The application of silicone sealant is very important. We bring you this blog post to explain to you the best way to finish silicone sealant, including how to remove, apply and smooth down sealant so you can achieve that professional finish every time.

Whether you are a professional glazier or want to know about sealant finishing for your own DIY projects, keep reading this blog to learn more and gather more information about this.

 

 

What Are Silicone Sealants?

Sealants are a type of material that are used to seal gaps or cracks from moisture, damp or fluids from passing through or escaping.

Often used in the construction and glazing industry and for common jobs such as; sealing sinks, baths, tiles, windows and door frames. Sealants dry down after application and offer elasticity and waterproofing.

For the use of sealing windows and doors, sealants have the ability to lower energy bills by stopping drafts and air from entering your home.

There are many different types of sealants on the market, made up of different ingredients, some contain acrylic or are water-based sealants for example.

Silicone sealant is a popular choice of sealant in all industries and DIY jobs too, due to its hardwearing nature, it being waterproof and also its long-lasting nature too.

 

Having the Right Tools for the Job

Before you start, you must have the right tools for the job. A sealant finishing tool, otherwise known as caulking tools can be easily used to smooth down sealant into a gap or crack, pushing it in and sealing the space well.

Using pressure to push sealant into a crack like this is what gives it that smooth and professional finish. This both looks the part - and most importantly, does the job of sealing a gap.

Some professionals in the industry prefer or like to use their finger as a sealant tool, this is fine to do and what people did before the invention of finishing tools.

If you do decide to use your finger, be sure to dampen your finger with soapy water beforehand to prevent the sealant from sticking to your skin. If you need to wipe any excess sealant from your skin, use an old rag as you work.

We recommend using a sealant finishing tool, as with that many on the market these days, there is a finishing tool for every joint, crack and gap out there. There are sealant tools to buy that have different angles for tighter cracks and also jointing tools with mountable handles to extend for those awkward and out-of-reach places.

 

Why Aim to Achieve a Neat Finish?

You will want to achieve a perfect-looking finish to your sealant. This is so it looks neat and seamless in your bathroom, around your windows or whatever else you might be sealing.

Professionals take pride in getting their sealant neat and sealant in your home should not look messy. A neat sealant is also likely to be an effective sealant, being water and air-tight, which is what its main purpose is.

A neat sealant will also ensure that there are no gaps or holes for liquid or air to pass through.

 

Preparation

When you are ready to attempt your silicone sealant, you must prepare the space first. To do this, you must remove any old sealant before you begin to lay down some new.

To remove any old silicone sealant you must cut along the old sealant with a sharp knife and then peel it away. Bleach should be used to kill off any mould spores and to get rid of any remaining residue.

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Tips for the Best Finish to Silicone Sealant

Cut a neat and clean edge on your sealant tube as this will help to achieve a smooth finish.

A continuous bead of silicone sealant should always be applied and apply a small bead of silicone sealant at first and as evenly as possible. Smooth the sealant straight away so that it does not have time to set.

You can use your sealant finishing tool to smooth down the sealant into the gap whilst trimming away any excess sealant. If you are using your finger make sure you have a bowl or cup of water next to you whilst you work so that you can dampen your finger as you run it along the sealant.

A good tip that many professional glaziers use is to not use cheap sealant. You get what you pay for and so investing a little more in your silicone sealant could give you a better application.

Remember that if you apply silicone sealant too much then it will be more difficult to smooth out and make it look neat. Do not worry if your sealant doesn’t look as good as you expect it to look, it takes some practice to get it to look right every time.

If you want a guide and don’t trust yourself to get the sealant in a neat line you can run some masking tape along the sides of where you want your sealant to go. This will give you a straight and clean edge and will help guide you whilst not getting sealant where you don’t want it to go.

 

GGR Glass Concludes

We hope you learnt something from this blog and are now aware of some of the best ways to finish off silicone sealants for that neat edge and to achieve that professional finish.

If you have a question or need any advice on anything to do with sealants or other glazing topics then our team at GGR Glass will be happy to help you. We will answer your queries, using our expertise to assist you where we can.