Silicone and caulk are the quiet seals that hold a house together at its joints. They keep water out of the gap between a shower base and the wall, stop splashes running behind a kitchen benchtop, and close the small cracks between skirting, architraves and plaster that would otherwise collect dust and let draughts through. When these seals fail, the damage is usually hidden until it is expensive.

We remove and replace failed silicone and caulking in bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and around the house for homes, rentals and small businesses across Cranbourne and the surrounding suburbs.

Silicone and caulking jobs we do

• Removing and replacing mouldy or peeling shower silicone
• Resealing around baths, spa baths and vanity tops
• Resealing kitchen benchtops at splashbacks and sinks
• Resealing laundry tubs and troughs
• Sealing around toilets at the floor where appropriate
• Filling gaps between skirting boards and walls
• Caulking architraves, cornices and trims before painting
• Sealing window and door frames inside and out
• Sealing gaps around pipes, vents and penetrations
• Sealing gaps in outdoor joints with exterior-grade sealant

Silicone versus caulk

The words are often used loosely, but the products are different.

• Silicone sealant is flexible, waterproof and mould-resistant when a sanitary grade is used. It is the right choice for wet areas such as showers, baths, sinks and benchtops. Silicone cannot be painted.
• Acrylic caulk or gap filler is paintable and suits dry, internal joints such as skirting, architraves and cornices. It is not designed for constant water exposure.
• Polyurethane and hybrid sealants are used outdoors and on joints that move, such as around window frames and external cladding, and some can be painted.

Using the wrong product causes early failure. Acrylic in a shower turns black and washes out. Silicone on a skirting board will not hold paint.

Why shower silicone fails

Shower silicone does a hard job. It is wet every day, stretches as the house moves, and is attacked by soap, shampoo and cleaning chemicals. Common failure signs include:

• Black mould spots that will not clean off, because the mould is growing inside the silicone
• Silicone pulling away from tiles or the shower base
• Gaps or holes along the joint
• Brittle, cracked or yellowed silicone
• Water marks or swelling in the vanity or skirting outside the shower

Mould inside silicone cannot be fully removed by cleaning. The only fix is to cut out the old silicone and reseal.

How we replace silicone properly

Most resealing failures come from poor preparation. Our process:

1. Remove all old silicone. We cut and scrape out the old bead completely using blades and silicone remover. New silicone does not bond well to old silicone.

2. Clean the joint. We remove soap scum, residue and mould with suitable cleaners, then wipe with methylated spirits or a similar solvent.

3. Let it dry. The joint must be fully dry. Silicone over damp surfaces does not bond and traps moisture.

4. Tape if needed. Masking tape gives a crisp line on wide or visible joints.

5. Apply the right silicone. We use sanitary-grade, mould-resistant silicone in wet areas, colour-matched to white, clear or grout tones where possible.

6. Tool the bead. A smooth, concave bead sheds water and looks neat.

7. Cure time. Most silicone needs around 24 hours before the shower is used. We will tell you how long for the product we use.

When silicone is a symptom

Sometimes failed silicone is a sign of a bigger problem. If the shower base is moving, tiles are drummy or cracked, or water has already damaged the wall or floor, resealing alone will not fix the leak. We check for these signs while we work. Where the waterproofing membrane under the tiles has failed, a waterproofing specialist or tiler is needed, and we will tell you. Our tiling and regrouting service covers loose tiles and failed grout.

Kitchens and laundries

Benchtop joints at splashbacks and around sinks seal out water that would otherwise swell particleboard cabinets underneath. Swollen cabinet tops and doors in kitchens around Cranbourne often trace back to a failed silicone joint. Resealing early prevents that damage. See kitchen cupboard repairs for fixing doors and panels that have already swelled.

Caulking before painting

Painters rely on caulk to make trims look sharp. Gaps between skirting and walls, at architrave edges and along cornices catch shadows and make paint look untidy. Filling them with acrylic caulk before painting gives clean lines. We do this as part of painting touch-ups and for owners preparing to paint themselves.

