Location: Kitchen & Bath

Seal your bathroom like a professional. 8 Never-Fail Bathroom Sealing Tips You Wish You Knew Yesterday

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A bathroom is often home to moisture buildup, mold, and mildew, but it doesn’t have to be. Taking precautions to properly seal cracks, crevices, and areas prone to moisture exposure will fight mold while extending the life of your bathroom.

Explore the best bathroom sealant and tips for using it like a professional.

Note: This DIY article is provided as a general guide only and is not intended to replace product-specific installation procedures; always follow applicable manufacturers’ instructions. Depending on your home’s age and condition, location within the home, and other potential factors, repairs and/or upgrades or other services may be necessary prior to the beginning and/or completion of your project that may involve the services of a home improvement professional. This article does not include advice pertaining to local building codes and/or any related inspections.

What parts of a bathroom do you need to seal?

According to the International Residential Code, licensed contractors are required to keep areas airtight anywhere fixtures come in contact with walls or floors. You will want to double-check your specific area for additional codes and laws to seal a bathroom correctly.

Here’s a list of what you should seal around a bathroom, both according to code and best practices:

  • Seal around the bathtub or shower base where it meets the floor and where it meets the wall.
  • Seal around the base of the toilet where it meets the floor and where it meets the wall.
  • Seal around any sinks where it meets the floor and wall.
  • Seal around any piping that comes from the wall.
  • Fill any bathroom holes with sealant.
  • Seal any joints in the bathroom.
Sealing a bathroom
What to seal in a bathroom

How often do you need to seal a bathroom?

The average bathroom sealant will last about five years before you will need to re-seal the bathroom. However, a high-quality sealant can last over ten years, or even the lifetime of your home, if you properly apply it and take care of it.

To help bathroom sealant last longer, be sure to clean it regularly. Secondary mold and mildew growth is possible. This occurs when soap or residue sits on top of the silicone and creates a surface for mold growth.

Seal your bathroom every five to ten years. Keeping sealant clean of soap and residue helps it last longer.

Best bathroom sealant to protect against mold and mildew

Silicone sealant is the best bathroom sealant. It’s 100% waterproof, flexible, and protects against mold and mildew.

GE Sealants offers four bathroom sealants with different strengths:

Screenshot from the website comparing GE bathroom sealant.
GE Sealant’s best bathroom sealant

8 tips to seal a bathroom like a professional

To lay sealant that will last longer and adhere stronger, follow these eight tips from the professionals.

  1. Stick to the standards

    There are many areas of a bathroom renovation where a contractor’s creativity can shine. Sealing is not one of those areas. There are strict codes around sealing bathrooms because of the dangers water and humidity can cause. It can risk the integrity of the bathroom, leak moisture into the walls and floors, and cause harmful mold growth.

    Be sure to be thorough when sealing bathroom tubs, toilets, and sinks.

    Choosing 100% waterproof silicone sealant is the only way to protect a bathroom adequately. Applying it around the toilet, bathtub, sinks, and all floor and wall fixtures is a must to meet safety standards and preserve all your hard work in a bathroom renovation.

  2. Clean the area before sealing

    Dirt impacts the sealant’s ability to adhere to a surface and, when trapped underneath the sealant, can cause bacteria growth despite sealing the area.

    Cleaning the area includes removing old sealant and ensuring there’s no mold and dirt before applying fresh sealant.

    After cleaning the area, thoroughly dry it to help the sealant cure.

  3. Cut a small tip on the sealant tube

    To keep a bathroom looking tidy and the seal strong, you will want just enough sealant to fill a gap without it being too large of a bead.

    Cutting the tip of your sealant tube slightly smaller than the gap gives you more control over your bead’s width. You will squeeze your sealant tube harder for larger gap areas, giving you a steady bead.

    This avoids excess sealant that will take much longer to dry, a messy sealant job, and improper adhesion.

  4. Use backer rods for deeper gaps

    If a bathroom has a gap deeper than a half inch, use a backer rod before finishing with sealant. If you fill a significant gap without a backer rod, there’s a greater chance the sealant will pull away from one side of the wall. Adding the stiff foam rope behind the sealant provides a third surface for the sealant to attach to, giving it greater stability and strength.

  5. Seal a line in one go

    Sealant looks best when you apply an entire line at once. Whenever you stop, have air bubbles, or adjust your angle, your bead also changes in size and appearance.

    Before beginning a stretch of sealant, find a comfortable position that will allow you a wide range of motion with minimal adjustments to maintain a steady bead.

  6. Smooth the sealant

    Smoothing bathroom sealant helps it look better and adhere to the surrounding surface.

