In order for the bathtub and the room itself to look neat and attractive after laying the tiles, a special plinth is laid along the joints of the tiles and other elements of the room. There are two main types of borders, one of which is made in the form of a self-adhesive tape, and the second is a plinth made in the form of a corner. The latter option is usually much cheaper, as it is made of plastic, which in itself has a low price.
As a result, you will get rid of the need to wipe the floor every time you take a shower.
Bathroom self-adhesive border
This border, made in the form of silicone tape, has a self-adhesive base, whichand attaches to bath and wall surfaces. Such a border has all the characteristics of a classic skirting board, but is made of soft silicone, which allows you to install it without any extra effort. At the same time, using this option is relevant if the bathtub is well fixed, and the gap between it and the wall surface is quite narrow.
At the same time, the installation of such a border does not require the use of adhesive, except in cases where the adhesive on the basis of the tape does not match the type of material on which the plinth is attached. In this case, if the purchase has already been made, in principle, you can clean the base of the tape border from the adhesive on it and fix it already on a more suitable adhesive.
In addition, a self-adhesive border does not require the use of silicone sealant, since the baseboard itself sufficiently waterproofs the joint. Unfortunately, such a border, as a rule, does not have a very long service life, therefore it is used as a temporary option. Another unpleasant moment is the cost of this skirting board, which is quite high.
What's good about corner borders?
In addition to its low cost, a plastic bathroom border has a number of advantages that often tip the scales in its favor.
So, there is no adhesive already applied on the baseboard, so you can choose the most suitable composition that is applicable specifically for your operating conditions. At the same time, you don’t have to scrape off the “native” glue, as oftenhappens when using self-adhesive tape.
In addition, plastic bathroom borders in the form of a corner are very useful in cases where, as a result of installation, the gap between the wall and the edge of the washing container turned out to be quite wide.
A plinth made of self-adhesive tape is unlikely to close such a gap, and even if it is possible to cover the gap, then most likely such a border will peel off quickly enough.
The plastic bathtub edging adds extra rigidity to the bathtub while being virtually unaffected by vibrations and high humidity.
Varieties of plastic borders
Plastic border is mainly made of PVC, which has a number of properties that make it the preferred choice.
Plastic plinth is available in a variety of colors, which allows you to choose the most suitable option for the bathroom interior. In addition, the execution material allows you to make products with different textures, as well as convex, concave, patterned or one-color.
If the bath is oval or round, you can purchase a plastic border with high flexibility. Some manufacturers produce skirting boards with rubberized edges, which provide increased sealing of the joints. At the same time, a plastic bathtub border is not necessary only for this tank, the skirting board is also perfect for sinks.
Mostly, skirting boards with a length of 180 cm and dimensions of 25 x 25 mm or 50 x 50 mm are used for installation. At the same time, there are usually 35 pieces of such skirting boards in the package.
Which glue to choose for attaching the corner?
Not only the strength of the curb fastening, but also the appearance of the final finish will depend on how correctly the glue is chosen.
First rule: choose transparent sealants, as the adhesive may protrude beyond the baseboard during installation. Excess adhesive solution is removed with white spirit and a knife, more aggressive solvents can ruin the border, and the procedures must be carried out when the glue has already risen, but has not completely dried out yet. The adhesive is softened with a solvent, and scraped off the surface of the wall or bathtub with a knife.
Second rule: use the right adhesive for the type of substrate. That is, if you are attaching a border to an acrylic bath, choose an adhesive for plastic, an adhesive solution for wall panels or vinyl is also suitable.
Third rule: use a fast-setting adhesive, because when mounting a plastic bathroom border on a tile, you have to hold it until the glue sets up for the first time.
Preparing the base for mounting the plinth
If a plastic bathroom border has already been installed, it must be removed and the surface cleaned of the old adhesive. After that, the edge of the bath and the adjacent wall are cleaned of dirt with liquid detergents, rinsed thoroughlywater and dry. Drying is best done with disposable paper towels, which are used to wipe the surface until it is dry. After that, the bath and the wall are degreased with the same white spirit or gasoline. The same goes for a situation where the bathtub was installed a long time ago, and dirt has accumulated on the edges.