Draughts and gaps

Gaps around window frames, doors, skirting and pipe penetrations let cold air in on Cranbourne’s winter nights and warm air in on hot northerly days. Sealing them is an inexpensive way to make a home more comfortable. We use suitable internal or external sealants and leave a neat finish.

Choosing the right colour

Silicone comes in clear, white, translucent and a range of grout-matched colours such as grey, beige and charcoal. The right choice depends on the surroundings:

• White suits white tiles, white baths and most acrylic shower bases. It looks crisp but shows mould and staining more quickly than darker shades.
• Clear suits glass shower screens and joints where you want the sealant to disappear, but it shows dirt trapped behind it and can look cloudy on some surfaces.
• Grey and charcoal suit darker tiles and modern bathrooms with grey grout. They hide marks well.
• Colour-matched silicone blends with coloured grout so corners look continuous.

We match the colour to the grout and fittings where possible, and we can carry several colours to compare on the day.

Showers in new homes

Many homes built in the past decade around Clyde North, Cranbourne East and Cranbourne West have tiled showers with a tiled floor or a shower tray, plus semi-frameless glass. The silicone in these showers is often the first thing to fail, sometimes within a few years. Common reasons include:

• Silicone applied over grout or dust rather than clean tile
• Too thin a bead at the floor-to-wall junction, which moves the most
• No time allowed for cure before the shower was used
• House settlement in the first few years, which stretches joints

If your home is still within the builder’s maintenance or warranty period and the silicone has failed early, raise it with your builder first. After that, resealing as part of normal maintenance is the practical approach.

Signs water is getting past the seal

Failed silicone does not always look obviously damaged. Watch for these signs outside the shower or bath:

• Skirting boards that are swollen, stained or soft near the shower
• Carpet or floorboards that are damp in the next room
• Paint bubbling on the other side of the shower wall
• Grout that stays dark long after showering
• A musty smell that does not clear with ventilation
• Tiles that sound hollow when tapped near the base

If you see any of these, have the shower checked promptly. The longer water gets in, the more damage it does to framing and floors.

Kitchens: sinks and benchtops

Kitchen sinks are sealed to the benchtop with silicone. When the seal fails, water from the sink edge runs under the rim and into the particleboard benchtop, which swells and lifts. Resealing an undermount or drop-in sink properly involves removing old sealant, cleaning and drying the joint, and running a neat bead that keeps water out without making a dirt trap. Splashback joints are sealed the same way.

Laundries

Laundry tubs and cabinets suffer from splashes, overflows and wet clothes. The joint between the tub and the wall, the tub cabinet and the floor, and around any taps mounted through the wall all need sealing. In many newer laundries, the washing machine sits beside the tub with a gap that collects lint and water. A sealed filler strip or cover can help.

External sealing

Outside, sealants protect window and door frames, gaps where cladding meets brickwork, and penetrations for pipes, cables and air conditioning lines. Exterior sealants must handle UV, temperature changes and movement. We use products made for exterior use and choose paintable versions where the joint will be painted. Around Lang Lang and Koo Wee Rup, where homes are exposed to wind-driven rain off the flats, good external sealing makes a noticeable difference to draughts and water entry.

Caring for new silicone

• Leave it alone during the cure time, including no showering or wiping.
• Ventilate the bathroom to help it cure and to reduce mould.
• Clean with mild, non-abrasive products rather than harsh bleach, which can break down silicone over time.
• Dry the joint after showering with a squeegee or cloth if mould is a recurring problem.
• Check the joints every six months and reseal early if they start to lift.

Why we do not just run new silicone over old

It is tempting to run a fresh bead over the top of old, mouldy silicone. It looks better for a few weeks, but new silicone does not bond properly to old silicone, and mould underneath keeps growing. Water then gets behind the new bead and the problem returns quickly. Full removal takes longer but lasts.

Where we work

We replace silicone and caulking across Cranbourne, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne West, Clyde North, Koo Wee Rup and our other service areas. Send photos of the joints through the quote form.

Frequently asked questions