    There are bathroom sealing tools you can use to smooth out the sealant. Many professionals will also use the wet-gloved finger method. Wet a finger and run it along the sealant. Avoid soap or anything else on your glove that might impact the sealant’s integrity.

    When smoothing out sealant, try to do it as soon as possible after application. You won’t want to wait until you finish the entire bathroom as it will be much harder to smooth it.

  7. Let the sealant sit for 24 hours

    Some silicone sealant is water-ready in as little as thirty minutes. Others are same-day water-ready, which means they can protect surfaces and crevices from water in just 12 hours.

    However, silicone sealant takes a total of 24 hours to cure fully. While it might be ready to protect against water, you      should avoid touching it for a full day to let it properly cure.

  8. Touch-up problem areas rather than re-sealing the entire bathroom

    When you have to re-seal an entire bathroom, it takes considerable time and effort. Sometimes, there might be just one or two problem areas.

    Using a product like Re-New lets you touch up small areas between re-sealing. It keeps the water out while helping your current bathroom sealant job last longer.

Seal your bathrooms the right way the first time. With a high-quality, waterproof silicone sealant, you can keep bathrooms safe from bacteria and mold for longer. They are easier to apply, last longer, and hold stronger.

Find a GE Sealant in a store near you.

How to Load a Caulk Gun Quickly & Easily

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To create a great seal, you’ll want two things: a cartridge of high-performing GE-branded sealant, like GE Advanced Silicone 2® Kitchen & Bath sealant, and a caulk gun. A caulk gun is an essential sealing tool for large sealing projects that will help you more easily create clean, professional-looking seals. With a little bit of practice, loading a sealant cartridge into a caulk gun will become second nature. Follow these four steps to set up your caulk gun and start sealing right away.

Pro Tip: For tight spaces, smaller projects, or quick repairs try using a GE Sealants squeeze tube. Just cut the nozzle tip, then squeeze out the sealant—no caulk gun required.

  1. Carefully Cut the Sealant Cartridge

    First, cut the tip of the sealant cartridge at a 45-degree angle. There are two ways to do this: either with a utility blade or, if your caulk gun has it, with the caulk gun’s tip cutting tool. For better precision, we recommend using a utility blade.Cut off less than you think you’ll need because you can always cut more.

  2. Pierce Cartridge’s Inner Foil Seal

    Your sealant cartridges may have an inner foil seal that you’ll need to pierce. Most caulk guns have an attached metal rod for this purpose. Swivel the rod around and insert it into the cartridge nozzle until you feel it puncture the inner foil. If your caulk gun doesn’t have this rod, you can use a long nail instead.

  3. Insert the Cartridge

    Once you’ve cut the tip and pierced the inner seal, you’re ready to insert the sealant cartridge into the caulk gun. First, press the release trigger on the handle and pull the plunger all the way back. Then insert the cartridge heel-first into the caulk gun. Release the plunger so that it’s seated firmly against the end of the cartridge. When the cartridge is securely loaded into the caulk gun, squeeze the trigger a few times and run a test bead of sealant. Press the release trigger to remove any pressure and stop the flow of sealant. This will help you get a feel for the pressure and speed needed to apply the sealant.

    Refer to our other How-To videos for common how to applications.

  4. Remove the Cartridge

    Once you’re finished sealing, it’s time to unload the caulk gun. Press the release trigger again and pull back the plunger. Then simply remove the cartridge. Now you’re ready to seal like a pro with high-performing GE-branded sealants that you can always trust to get the job done right.

    For more step-by-step sealing tutorials, check out our other How-To guides.

Sealing Spotlight: Philip or Flop Talks Importance of Sealing Shower Doors Right

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The project discussed in this post is sponsored by the makers of GE Sealants & Adhesives.

For his most recent project collaboration with GE Sealants & Adhesives, Philip, from Philip or Flop, gave his kids’ jack-and-jill bathroom a stunning makeover. He not only updated its style with a new sliding glass shower door, wall paneling, and toilet, but he also used a range of GE-branded sealants to get his project done right.

 

Since his brand-new shower door is located in an area prone to water exposure, Philip sealed the area underneath the door’s threshold and along the inside edge of the shower enclosure with Tub & Tile Silicone 1 sealant to protect the project area from shower leaks. This sealant is 100% silicone, offering a 100% waterproof seal with 7-year mold-free product protection and permanent flexibility. In addition, Tub & Tile Silicone 1 sealant was ready that same day for water exposure and offered strong adhesion and durability.

Want to know more about Philip’s project details? Check out his blog post for his bathroom renovation play-by-play.