Sealing the bath with the wall, sealing the joint with a sealant, solution, foam, tiles

The gap formed between the wall and the bathroom is not always the fault of the master making repairs in the bathroom. Quite often it appears as a result of curved walls or because of the unusual dimensions of the room, which do not allow the installation of a bath of the required length.

As this problem is very common, mankind has come up with many ways to deal with it. It is very important to remove the gap between the font and the wall. If you do not do it in time, the consequences can be extremely unpleasant. This is the mold that inevitably appears with a constant accumulation of moisture, and puddles under the bathroom, requiring constant cleaning, and, finally, a high probability of a flood( the way the moisture accumulated under the font begins to seep into the neighbors).

In this article we will look at the most popular ways of sealing the seam between the bathroom wall. Choosing one of them, you can protect yourself from big troubles, which can cause a small gap.

There are several effective ways to seal the bath wall - from temporary solutions to capital. Which one to choose depends on your financial capabilities and building skills.

If the gap to be sealed is small in width, then the most optimal solution is the sealant. For bathrooms produce special sanitary sealants that can be used in rooms with a high level of humidity. Here you have two options: a silicone-based sealant or an acrylic sealant.

Silicone sealant has all the qualities that allow it to be used in quite specific conditions of the bathroom: water resistance, elasticity, strength, resistance to temperature changes and exposure to aggressive media. The acrylic based sealant has not so good performance characteristics, but on top of it you can apply paint and enamel.

The sealant is poured into the gap by means of a special pistol in which the tube is filled. Before starting to seal, the work surface must be cleaned of dirt and mold, degrease and wipe dry. Only then can the sealant seam be filled. It should be remembered that before the composition dries completely, at least 24 hours must pass. During this time the bath can not be used.

Border for a bath is the most popular way of sealing a font with a wall, as it represents the most favorable combination of price, durability and the amount of effort expended. In addition, sealed with a curb seam looks neat, and sometimes even quite beautiful. As in the previous case, you need to choose one of two options - a border of plastic or a border of ceramics. Let's consider each of them separately.

Plastic curbs - is considered one of the most budgetary ways to seal a seam. Its merits are related to the features of the material: the plastic bends well, so it is able to disguise even the uneven seam, in addition, the plastic border is not demanding in the care and quietly tolerates contact with aggressive cleaning agents. A plastic curb is glued over the seam to any construction waterproof glue, and joints between parts are treated with a sealing compound.

Ceramic border is more expensive, but its service life is much longer. If you carefully look after it, it will not lose its color and will retain its original look for several decades. The ceramic border is an elegant and beautiful solution for sealing the seam. Ceramic curbs should be mounted in the angle between the wall and the font on the tile glue, on the same principle as tile. The joints between the elements are filled with a moisture-resistant grout.

A curb tape for sealing the seam is rather a temporary or auxiliary tool. It is advised to use it in combination with other materials, such as sealant or foam. By gluing the tape over the gap filled with these sealing means, you will give the bath a complete and neat appearance.

Border tape is a hank of synthetic material on a self-adhesive basis. Adhesive composition is used waterproof, so it does not lose its properties even with prolonged contact with water. Many manufacturers impregnate the tape with antibacterial composition, which prevents the appearance of fungus and mold.

The hurdle of a ribbon belt is not at all expensive, but it's enough for a few uses. The border should be updated every two to three years. This procedure is very simple and will take you no more than an hour.

Glue the new curb tape to the surface cleaned of glue residues and other contaminants.

Cut off the right amount of tape from the skein, warm the couple of minutes with a hair dryer along the entire length( for greater elasticity) and glue over the gap, advancing from the corner of the bath. Before you start the water procedures, you must wait 24 hours for the glue to get better.

Foam is an almost universal building material that an experienced craftsman can find many uses. One of them is the sealing of a bath with a wall. You can buy mounting foam in any construction shop( do not forget to buy rubber gloves and paint tape) and immediately start working, as no special preparatory work is required.

