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How to fix a leaking shower

Caulking gun inserting silicone sealant into a crack.

Overview

It's a relatively easy job to use silicone to seal the edges of your shower screen. The challenge is working out how to put the silicone on so that it not only does the job but also looks nice and neat. This video shows you all the tricks you need to know to give your silicone a professional finish.

Tools and materials

Tools

Materials

Steps

1Apply silicone sealant to the gap

Once you're sure that your shower surfaces are clean and dry, run a bead of silicone along the gap, to completely cover it. Don't worry if it looks a bit rough. Use an icy pole stick to scrape off any excess, wiping the stick on a rag as you go. The icy pole stick does two jobs – it removes the excess silicone, plus it pushes silicone down into the gap to improve the seal. 
Caulking gun inserting silicone sealant into a crack.

2Use sugar soap to clean up remaining silicone sealant

Spray sugar soap along the newly sealed joint and wipe it down smoothly with a cloth. To get the best results, hold the cloth onto the joint with consistent pressure and wipe downwards in one fluid motion. Once you've done that, go back to clean up any bits you've missed.
Person spraying some liquid onto a wall.
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.