Mould requires moisture, organic waste and high temperatures to grow- showers provide the perfect environment.
Shower silicone sealants contain fungicides. These are mould repelling chemicals that obstruct the formation of mould.
The silicone used in a shower is not a “set and forget” product.
Shower silicone requires replacement every few years.
The process will eventually consume these fungicides, resulting in the amount of fungicide in the silicone decreasing over time.
Eventually, the fungicide will deplete entirely, and mould will begin to form on the surface of the silicone.
The silicone used in a shower is not a “set and forget” product.
Shower silicone requires replacement every few years.
Grout is a permanent installation that should never need replacement.
Regular cleaning using a soft cloth and mild detergent will slow the process.
As soon as you notice a single mould spot, you should immediately clean it away.
Once the mould accumulates onto the silicone surface, spores will begin absorbing the moisture and bulging into round spores, which develop into microbes.
The microbes multiply at rapid speeds onto the surface of the silicone and then penetrate between the silicone junctions, eventually penetrating behind the surface behind the silicone.
You can tell when the mould has reached behind the surface when it will not clean away; the mould is coming from behind the surface.
Once the mould is beyond the surface of the silicone, the only way to stop the mould growth is to cut out the silicone and remove it entirely. If any silicone remnants are left behind, the mould growth will continue.
The new sealant will be applied to all tile junctions within the shower recess, including the internal perimeter of the shower base, the vertical intersections of the shower recess, and the vertical internal channels of the shower screen.
The shower screen should not have sealant applied horizontally across the bottom of the shower screen on the inside, where the shower screen meets the shower base.
The shower screen should not have sealant applied horizontally across the bottom of the shower screen on the inside, where the shower screen meets the shower base.
When water runs down the inside of the shower screen glass, running down into the shower frame, the water must be able to escape out onto the shower base and down the shower waste outlet (drain).
If the shower screen frame sitting on the shower base has sealant applied to the inside, the collected water cannot escape.
Since it cannot escape back onto the shower base, it will gather in the bottom of the frame, eventually running into the wall cavity behind the tiles after breaking down the grout and silicone behind the shower screen rails.
What are those rubber seals around the shower screen glass between the frame and the glass?
If you look closely at your shower screen, you will notice a rubber seal between the glass and the aluminium shower frame.
Sometimes clients complain of the shower screen seal going mouldy or discolouring.
This rubber seal is not silicone and cannot be removed.
If removed, the shower screen glass will break.
This rubber seal is pushed into the frame to cushion the glass during the manufacturing process.
This rubber seal cushions the glass to not break when pushed into the aluminium shower screen frame.
When mould cannot be cleaned and has penetrated behind the silicone surface, the silicone cannot function and will not provide an effective moisture barrier.
When a shower is mouldy, silicone is left on a poorly waterproofed shower for an extended period, water will absorb into the wall lining behind tiles. The wall lining (plaster or sheeting behind the tiles) will become damp and soggy.
If this has already happened, you may notice water staining outside the shower on the wall on either side of the shower screen, swelling of skirting boards or architraves, damp carpet or water damage on the adjacent wall.
If the shower is leaking, replacing the silicone will not stop a shower leak.
If you attempt to replace silicone when there is already moisture behind the tiles, any new silicone will not reach a complete cure.
Mould will grow behind the surface and result in the shower leakage continuing.
If a permanent solution for the leaking shower is the desired result, the shower recess will need to have the tiles and substrates replaced with a waterproofing membrane barrier installed.
The replacement of silicone is only recommended for maintenance of a properly built shower, it is not a solution for a leaking shower or a shower with an established leak.
Silicone will fail if the shower has not been properly built in accordance with AS-3740-2010 Waterproofing of Wet Domestic Areas.
Laminate safety glass is used on framed and semi-frameless shower screens.
The glazier cuts the glass to size to manufacture these shower screens and inserts them into the aluminium framing.
The glass inside the shower screen frames remains sharp at the edges; this is why an aluminium frame is needed around each glass perimeter.
The rubber seal provides cushioning to the edges of the glass within the frame.
If you see a glass section without a frame, this glass would be a different type of glass; toughened safety glass, also known as frameless glass.
Toughened glass is the type of glass used in frameless applications. The process involves cutting the glass to size and then placing it through a heating process where the glass is heated to approx 700°C followed by rapid cooling utilising cold air.
The edges on this glass are polished therefore not sharp. This process is more costly than using laminate framed glass due to the additional work required in manufacturing. These are usually custom made as there is almost no tolerance for sizing error.
All shower screens are required to comply with Australian Standards AS/NZS 1288 and 2208.
To meet this standard, Grade A safety glass must be used in all shower screens.
Laminated and toughened Grade A safety glass is designed to shatter into small blunt pieces of glass, which are unlikely to cause harm instead of large sharp pieces.
About Us
The Shower Man is a family-owned businessbased in Melbourne, with many yearsexperience in the plumbing and tilingindustries.
