With time, joints around sinks, basins and baths can deteriorate. This makes cleaning difficult and also lets water seep between sink and wall, causing possible damage, which may not become obvious until too late.
Use a putty knife and the edge of a narrow scraper to remove all grit, grease and fragments of grout or sealer from the crevice between bath or sink and wall.
Brush out crevice with a stiff brush soaked in turps or acetone and wipe with a clean cloth.
Make sure the surface is thoroughly dried by wrapping a cloth around the putty knife and running it into the crevice.
Use a tube of special bathtub caulking compound. This can be applied straight from the tube, simply cut the nozzle so the size bead, which comes out, is slightly wider than the gap between tub and wall. For a thin bead, cut close to the tube tip; for a thicker bead, cut further down.
Squeeze the caulk in a continuous bead all around the tub where it meets the wall. Work the caulking well into the crevice using a wet rag wrapped around your index finger. Keep a container of water handy for dipping the rag to wet it as you work. Where excess sealer squeezes over the edges, let it dry then trim off with a trimming knife or razor blade.
If there is a very wide gap, say 5mm or more between the sink and wall, it should be filled with epoxy cement to give a firm, impervious bond to masonry and tiles. Around taps, use a ceramic tile cement to fill the crevices between tiles and pipes.
Materials you’ll need:
• Bathtub caulking
• Epoxy cement
• Ceramic tile cement
• Turps or acetone
• Clean rags
• Water container.
Tools you’ll need:
• Putty knife or narrow scraper
• Stiff brush
• Scissors
• Trimming knife or razor blade
