Why was translucent silicone used on fittings

[ADarkDividedGem]

Hi,

I am just going through the process of reattaching my towel rail.
View media item 96754After I unscrewed the fittings used to keep the towel rail in place I noticed they were stuck to the wall with what appears to be silicone.View media item 96774
Why was this needed when it was already screwed into the wall? One idea might be to do with the fact its in a bathroom and they wanted to gain a water tight seal round the fitting. Is that a normal practice since all my other fittings in my bathroom didn't have this done to them? I doubt it would have been tough enough to provide any further structural support. Would they have been worried that the fitting wasn't flush to the wall since the wall plug extrudes about 1mm from the wall and wanted something to give it some extra grip?
View media item 96763
Either way I am guessing I should use the same method when reattaching the fitting back onto the wall. I presume I can do the same with white silicone as it will be camouflaged by the white wall behind it.

Thanks

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Is it possible that the holes drilled in the walls were made too large for plugs, so then botched it up with silicone, which spread on to the fittings when tightening up.

 

[ADarkDividedGem]

Don't think so, the silicone appears outside the drilled hole, on and in the wall plug itself. Here is a close up of a part of the wall plug and there doesn't appear to be any silicone between the metal wall plug and the surrounding wall.
View media item 96776View media item 96775

 

[^woody^]

One idea might be to do with the fact its in a bathroom and they wanted to gain a water tight seal

Another idea is that the fitter was just stupid.

 

[ADarkDividedGem]

Another idea is that the fitter was just stupid.

In which case, if done right, there is no need for the silicone to be reapplied.

 

[^woody^]

Yes. Maybe in a shower enclosure on tiles for a rail or fitting, buy not for a radiator outside a wet zone, and certainly not on bare plaster

Sometimes it can help to hold the bracket while the screw is located.

It's done no harm, but not worth worrying about.

 

[Flyboytim]

Walls are rarely perfectly flat, and wall fixings often do not perfectly flush fit to the wall surface. If there was a slight gap between the wall and the fitting, if there was no flexible silicone filler there, over time, dirt and grease would get into the gap, which would become black or brown or greenish, depending on which little organisms were growing there. Being within a bathroom there is always a likelihood of repeated condensation, and the growth of microorganisms in crevices etc., even away from the direct splash zone.

It may be preferable to have a translucent silicone sanitary filler with mould resistant properties to prevent any grime build-up or growth there. Presumably the towel rail fitter (CH engineer or plumber) did not fit out other parts of the bathroom using the same technique. White silicone is preferred when white to white surfaces are jointed, whereas white to metal effect probably looks better with a neutral translucent joint.

 

[magicmushroom666]

That fixing looks like a T nut, These are usually fitted to wood, not walls. And they are supposed to go on the other side of the face to where something is being bolted on, so that the fitting is pulled into the surface like a nut. That's obviously impossible to do on a wall. I'm surprised they didn't pull out to be honest.