Handymen/Contractors: Which sealant, adhesive for shower?

axelfox

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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The bottom shower door railings leak water through to the outside of the tub. The water runs underneath the railing and falls down on the outside of the tub. What product would I use to seal this?

Would it be silicone caulk?

TIA.
 

wedi42

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2001
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Originally posted by: axelfox
Would it be silicone caulk?

yes


edit,
tip: for latex caulk use a wet finger to smooth it out,
for silicone caulk, use a soapy finger
 

dartworth

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
15,195
1
81
DAP® Easy Solutions® Kitchen & Bath Caulk...no caulk gun needed...:)


make sure you clean the area well...
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,283
5,055
136
Pure silicone. Clean the area, lay down as neat a bead as you can, spray the silicone with denatured alcohol, then run your fingernail up the bead so the excess piles up on top of your fingernail. A little practice and and you can lay down perfect beads of silicone.

Edit: Pushing the bead down with a wet finger will make a huge mess, I've made several thousand dollars cleaning up after a failed attempt at sealing a shower in this manner.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
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Theer are 3 main types...

1. Plain Caulk. Cheap and does a ok job. Good for filling large gaps on the cheap. Does not hold up as well or as long. Easy water clean up. I use this kind mostly in garages, holes in buildings that need a base, etc...

2. Siliconized caulk. Cost more then regular caulk but usually last longer and has the same easy clean up as caulk. Looks similar to regular caulk as well. I use this where it might been seen a good deal and also has to take more wear and needs a longer life then 100% caulk will offer.

3. 100% Silicone. Cost the most, very few can take paint, harder to clean up, and has a glossy look that may stand out in a bad way. Offers the best sealing and long life. Much more resistant to mold and mildew. I like to use this where there will be water like sinks/baths etc...
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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www.slatebrookfarm.com
I like to use the 100% silicone for such a job. Also, to help make the outcome look as good as possible:

1st: clean the area very very well.
2nd: wash the area with alcohol
3rd: use masking tape and lay out very straight lines where the edge of the silicone will be. This will make your life much easier if this is one of the first few times you've done this. If you've got a lot of experience, then you can get good results without the tape. Personally, I think that if you expect the job to last 15 years, then an extra dollar for tape and an extra 2 or 3 minutes of prep is well worth it.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,283
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Originally posted by: Howard
What does wetting the silicone with alcohol do?

The silicone won't stick to any surface with denatured alcohol on it. So if you place a neat bead, wet it with denatured alcohol, then run a finger nail up it, all the excess silicone ends up on your fingernail, and not smeared all over the place.
It really is easy to get a perfect bead this way, and a very professional finish.
When I do a bath remodel, the finished product has to be as close to perfect as possible, with silicone caulk, denatured alcohol is how you do it.