So, carefully clean and dry the work surface, then glue it with a paint tape so that the foam does not stain the enamel of the font and ceramic tiles. We shake the ball well and very slowly and gently fill the gap.

When the mounting foam solidifies, take a sharp knife and cut it level with the side of the bath. The seam is not very beautiful, therefore it is recommended to paste a curbstitch tape over it or to lay a ceramic tile.

It also happens that the gap between the font and the wall is so wide that none of the above methods can not get rid of it. In this case, you will have to apply all your building skills and build a curb of tile. Tile is the most suitable material for finishing surfaces in the bathroom. It perfectly tolerates excess moisture and abrupt changes in temperature, does not undergo corrosion and rot. In addition, ceramics for the bathroom is very durable, so this curb will serve you until the next major overhaul.

For closing the gap, it is best to use the remains of ceramic tiles, which are lined with walls of the bathroom, and if they are not, try to find a tile close in color.

First the gap must be filled with some sealing compound. As it is wide enough, mounting foam is the most suitable for this purpose. When the foam dries, smooth the seam so that it is convenient to lay the tile. Then prepare the tile glue according to the instructions and proceed to laying the tiles. Between the tile do not forget to insert plastic crosses, to get even, neat seams. The next day, we wipe the seams with a waterproof agent.

For particularly large gaps, we use a different method, and instead of the curb we make a full shelf for soap-shaving accessories. For this under the bathroom we construct a small formwork, which is then poured with cement mortar. After the solution dries, the resulting lump is tiled with tiles.

Probably the oldest of all possible ways of sealing the bath with a wall is to seal the seam with cement mortar. A mixture consisting of water, sand and cement, hardening, forms a hard and durable coating. This method was used in the Soviet era, when the choice of building materials was limited. The stitch was usually painted with oil paint. The result was, of course, not very aesthetic, but "for ages".

First you need to prepare a cement slurry, mixing all the components in the right proportions. While the mixture settles, we clean out of the seam all the dirt accumulated there. In order not to fill the floor with the cement under the bathroom, we install a container under the gap, into which the solution will flow.

If the gap is very wide, you can fill it with scraps of old rags soaked in cement mortar. Specialists advise to pre-wet the work surface so that it better mesh with cement. Then fill the gap with cement mortar, trying to make the weld as smooth as possible.

The seam can be masked by gluing over the dried cement curb tiles or laying out the tile.

Most of the above methods of sealing the seam between the wall and the bathroom involve the use of sealant - as a primary or auxiliary means. Sanitary sealant designed specifically for use in the bathroom, so the best way to protect the surface from moisture and dirt is difficult to come up with.

It is very important to choose the right type of sealant. As we have already said, sealants for the bath are available on acrylic and silicone-based.

Acidic sealants are classified as budgetary. They have a sharp vinegar smell and, during application, pose a danger to the skin, mucous membranes and respiratory tract. This type of sealant is not recommended for use with expensive, "delicate" materials.

Neutral sealants are more expensive, but they have a higher quality. They do not smell and are completely harmless to humans. Do not react with the material of the working surface and with cleaning agents. Professionals recommend choosing this type of silicone sealant for seam sealing.

In the store, pay attention to the composition of the sealant. The content of silicone should be about half, about the same amount is given to the filler, and the rest is dyes, fungicidal additives, etc.

• Before filling the seam, it is recommended to fill the font with water. So the bath will shrink, which must be taken into account when filling the gap with sealing materials.
• To make the plastic border more closely adjacent to the surface, it must be cut from the inside by a 45-degree angle.
• If you decide to seal the bath with a wall with cement mortar, the font is better additionally strengthened - for the reliability of the structure. This can be done by fixing small pieces of reinforcement in the wall every 15 cm.
• When working with cement or tile adhesive, do not allow the solution to enter the drain of the bath. Experts advise before the beginning of work to lay the bottom of the font cellophane.