kill the worms before starting work...

 

[foxhole]

The tool is for running between edges at 90 degrees which you don't have. But you do have 8 fingers to choose from.

 

[Keitai]

Rule no. 1 - don't apply too much silicone
Rule no. 2 - kill the worms before starting work...

By kill the worms I guess you mean remove ALL the old stuff. I think I did but it's stubborn stuff.

Can you put new silicone over old stuff which isn't leaking but has just been scratched off and cosmetically looks bad?

 

[pcaouolte]

By kill the worms I guess you mean remove ALL the old stuff.

By kill the worms I thought that he was referring to the contents of the sink in your first photo.

You can put new silicone over old if you want but it will look awful and won't last long. Always best to get rid of the old and then apply new.

This stuff works for removing the last traces before you put new silicone on:https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-sealant-remover-100ml/88987

 

[JobAndKnock]

Put it this way, maybe it's OCD but I, personally, won't work in dirty kitchens - places where there are dirty dishes left piled up in the sink when I am supposed to be replacing the worktop, or where food waste hasn't been cleane away, and that sort of thing. Not opposed to dealing with muck and rubble on site, but really - in someone's kitchen? [/Rant-off]

Silicone should always be laid on a fresh, clean surface. Yes, it can be a bloody awful job to get the old stuff off, but if you want to do a professional looking job which lasts you need to do this before applying new silicone

Don't apply too much silicone - it is better to apply too little on the first run and "top it up" with a tiny extra bead before wiping across with the silicone finger - this must be done promptly, not an hour after the first application. Do not apply great gobs of the stuff (and that means don't cut too much of the nozzle off, too!) and hope you can wipe it off - you can't, as you've discovered. Clean your silicone finger regularly, and thoroughly, and never let the silicone build up too much on the silicone finger. To control your application better, buy a better quality caulking gun, something like a Cox heavy duty, Ox heavy duty or my own favourite a Tajima Convoy - apart from better control, and longer life, these heavy duty guns have one really big advantage - if you cut off the flow by taking the pressure off the flow stops almost immediately, something skeleton guns aren't good at

 

[Keitai]

Had another go and went well for half but botched the other half. I went over it with wet sponge. It started drying quickly and went a bit fraying . Tried to cut the dried smeared bit with Stanley but will need to do it again.

Surely it's apply at right thickness then smooth with finger (I didn't wet finger)then apply wet sponge to remove excess? Maybe I was too slow

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Oh dear, wet finger and masking tape applied fastidiously to both surfaces for me every time.

 

[pcaouolte]

Too much silicone. Wet your finger. Don't use a sponge.

There shouldn't be any excess if you apply less silicone in the first place. You should try to put a small amount of silicone on and just smooth it to shape it with a wet finger. If it spreads out of the sides of your finger you had too much in the first place, if it sticks to your finger then the finger is not wet enough.

 

[flameport]

100% of any old silicone must be removed
Surfaces must be 100% totally clean and dry - unlike the stainless steel sink in the photo.
The correct type of silicone must be used. There are various types for different situations.

For sealing around a kitchen sink, the proper method is to remove the sink from the worktop, clean both the worktop and sink, then apply a thin bead of silicone to the underside of the sink before installing it back into the worktop, then remove any excess with the profile tool. Applying the silicone, putting the sink back into the worktop and profiling all done within a couple of minutes.

Generally it's a good idea to obtain silicone in the correct colour, such as black silicone for a black worktop.