Bath border: types, do-it-yourself installation

After installing a bathtub, shower tray, sink or washbasin, a gap remains between the side of the stantekhpribor and the wall. Sometimes it is only a few millimeters, but water still gets there, flows along the wall to the floor and, if the degree of sealing is insufficient, can “please” the neighbors from below with a dark spot on the ceiling. Even if you live on the first floor or in a private house, dampness under the bathroom will not bring anything good – mold and fungus, a musty smell. Because these gaps are trying to close. There are numerous and varied bathtub edgings that cover this gap. They put them not only on bathtubs, but also on trays in the shower or near the sinks. Choose just a different profile and its dimensions. But the installation principles remain the same. 

The gap between the wall and the bathroom and the choice of border

If the bath was installed after finishing the walls, a gap inevitably remains between its side and the wall. Large or not very – depends on how smooth the walls are and whether the bath itself is evenly exposed. In any case, it is better to close this gap. Firstly, there will be no dampness under the bath, and secondly, the appearance is better.

To choose a border for a bathtub, one must proceed from the width of the gap. Depending on the distance to the wall, the installation sequence changes:

• If the distance between the bathroom and the wall is up to 3 cm, you can immediately install the side. Only its lower shelf should be wide – it should be 3 times wider than the gap. And yet – in this case, only hard corners are suitable – ceramic or plastic. It is better to glue the curb tape with a small gap of a few millimeters or pre-seal it with a cement-sand mixture.
• If the distance from the side to the bath is more than 3 cm, it must first be repaired. There are three options:
  • Attach the formwork from below, pour concrete, after setting (at least three or four days), work can continue.
  • Close the gap with moisture-resistant drywall in two layers. A frame is assembled, which is attached to the wall with dowels, and to the bathtub – with mounting foam or liquid nails. If the shelf is large, put vertical supports. In general, they collect a full-fledged frame. A corner or ceramic tile can be mounted on the fixed drywall if the gap is very large and the width of the corner is not enough to close it.
  • Make a side from the same tiles as the walls. A variant familiar from previous years, but today it is already unpopular.
    

Having decided on the technology for sealing the gap, you can choose a border for the bath. It’s not as easy as it seems – there are many different options, so you can get lost.

Learn how to refurbish an old bathtub here.

Types of borders for the bath and their installation

All bathroom borders can be divided into two large categories, each of which has several subspecies:

• polymer and PVC:
  • plastic (PVC) bathtub borders;
  • plastic corners;
  • self-adhesive tape;
  • foam or polyurethane (ceiling) borders.
    

• from mineral raw materials:
  • ceramic:
  • marble:
  • granite.

Products from the first group are more affordable in price, they are also easier to install. More expensive and difficult to install ceramic, marble or granite curbs, but they also look much more colorful. True, the design of the bathroom should also be appropriate.

Installation of plastic borders and corners

Speaking of plastic bathtub borders, they can be installed under tiles and on tiles (or any other wall finish). The border on the bath floor tiles is installed in the process of finishing the walls – its upper edge starts under the tile. This option is good, but it is impossible to move / replace the bath without destroying the finish.

The second type of borders is mounted after finishing work. In this case, the bath is simply attached to the wall, and the existing gap is closed with one of the plastic or polymer corners.

Plastic borders installed on the tiles are of different profiles, with different sizes of shelves. The sides of these products themselves are elastic and they fit snugly against the wall and the plumbing fixture. The usual finishing plastic corner is more rigid. It can be hermetically installed only on a smooth wall – not on a tile, and, moreover, not on a relief tile. For such cases, there is a plinth for a PVC bathroom with rubber sides. The rubber edges of this border fit tightly even in the seams between the tiles and in the relief. Where the fit is not tight enough, glue or sealant “works”.