The gap is sealed with silicone sealant, which is applied before installing the plastic corner bathroom borders.
Methods of mounting borders
If you chose a plastic bathroom border for decoration, installation can take place in two ways.
You can install the plinth while laying the tiles, then the top edge of the curb starts under the edge of the bottom row of ceramic panels. This gives additional strength and waterproofing to the design of the plinth.
If the wall covering is already ready and a plastic bathroom border is chosen as a finish, installation is carried out over ceramic tiles in compliance with the gluing technology.
Materials and tools needed to install plastic baseboards
In principle, you will need very few tools to carry out high-quality installation of borders:
- Silicone sealant that is designed to seal the gap between the wall and the bathroom. It is best to choose a special sanitary composition that contains additives that prevent the appearance of mold and mildew on its surface.
- Sealant gun,foam or liquid nails.
- Tape measure to measure the required size.
- Mask tape to stick to the surface of the bath to avoid damage to the coating during installation work.
- The border itself is sufficient for finishing. At the same time, consider the material in reserve, since the plinth will need to be cut in some cases. Additional raw materials are determined at the rate of 10-15% of the main material.
- Hacksaw for cutting skirting boards.
- Rubber spatula for smoothing sealant along the seam.
- White spirit for cleaning baseboards and bath surfaces.
Installation of plastic curbs
First of all, measure the bath with a tape measure and mark the required length on the baseboard. A plastic bathtub border is cut with a hacksaw into pieces corresponding to the markup, after which the edges are cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
Before attaching the skirting board to the surface, it is necessary to check how it fits and how accurately the dimensions of the plastic bath border are observed. To do this, lay the plinth in place and check the coincidence of the joints.
After that, pressing each piece to the bathtub, a masking tape is glued on top and bottom of it at a distance of 2 mm. The curb is removed, as a result, two strips of masking tape should remain - one along the wall, the second along the bath. The container itself is covered with dense polyethylene to avoid contamination.
Features of gluing the border
Using a gun, the selected adhesive solution is applied to the junction so that the stripglue passed between two lines of masking tape.
Lay the plastic bathroom border on the wall panels and the container itself and lightly press against both surfaces. Now it is important to ensure uniform pressing of the plinth piece along the entire joint for about 20 minutes, which can be done using improvised means or call an assistant.
If this procedure fails, you can do something else. 10 minutes after applying the adhesive, the border is periodically pressed against the surface with a little effort. In this case, excess mortar will surely come out, which, 20 minutes after the adhesive has set, must be removed with white spirit or gasoline. But before removing the glue, remove the masking tape.
Joint sealing
To protect the joints from water ingress, as a rule, white sealant is used, although no one forbids choosing the color that best suits the interior of the bathroom. At the same time, pay attention to the plasticity of the silicone sealant, since the appearance of the finish depends on this property. If a new cylinder or a well-laid old one is used, it is usually slightly dried up in the upper part of the container. It is better not to use such a sealant, as it will not fit well into the joints, and not only will it look sloppy, but it will also not perform its sealing function.
The edges of the border are again glued with painttape at a distance of 2 mm, so as not to subsequently clean the walls and the bath from the sealant. Squeeze out the silicone at the joint, trying to fill the entire gap to the maximum. At the same time, keep in mind that if a tile is laid on the wall, then its joints also have their own seams, which also need to be filled with sealant.
After all the voids are filled, with a rubber spatula or, in extreme cases, a finger, you need to smooth the sealant along the baseboard. In the same way, the joint is sealed along the lower edge of the curb.
The masking tape and excess sealant are removed last.
Final works
After the first PVC bath curbs are installed, the plastic bath skirting board must be mounted around the entire perimeter of the room, following the technology described above. At the same time, before sticking the skirting board, do not forget to first check the coincidence of the cut ends of the skirting boards.
After all work is completed, carefully inspect the seams for poor sealing and, if necessary, apply the sealant again. Now check the surface of the bath and the wall for the remaining excess of the applied solutions, if any, remove with white spirit. Leave the bath for the final setting of the adhesive for a day, then wash all surfaces with liquid detergent and rinse with clean water.
In general, this is all about the installation and installation of a plastic plinth. Now you can use the bathroom with a new plastic border.
