Refreshing silicone sealant

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Refreshing silicone sealant

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Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 18 7:40 pm Post subject: Refreshing silicone sealant
Currently decorating a house throughout. Windows are upvc with plastic surrounds. All sealed with silicone which is old, grey and tired. I do not want to scrape it all out and replace. Is there some way to make it shiny and smart? I’m thinking like one of those grouting pens you can buy. Or will something like vinegar and elbow grease give it back its youthful lustre?

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9000
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 18 10:13 pm Post subject:
Sounds like ours...old,grey,tired,dried out and leaking draughts like crazy. One solution...renew..which unfortunately being too cold and not dry I assume we can't do it,yet...

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 18 10:42 pm Post subject:
Nope. Remove and replace I'm afraid.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46417
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 18 2:19 pm Post subject:
a very sharp 1 " chisel and quite a lot of stanley knife blades are required. stan for against masonry etc etc , the chisel for "planing" silicone off the plastic a wet blade will help a lot ps by sharp i really mean sharp enough to shave with pps with old stuff it is sometimes possible to get an end free and pull out the entire bead as a string ( stan can assist with loosening the odd snag )

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 18 5:44 pm Post subject:

Turns out you can buy this.

https://www.diy.com/departments/unibond-ready-to-use-renew-white-silicone-sealant/1414955_BQ.prd?dclid=CNvLjpSM0dkCFdgQGwodNbMEag&ds_kids=92700029896532720&gclid=CjwKCAiArOnUBRBJEiwAX0rG_StYG6fYNgjBhnvyCg5n5h-GlTlD5dSW1Xsoil_okrr1OhDSrribQRoC_kQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&ppc_type=shopping&utm_campaign=PX_GSC_Building_+_Generic&utm_medium=shopping&utm_source=google_cpc

It goes on like a dream and makes it look brand new. Ace stuff. There’s nothing wrong with the existing stuff, it’s just grubby.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 18 5:56 pm Post subject:
I stand corrected. What a time to be alive.

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 10:19 am Post subject:

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46417
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 12:27 pm Post subject:
umm a new cosmetic layer. sounds good so long as the original still has full adhesion to form a waterproof seal.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 3:39 pm Post subject:
Stop this: coming up with answers to minor problems when I'm supposed to be writing an essay, not lollygagging on here!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46417
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 4:29 pm Post subject:

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 6:32 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Stop this: coming up with answers to minor problems when I'm supposed to be writing an essay, not lollygagging on here!

Its not a minor problem if your neighbours are constantly moaning about how your silicon sealant is discoloured compared to other houses in the street. These are the sort of problems that can keep you awake during the night, at present I worry that if all the worlds Tetrion filler was recalled then my house would fall down

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 8:16 pm Post subject:
Naysayers will be disillusioned to hear it was internal, it was fully functional, just grubby. This lowers the retail value, ‘kerb appeal’, my income and the tax I pay. And I couldn’t give a cold piss what the neighbours think.

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 18 9:25 pm Post subject:

Never mind the neighbours, last year we had a couple of friends from Down Under stay and she-friend wagged her finger at me in a light-hearted manner and told me how I could remove the limescale from the shower glass and then keep it shiny...they have 2 super-gorgeous rooms in their super-gorgeous house on AirBnB but I'm sure they don't have the limescale issues we have

They're still very good friends

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16158

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 18 8:31 am Post subject:
Yes, limescale is a problem here too. Very hard to keep everything shining when it wants to get covered in a thin film of the stuff. I have also found, now having a nice white bathroom suite, that it is pale brown and not white as I had thought, previously having avocado and brown sinks.

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