Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The owner-builder with lumpy silicone
This reminds me of one of my owner-builders who was sealing the tiles over a vanity unit
to the laminate top on the vanity unit. When I turned up the task had just been
completed. Silicone was spread up the face of the tiles by about 20 mm and across the
vanity top by about the same. Anyone that has ever lived with silicone will know that
while it is great to seal such surfaces, it will always attract dust and grime and should
therefore be kept as small as possible.
I gently inquired as to what he was trying to achieve and if he was concerned about
the width of the silicone now smeared over both surfaces. I did not raise the issue that
apart from being smeared about, the surface of the silicone was quite rough where his
finger had dragged across its surface. He explained to me that he had tried to make it
smaller and smooth but that it just wasn't working. Rather than to get frustrated with the
process where he probably felt it would go from bad to worse, he decided that he would
trim the edges of the silicone with a knife once it was set. While this seemed like a logical
solution I assure you it will not give the desired result. We scraped off the silicone that
fortunately was not fully cured and proceeded to start again.
Applying silicone
Ensure that the surfaces to be sealed are clean and dry. Pour a small amount of
dishwashing liquid into a small glass or a lid. Later on you will need to dip your finger in
the solution, so ensure that the container allows you to do this. The hole in the end of the
silicone nozzle is quite small. If the diameter of this hole is smaller than the gap you want
to fill, shorten the nozzle a little at a time until the hole in the nozzle roughly matches the
gap to be filled. Cut the nozzle on a slight angle so that when the nozzle is held against
the surface to be sealed it will force the silicone down into the gap and slide along the
surface smoothly giving an even flow of silicone without bumps and ridges. Once you
have put the silicone on the surface to be sealed dip your finger into the detergent and
run your finger across the surface of the silicone to press it into position and smooth it
out. Only very light pressure needs to be applied, otherwise the silicone will spread out
too wide over the surfaces being sealed.
