Morning all, was just wondering what you all do with regards to the application of silicone over grout in shower/bath areas.

If Bal super/microflex has been used do you wait for it to dry 2 weeks then return and apply silicone ( i doubt if anyone does)

Do you wait for it to dry 24hours then apply silicone, if so surely this has an affect on the not fully cured grout.

Or do you grout in the morning and silicone in the afernoon.

and lets all be honest.....

Or do you use Mapei.?

Cheers
Gary

Mapei, silicon the day after usually after buffing the tiles down

I don't always grout were i'm going to silicone, so the silicone can get a better grab under the tiles.

I grout the verticals on the last row of tiles and silicone the last horizontal after 24hrs

Ive started siliconing corners, around shower trays & baths etc after tiling and before grouting. Gets a better seal and if done just after tiling is hard for grouting the next day or later on that day.

This is after advice from Dave on here.

I did do it this way round before but my arguement now is that silicone will stick to grout better than grout will stick to silicone

Originally Posted by Colour Republic

I don't always grout were i'm going to silicone, so the silicone can get a better grab under the tiles.

I grout the verticals on the last row of tiles and silicone the last horizontal after 24hrs

Thanks for your reply, this is the same method i use, gap between tile and tray/bath is not grouted, but i apply silicone 24hrs or so after i have grouted the last vertical joint , i also silicone all vertical joints in shower enclosures as you would be amazed the amount that i see are reliant on grout, not so clever in a studwork made enclosure.

so 24hrs is ok to silicone grout, but 2 weeks before using shower if Bal is used..?

Gary

Originally Posted by Colour Republic

I did do it this way round before but my arguement now is that silicone will stick to grout better than grout will stick to silicone

Agreed, but i dont grout over the silicone just to it.

For all but small jobs, grout one day and then silicone the following. Gaz, are you saying you apply silicone over the grout in corners etc?.

silicone the internal corners and tray or bath after tiling then grout the next day,its true i see so many jobs were the all were just grouted no silicone anywere and they wonder way they have leaks!

Originally Posted by oogabooga

For all but small jobs, grout one day and then silicone the following. Gaz, are you saying you apply silicone over the grout in corners etc?.

Hi,

no just silicone all internal corners in wet areas.

never tried the silicone prior to grouting technique,what do you think is the main benefit in doing this.?

Gary

I'm going to try siliconing after tiling then grout next day. I often use mapei coloured grouts and have found that if grouted first then the silicone darkens the grout a little (I assume it's the grease from the silicone). Doing it this way will stop that so cheers guys!

Good thread by the way.

So are yous agreeing that putting silicone on after tiling in vertical joint at corner and around the bath is best option? You wouldn't grout then put silicone at appropriate bits after?

I'm gonna be grouting in next couple of days, i've the bal stuff but since i'm a novice my mates said i should use the pre-mde up stuff as the stuff you mix yourself is a nightmare to put on??!!! Would any one else recommend buying the pre-made stuff out the tubs??

Cheers

I use Mapei gout coulored silicone,never a problem.In obvious wetter than usual places I put a thin layer of transparent silicone over it.No callbacks.
A few years ago on this site I mentioned about an awkword working place around some plumbing,I knew it was going to be wetter than normal so I took about a half tube of transparent silicone,threw in a handfull or two of the grout powder I was using,both for color and the sanded grout look,Mixed the hell out of them took my time so's not to get to messy,cleaned up as I went along and to this day no water has got through,I'm so brilliant Man U should make me King for a day and fly me over for a game,with all the trimmings,Good luck.
Mike

Originally Posted by davy_G

Agreed, but i dont grout over the silicone just to it.

Sorry mate you might have misunderstood me, I don't grout over the silicone you nutter!

I grout the tiles first but leave, say the gap between a bath and bottom row of tiles then wait 24hrs and silicone. so the silicone will seal the bath and stick to the grout that is already infilling the verticals on the bottom row.

You can sillicone then grout down to it the next day but my arguement is the sillicone will stick to the grout in the verticals better than the grout sticking to the silicone if the silicone was done first? does that make sense? as we all know you only have to have a tiny crack for water to get past. Silicone has higher grab then grout that's why I do it that way round... I'll stop babbling now as i'm starting to confuse myself

Originally Posted by Colour Republic

Sorry mate you might have misunderstood me, I don't grout over the silicone you nutter!

I grout the tiles first but leave, say the gap between a bath and bottom row of tiles then wait 24hrs and silicone. so the silicone will seal the bath and stick to the grout that is already infilling the verticals on the bottom row.

You can sillicone then grout down to it the next day but my arguement is the sillicone will stick to the grout in the verticals better than the grout sticking to the silicone if the silicone was done first? does that make sense? as we all know you only have to have a tiny crack for water to get past. Silicone has higher grab then grout that's why I do it that way round... I'll stop babbling now as i'm starting to confuse myself

Good babbling but it all makes perfect sense to me.

Gaz, just a misunderstanding then. I've seen jobs where the tiler has siliconed over the grout in corners, and I've wandered what the point is - why not one or the other. The silicone was starting to peel away from the grout in the showers I looked at.

I'm a proponent of silicone in corners, changes of plane, around tubs etc purely because it will handle movement, where grout won't. Don't think it matters whether you grout or silicone first, I've tried both, just prefer to leave the silicone to last.

Originally Posted by oogabooga

Don't think it matters whether you grout or silicone first, I've tried both, just prefer to leave the silicone to last.

I agree mate, I hope nobody thinks I was suggesting that one way or the other was wrong. It's just the way I do it and my reason for doing so, each to their own