Renovation of any premises of an apartment is not only a joyful event, but also entails many questions, which are not always easy to solve. It's nice to see the beauty and order in the new renovated premises - perfectly clean and even surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings. I would like to do possible finishing touches and finishing touches so as not to spoil the overall harmonious structure of novelty and purity. The bathroom is no exception.
Often after renovation or moving to a new apartment, you can observe the gap between the bathroom itself and the walls. There is a need to close up this joint so that it does not spoil the overall look. In this article, we will try to analyze all the most relevant ways to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall. This problem is more acute the wider the gap.
Why do I need to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall?
Bathroom - a room in an apartment withconstant moist environment. And, as you know, it is a favorable source for the rapid development and reproduction of various kinds of microorganisms. The result of their activities is the appearance of unpleasant putrefactive odors, fungi and bacteria can damage walls, finishing materials, bath coating, etc. Therefore, when designing and repairing a bathroom, the issue of protecting the room from all possible moisture and water is a top priority.
Quality sealing gaps between the bathroom and the wall - the solution to the problem of preventing the accumulation of water on the floor during washing and the formation of mold. The methods of such sealing can be different. You can decide how to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall during the installation of new equipment, maintenance and even after it is completed. There are several options for such work. Each has both advantages and disadvantages.
Types of seams when sealing a joint
When installing a bathtub, at least two of its four sides are adjacent to the walls. At the same time, it is almost impossible to avoid the gap between it and the wall. In any case, at least a small gap will remain, and something will have to be done with it. More serious problems arise when the length of the wall is significantly longer than the length of the tub. In such cases, a large space of several centimeters on one side can remain between the wall and the edge of the bath. But this problem is also easily solved. The interior will not suffer if the master knows how to fill the gap between the bathroom and the wall. Sealing the gap between the bathroom provides for different solutions. The choice of option depends on the width of the gap between the side of the tub and the wall:
- when the gap width is not more than a few millimeters;
- when the gap width is 1-2 centimeters;
- when the gap width is more than 10 centimeters.
Pre-repair activities
Before you close the gap between the bathroom and the wall, it is worth doing a number of preparatory activities. Not only the quality of all work depends on their implementation, but also the absence of problems during the subsequent operation of this room. Only then can the owners be calm that the imperfections and oversight of the master did not cause flooding of the neighbors, and mold does not form on the walls and finishing materials, which not only causes an unpleasant smell, but also some diseases.
Before directly sealing the gaps between the bathroom and the wall, it is necessary to check the surface with a special building level. All corners between walls must be even. If the indicator is far from 90 degrees, it is worth pre-aligning the walls.
The tub itself must be installed and fixed in a perfectly horizontal position. All work during installation is also better to check the level. Most designs of modern bathtubs allow you to adjust their height with screw legs.
Pre-surface preparation
Before you start sealing the bath, you need to prepare the wall for work. First you need to clean it of debris, dirt, dust and remnants of old paint (if any), thoroughly wash and degrease the surface. The latter is recommendedfor the edges of the bath. This is an important event, on which the adhesion of surfaces and materials for sealing the gap depends, and their tightness.
Washing and degreasing of the wall should also be carried out in cases of tiled bathroom walls. For these works, it is necessary to purchase special disinfecting and degreasing household products.
An acrylic bathtub must be attached to the wall in at least three places, the only way to minimize its rapid deformation during operation. For these purposes, experts advise using special fasteners and notches-connectors on the body of the bath (usually manufacturers place special devices on the outside of acrylic baths for attaching it to the wall).
Decorative seam masking
Before starting work on sealing the gap, you need to not only choose a method of repair work, but also take care of the future decorative appearance of the entire bathroom.
From how the seam between the walls and the bathroom will be closed, from its size and the work carried out, it will be possible to plan decorative finishing activities. The best solution is to match the selected shade of the materials used with the color combination in the bathroom. If this seems not enough (or impossible), you can use special decorative materials to match the color of the bathroom decorative materials. In some cases, which will be discussed below, the same finishing materials that were used in the renovation of the bathroom will help.
Sealing a joint a few millimeters wide
The easiest way to close small gaps of a few millimeters between the wall and the bathroom is to use building cement mix or glue that was used to lay the tiles.
It is better to knead the cement mortar with PVA glue, the consistency of the solution should resemble thick sour cream. For work, a construction spatula is used. The entire joint space is evenly filled with the mixture, after which the seam is leveled.
It is important to remember that the building mixture hardens quickly and needs to be leveled in the process of closing the gap. This method is recommended for gaps no larger than 5 mm.
Cement mixture can also be used to close up a large gap between the bathtub and the wall, but in this case you will have to attach a retaining profile, which is made from a construction aluminum corner of the desired width (depending on the gap between the bathtub and the wall).
After the work on sealing the joint, it is possible to do decorative finishing of the resulting seam only after the mixture has completely dried. Experts recommend waiting 24-72 hours, depending on the humidity in the room.
