Property How to reseal a bath or shower
Bathrooms · Beginner
How to reseal a bath or shower
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A stained, cracked or peeling bead around a bath or shower tray lets water into the join, and that is when floors and ceilings suffer. The job is mostly patience: cut the old silicone out, clean and dry the joint thoroughly, then run a new bead and leave it to cure for the time on the tube. A tidy line will not fix a bath that moves, or a leak that is already behind the wall.
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At a glance
Your call
Go or no?
Fancy giving it a go, or would you rather call in a bathroom fitter? There’s no wrong answer.
Right then. Here’s the kit, then the steps.
No problem. We’ll show you how to find a local bathroom fitter.
Shop the full kit
You can pick up the items below as you need them. Prices vary by shop and country, so we have not invented a figure here — check the live price before you buy. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country. Until a tracking tag is in place they are ordinary store links, not tracking URLs.
All-in-one kit
There is not usually a single boxed kit for this job. Buy the items below as you need them, and skip anything you already have.
Free printable
Get a free printable reseal a bath or shower checklist
A one-page list of tools, prep and the order of work, emailed once this is live.
Before you start
Safety
Stop and get a pro: If the bath or tray moves when you stand in it, if water has been leaking into the room below, or if the wall is soft or mould-stained behind the tile, stop and get a bathroom fitter or plumber — a new bead of silicone will not fix a hidden leak or a failed support. Keep bathroom electrics dry and do not touch an electric shower, fan or heater. If you cannot isolate a leaking supply, call a plumber.
- Open a window. Some silicone and removers give off fumes. Follow the tube and never mix cleaners.
- Cut away from your hands. A hooked silicone tool or a sharp blade will slip on wet enamel.
- Keep children and pets out until the bead has skinned and the tools are put away.
- Do not stand in a wet bath to work. A slip on enamel is a common way to get hurt.
- This is not electrical work and not a job on the water mains — only the seal at the edge of the bath, tray or cubicle.
Prep that is worth doing
- Choose a sanitary, mould-resistant silicone meant for baths and showers, not ordinary decorators’ caulk, which is not made for standing water.
- You need a completely dry joint. If you have just used the bath, give it plenty of time, and dry the area with a cloth or a hairdryer on a cool setting.
- Have kitchen towel, white spirit or the cleaner named on the tube, and masking tape ready before you start the new bead, so you are not rushing a wet line.
Tools and materials
Check the live price at a shop you trust. Typical prices on this site, where they appear, were checked in the UK and may be out of date. Do not invent or assume a figure from this table. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country. Until a tracking tag is in place they are ordinary store links, not tracking URLs.
| Item | Why you need it | Typical price | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanitary silicone, suitable for baths and showers | A mid-sized tube is usually enough for a bath and a short return up the tiles. Check the colour (white is the usual choice) and the curing time. | check price | |
| A silicone gun, if the tube needs one | Some tubes are squeeze packs; most standard cartridges need a gun. | check price | |
| A silicone removal tool, a sharp blade, or both | To cut the old bead without gouging the enamel or the tiles. | check price | |
| Silicone remover or white spirit, and a non-scratch scourer | Old residue stops the new bead sticking. Use a product that is safe on your bath surface. | check price | |
| Masking tape | Two straight lines, a bead-width apart, make a much neater edge for a first attempt. | check price | |
| Kitchen towel and a small bowl of soapy water | For tooling the bead and for wiping the nozzle. | check price |
Shop this list:
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Step-by-step
Cut out every scrap of old silicone, clean and dry the joint, tape a neat line if you want one, apply the new bead, tool it, and leave it to cure before you get it wet.
Cut out the old silicone
Work a removal tool or a sharp blade along both edges of the bead and pull the strip away. Get into the corners. Leftover silicone is the main reason a new bead fails. Take your time rather than digging a scratch into the bath.
Clean and dry the joint thoroughly
Lift any remaining film with the remover or white spirit, then wash the residue off and let the joint dry fully. The surface should look clean and feel dry to the touch. If the gap is full of black mould that seems to go behind the tile, or the board behind feels soft, stop and get a fitter.
Fill the bath with a little water (optional, but useful)
A small load of water settles the bath on its bearings so the bead is applied with the bath in its usual position. Leave that water in until the bead has skinned, then empty it. Do not overfill and splash the joint.
Tape a neat line, then apply the bead
Run masking tape along the tile and along the bath, leaving a consistent gap. Cut the nozzle at a 45-degree angle, just wide enough for the gap. In one steady pass if you can, push a continuous bead into the joint. You can tidy a small break; you cannot easily hide a very ragged start, so practise on a scrap first if you have never used a gun.
Tool the bead and peel the tape
Wet a finger or a finishing tool in soapy water and draw it along the bead in one pass, so the silicone meets both surfaces. Peel the tape immediately, pulling it away from the bead, while the silicone is still wet.
Leave it to cure before you use the shower
The tube gives a skin time and a full cure time. Using the shower too soon is a classic way to ruin a clean line. Keep the room ventilated, and do not poke the bead to see if it is done.
General guidance only. Check our disclaimer.
Common mistakes
- Leaving old silicone in the joint. The new bead sits on a greasy film and peels within weeks.
- Sealing a damp joint. It will not stick, and mould returns quickly.
- Using decorators’ silicone or ordinary decorator’s caulk in a shower. You need a sanitary product that can cope with constant wet.
- Using the shower the same evening. Follow the cure time on the tube, which is often longer than it looks.
- Sealing over a rocking bath. The bead will split. Fix the support first, or get a fitter.
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When the mock-up is live, you can upload a photo and see an impression of the finished job — not a quote or an exact product match.
FAQ
White or clear silicone?
White is the usual choice against a white bath and white tiles. Clear can yellow, and it shows dirt differently. Match what you already have if it still looks decent elsewhere in the room.
How long before I can use the bath?
Read the tube. Many sanitary silicones need many hours, and some ask you to wait a day or more before the seal is fully wet-ready. The skin forming on top is not the same as a full cure.
The mould came back in a few weeks.
The joint may not have been clean and dry, the room may have very poor ventilation, or water is getting in from behind. Redo it carefully, use the extractor, and get a fitter if you suspect a leak.
Can I reseal a cubicle with glass doors?
Yes, the method is the same, but stay off the tracks and hinges, and do not block the drainage gap the maker left at the bottom. If the unit is leaking at a joint you cannot reach, get a fitter.
Would rather not DIY? Find a local bathroom fitter
If the bath rocks, the tray is cracked, or water has already reached the ceiling below, a bathroom fitter or plumber should find the leak. A new bead on top of a failed support is only a delay.
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