A bathroom is a room with a humid environment. Therefore, when repairing this room, it is required to select materials that are resistant to water and carefully seal all joints, using the correct bathroom sealant. Otherwise, soon the walls and other surfaces will be covered with fungus, and the presence of mold in the house is unhealthy. What kind of sealant will help fight mold?
Dampness in the bathroom is not only the risk of premature destruction of finishes and building structures. The fact is that a humid atmosphere favors mold growth, and this fungus spreads spores that can provoke serious health problems.
To avoid the appearance of mold and to remove the existing fungus, you need to get rid of the dampness. And in a bathroom, this is not easy. The need to seal joints between plumbing fixtures is common knowledge, but what is the best sealant for the bathroom?
Why is mold growing?
Fungus is a common problem in bathrooms. How many troubles arise due to the appearance of mold fungi! The growth of mold is promoted by increased dampness in this room, as the fungus "loves" moisture and heat. Good ventilation is essential to get rid of mold. However, there are places in the room where the fungus "feels" great. This is the space under the bathroom.
If there is a gap between the bathroom and the wall, then water will get into it, which does not dry for a long time in this place, contributing to the growth of mold. To defeat the fungus and get rid of mold, you need to pay special attention to the sealing of joints in the bathroom.
Types of bathroom sealants
It is customary to call a sealant a composition of polymer materials with various modifying additives. Depending on the base material, there are silicone, silicate, acrylic, bituminous, rubber, thiokol or polyurethane sealants for the bathroom.
Silicone
The most commonly used material is silicone bath sealant. They are distinguished by a long service life and excellent adhesion to various types of materials.
The basis of the material is silicone. It has excellent water-repellent properties, perfectly tolerates temperature changes, so silicone sealants can be used in the temperature range from -50 to +200 degrees. There are two types of silicone sealant for the bathroom on sale:
- Acidic or, as is often said, acetic. Differs in an affordable price, dries quickly, but in the process of vulcanization, it contributes to the oxidation of metals.
- Neutral. It is more expensive, but devoid of the disadvantages of acid. Suitable for acrylic bathtubs, as well as for any metal surfaces.
Acrylic
Acrylic sealant is cheap and easy to use, as it lies flat and dries quickly. But coatings made of it do not have high elasticity. Therefore, this material can be used only in those places that are not subject to deformation during operation.
The sealant does not contain organic solvents, so it does not have a pungent odor. On sale you can find moisture-resistant and non-moisture resistant. Naturally, the first option should be chosen for the bathroom renovation.
Silicone-acrylic
This material includes the positive qualities of silicone and acrylic sealants. The coatings are durable and, at the same time, elastic. Therefore, if a bathroom is being renovated, this type of sealant will perfectly cope with the tasks assigned to it.
Polyurethane
With this composition, you can create a durable and elastic coating. They are distinguished by good adhesion to various materials. Polyurethane compounds can be used to repair joints created with silicone analogs.
Advice! As for other types of sealants (bituminous, thiokol, etc.), they, as a rule, are not used to repair a bathroom.
How to choose a sealant?
What is the best sealant for mold protection? Here are the qualities that a suitable material should have:
- A good bathroom sealant is primarily water resistant.
- It is good if a sanitary composition is purchased for the bathroom. Sanitary contains antibacterial and antifungal additives that help fight the development of mold.
- Sealants can be clear, white or colored. This should be taken into account when choosing.
- It does not hurt to find out when buying how long the composition dries. The answer to this question depends on the composition of the sealant.
- As for the brand of sealant, you should know that the compositions are professional and intended for household use. Among the most popular brands are "sanitary moment", "Sanitary titanium". To seal plumbing made of plastic, you need to choose compounds marked "For acrylic and PVC".
How do I apply the sealant?
After the material has been selected and purchased, you can proceed with the sealing of the seams.
Required materials and tools
To complete the work you will need:
- Assembly gun.
- Small rubber spatula.
- Alcohol or acetone for degreasing.
- Rag.
- Masking tape.
Advice! The purchase of an assembly gun is highly desirable, since using available tools (for example, a hammer handle), it will be difficult to lay the sealant evenly.
Preparatory work
If the joints are sealed after the repair, then the preparation consists in cleaning and degreasing the surfaces. If the sealing is repeated, the old coating will need to be removed.
If there is a black coating on the surfaces, then the fungus has already "settled" in the bathroom. In this case, it is not enough just to wipe off the plaque; you need to apply an agent that destroys the fungus. Otherwise, black plaque will soon reappear. The next stage of preparation is to degrease the surface and dry it. After that, you can start sealing the seams.
Sealant application
Sealant can be applied to a clean and dry surface. It is laid evenly, in a continuous line, without gaps and thickenings. And how much does the sealant dry in the bathroom, because until the composition is completely dry, it is necessary to exclude the ingress of water on it?
The answer depends on the composition of the drug. Silicone and acrylics dry in a day, polyurethane compounds - in 8-10 hours. So, the answer to the question of how long the bathroom cannot be used depends on the type of sealant.
Once the sealing is complete, a plastic or ceramic corner can be glued over the sealant layer. The plastic corner can be glued to the Liquid Nails glue, ceramics are attached to the tile adhesive, which is used for laying the tiles.
The easiest way is to glue a plastic corner. Let's figure out how to do it right. First, prepare the surface, then measure the corner. Now you need to apply glue to the corner and attach it to the installation site, pressing it firmly to the surface. How much do you need to hold the corner? You will have to hold it until the glue dries, so you should choose an adhesive composition that dries quickly.
It is somewhat more difficult to glue a ceramic corner. The fastening of this part is carried out with tile glue, like ordinary tiles. After the tile adhesive has dried, a joint putty is used.
So, the best sealant for sealing joints in the bathroom is characterized by moisture resistance, durability and the presence of fungicidal additives. When choosing a product, it is worth giving preference to those for which there is a mark "sanitary, intended for use in wet rooms."