Seal gaps with sealants
Another way to seal can be silicone or other synthetic sealant. It is important that the composition has moisture resistant properties. In stores, there are more than a dozen different types of similar materials in different colors to choose from. For the bathroom, you need to choose an acrylic or silicone sealant with moisture-resistant properties. Recommended before buyingread the instructions for use. Today, it is increasingly possible to find silicone sealants with moisture-resistant and antibacterial properties on sale. This is the best option for the bathroom.
For a small clearance, a small tube of transparent silicone is sufficient. Its quantity is enough to seal a narrow gap in a traditional-sized bathtub. If the joint is a few millimeters, then you will have to buy a large tube, and to use it a special gun.
The tube with sealant is inserted into the gun, the tip of the package is cut off, and gradually squeezing out its contents into the joint, evenly filling it. Synthetic sealants are very ductile and flexible material and can be perfectly leveled with wet hands. If the seam is very small, then, after the manipulations, it will become completely invisible.
Usually sealants dry completely in 7-12 hours. Only at the end, experts recommend carrying out the final decorative finishing of the resulting seam.
Use mounting foam
You can use mounting foam to seal the gap. This is one of the options that is suitable for sealing a gap up to 10 centimeters. In the case of a large gap between the wall and the bathtub (several centimeters), you must first fix a corner or profile on the wall to the edge of the bathtub, so that it overlaps the seam to be sealed (that is, it has a width of several centimeters, no more than four).
When choosing mounting foam, you should follow the same rules as when choosingtransparent silicone. Particular attention should be paid to moisture resistance and acid level of the material. Polyurethane foam is available in special tubes, which require a special gun to use.
After uniformly filling the seam, you need to wait for the mounting foam to dry, and then cut off its excess with a construction knife, leveling the surface of the seam. Experts recommend treating the leveled surface with sanitary silicone, which will fill all the pores and irregularities.
Many, after using the mounting foam and completely drying it, carry out decorative work for a favorable look of the entire bathroom.
Using self-adhesive border tape
Today, one of the most popular and quick options for eliminating the gap between the bathroom and the wall is to use a special self-adhesive border tape. You can buy it at any hardware store. Such a tape is made of polypropylene with mandatory antibacterial impregnation. Modern manufacturers produce tape of different widths and shapes - from 2 mm to several centimeters. On one side, a special adhesive is applied to the tape, which, when bonded to surfaces, creates a strong and tight connection for a long time.
Using this tape, you can do without additional decoration of the seam. The disadvantage of this method is the short life of the tape, after 1.5–2 years of operation, it begins to wear out and deform, and it has to be replaced.
The border tape can be used as a decorative element. For example, after sealing small seams with sealant, you can close the resulting seam with such a tape. For strength, it is planted on special liquid nails.
Elements of decorative finishing of joints
Plastic plinth is one of the simplest decorative elements of a sealed gap between the wall and the bathroom. Today, they can be selected and purchased in any size, profile, color to match the style or color scheme of the bathroom.
The plinth is cut along the length of the wall to which it will be attached. At the joints of two skirting boards - in the corners - even cuts are made at an angle of 45 degrees to connect them.
After that, each part must be carefully pressed to the chosen place and pasted over the wall and the edge of the bathroom exactly in the shape of the plinth with special construction tape. This is necessary for accurate application of glue over the entire surface. To glue the skirting board, you need a special synthetic waterproof glue for plastic. It is applied in an even layer and allowed to dry a little. After that, carefully pressing the plinth, glue it. The joints can be arranged with a special corner for the joints of skirting boards. This finish will give the work a finished look. How to glue the corner between the bathroom and the wall? For these purposes, the same composition is suitable as for skirting boards.
Another, no less effective way to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall is to decorate with tiles that were used to clad the bathroom. Here you can not do without a specialist in working withceramic material, since this is a complex and time-consuming process in which you have to deal with cutting tiles. For such work, tile adhesive or cement mortar is used.
Closing gaps over 20 centimeters
The most difficult type of work to seal the gap between the bathroom and the walls is the option in which the length of the wall in the bathroom is much longer than the length of the bath installed near it. In cases where the gap is more than 10 centimeters, it will be necessary to carry out work to “build up” the wall to the edge of the bath. The surest and most reliable way is additional brickwork. It is carried out by specialists who make a niche or a kind of cabinet made of bricks, carry out finishing work with tiles. Only after this clearance with such a pedestal or niche can it be repaired.
IMPORTANT! When using a sealant, pay attention to its acid-base level. For the bathroom, it is necessary to choose a neutral level of acidity, since with an increased indicator, the substances of which it consists will begin to destroy the surface.
It is also worth considering that when drying and hardening, the volume of sealant and mounting foam increases by 2-4 times.
After laying and using the curb tape, do not use the room for 24 hours. You need to let the materials stick and dry properly.
As can be seen from the article, there are several options for how to close the gap between the bathroom and the wall. Everyone will be able to choose the method that is suitable for themselves, both in terms of the complexity of the work and the cost of materials.
