Self-adhesive border( tape) for the bath: pluses, minuses, installation and care

Every year in the field of repair dozens of products appear that can make our life easier: modern building materials, convenient tools, new models of equipment, etc. But, even despite the development of technology, there are problems with which today, as in the last century, everyone who repairs in an apartment faces.

One of these "eternal" problems is a crevice formed between the bathroom and one or more walls. To date, there are several ways to solve this problem. The simplest of these is the use of a self-adhesive border, also called a curb tape. It is glued to the joint of the bath and the wall, and serves as a reliable protection against water. In addition, the curb tape allows you to disguise an ugly seam between the edge of the font and tile.

• Of all the possible options for sealing seam self-adhesive - the border is the most budgetary. Buying a tape will cost you several hundred rubles. Standard skein is enough for 7-8 uses.
• It is very easy to glue the gap with a curb tape. One person can easily cope with this less than an hour.
• The tape is made of waterproof material, so it is a reliable protection against moisture.
• The adhesive layer applied at the production stage allows to strengthen the curb firmly on the edge of the bathtub and tile.
• Ribbon is almost impossible to damage, because it is soft and elastic.
• Self-adhesive border is very plastic, so it can be used to work on uneven surfaces( this happens, for example, if the font is irregularly shaped).

• Self-adhesive border for a bath - a short-lived product. Depending on how actively the family uses the bathroom, the self-adhesive border will last you from year to 3 years.
• As the curb tape quickly becomes unusable, it should be replaced periodically. And this will have to spend some time, because you need to remove the old curb and prepare a surface for gluing a new one.
• To prevent water from getting under the bath, builders often handle the seam with a silicone sealant for plumbing. It should be borne in mind that the curb tape loses its properties if it comes into contact with acidic silicones, which are often present in the bath sealants.

The main task of the curb for the bath is to protect unprotected surfaces from water ingress, as high humidity contributes to the appearance of mold, fungus and insects. Therefore, only waterproof and water-repellent materials are used in the production of curb tape.

The vast majority of types of self-adhesive border are made of synthetic polymers, most often - polyethylene. In addition, the composition of the curb tape includes a special glue, resistant to moisture and temperature changes.

Many manufacturers of curbs for baths treat the product with a special composition that includes phytoncide components. They scare off insects, which are often found in the bathroom.

In its mass, the various types of curbs that are sold in construction and hardware stores, almost do not differ from each other. The difference in price is due to the presence or absence of phytoncid additives, of which we spoke above, and the producer firms.

However, there are two key points that need to be considered when buying a curb tape:

• Ribbon dimensions. The length of the curb is usually standard - it is sold in rolls of 30 meters. But the width can be different: for sale, there are options for 3, 4 and 6 cm Less common are narrower or wider patterns. The width of the tape should be chosen based on the size of the gap: so that there is a margin on both sides, but it was not too large - otherwise it would look untidy.
• The color of the tape. Self-adhesive border for the bath is not only white. In stores with a wide range of products, you can find a curb ribbon that matches the color of your plumbing - beige, cream, bluish and other light colors.

The installation of a curb tape is a very simple task, but in order to make the result durable and aesthetic, some preparatory work will be necessary: ​​

• If necessary, remove the old curb or its remains;
• Clean the joint of the bathtub and ceramic tiles from dirt - these may be remnants of old glue or sealant, stale dirt, soap, mold, etc.;
• Treat the surface with degreasing compound and dry well;
• Protect the enamel of the bathtub and ceramic tiles from the ingress of glue and sealant by gluing the paint strip on both sides of the gap.

Preparation for work is finished, and now you can proceed directly to the installation of a self-adhesive border:

• Fill the gap with the sealing compound. Specialists recommend using a silicone-based sealant, filled with a mounting gun.
• Align the sealant layer with a rubber spatula or simply a finger soaked in soapy water.
• Measure the length of the bath and cut off the appropriate piece of curb tape, leaving a margin of a couple of centimeters. This is necessary in order to accurately dock the tape at the corners.
• To make the ribbon even more elastic, heat the hair dryer along the entire length within a few minutes.
• Moving from the corner, glue the curb, gradually separating the protective strip. Do not stretch the tape, but press it firmly against the surface.
• In the corners of the bath, parts of the tape are glued and cut at an angle of 45 degrees.

The main part of the work is done, it remains only to wait for the adhesive to dry out and check the quality of the work done:

• After pasting the border, do not use the bathroom during the day. This is necessary in order for the glue to seize better.
• After the due time, try stirring the curb ribbon. If she does not give in, then the work is done well. If in some places the edge of the tape lags behind the surface, gently attach it to any water-resistant glue used for repair.
• The final step is the removal of the paint tape. Now you can take a bath!

Self-adhesive border for the bath is completely unpretentious in the care. It should be cleaned as necessary with the same detergents that you use to wash the plumbing. The only thing that should be excluded is the impact of abrasives and contact with hard, metal brushes. Curbing tape - the material is durable, but soft, so "aggressive" cleaning can damage it.