What type of adhesive to use

In most cases, a bathtub border is installed on silicone sealant. But after that, problems arise: after a while, the seam becomes dark – mold develops. Everything has to be removed, disinfected, degreased and put back in place. The interval between the normal state and the appearance of mold is different for everyone – from a year to several months. It depends on the intensity of use, but more – on the availability of sufficient ventilation in the bathroom. If the ventilation is poor, it may bloom in a few months.

There is an exit. And not even one

1. You can use sealant for aquariums. It does not bloom under any conditions (perhaps there are antibacterial components in the composition). Like ordinary plumbing, aquarium sealant is white, there is transparent. Only the packaging is usually small and the price is higher. But he’s worth it.
2. Waterproof glue. Any, but good and reliable. If you need an example – Moment Crystal. Inexpensive, reliable. But one thing: you must use strictly according to the instructions. Then it holds for a long time, and fungi and mold do not start on it.
3. A good (read expensive, branded) sealant based on MS polymers. It is truly hydrophobic and continues to repel water even after years, while regular acrylic starts to leak after 4-6 months. Among the MC polymer sealants, there are compounds with antibacterial components that prevent the development of fungi and mold. After drying, they remain elastic, therefore they tolerate minor movements of cast-iron or metal baths without problems.

How to glue so that it does not fall off

Many have already used the bathtub border more than once, but every time problems arise – after a while, the corner or baseboard falls off the wall. This happens because when using a bathtub, a shower cabin, they move at least a little. You step into the container, it shifts a little, come out – again minimal, but the movement, leaning on the edge of the bath – has moved again. And so every time. Naturally, if you attach the curb to the bath rigidly, sooner or later it will fall off. Acrylic bathtubs and shower trays have a large range of motion, while steel and cast iron ones have a smaller range of motion. Accordingly, the plinth falls off faster from acrylic containers, and lasts longer on the rest.

To avoid this problem, glue the PVC border for the bathtub or shower tray only to the wall. This is especially true for acrylic containers. With this method of installation, a layer of glue on top prevents water from flowing into the gap between the bathtub and the wall. The lower part of the corner is tightly pressed against the side (during installation it is necessary to press well), excluding water from the side. In this case, all movements are calmly compensated by the elasticity of the material and the plinth is held on the wall.

If this option does not suit you, look for a sealant that remains airtight after drying (in particular, these are the same sealants based on MS polymers). For cast iron and steel baths, it will work, the bathtub border will hold. For acrylic, this, unfortunately, is not an option – the shifts are too great.

Why does the baseboard stink

There is another unpleasant moment that often appears after installing a PVC bathtub border – an unpleasant smell from under the plastic. It is not possible to make the connection 100% tight, although microscopic gaps remain. Water seeps in and stays there. After a while, the water rots, begins to exude the same smell. This happens because of the accepted technology for installing bathroom bumpers – it is recommended that you first fill the gap between the bathroom and the wall with a sealant, and then install the baseboard. The idea is clear – so that the water that gets under the baseboard does not leak under the bath. And so it happens – the water remains in the remaining gap, from where it “smells”.

To avoid such a nuisance, it is better to install the bath border immediately on the wall, without first filling the gap with anything. Yes, with this installation, a few drops of water can seep under the bath. But such an amount will not cause any harm, with sufficient ventilation, the moisture will dry out after a while.

The procedure for installing plastic borders for the bathroom

With all the differences in the method of mounting profiles of different types, there is a certain sequence of actions that is followed and leads to a good result. In general, you need to act like this:

• If there is an old baseboard or curb, it is removed. Remains of sealant or glue are removed from the walls and side. To do this, usually use a knife, you can wallpaper.
  

• Mold is often observed under the side, it is removed with a cloth dipped in any detergent, then everything is smeared with antibacterial impregnation. There are a lot of them in stores, pick up the one that meets your needs more than others. Follow the instructions – observe the exposure time, the number of layers, etc.
• After the antibacterial impregnation has dried, the wall and the side must be degreased. To do this, take a rag soaked in a solvent or alcohol and carefully wipe everything. We are waiting for everything to dry. The process can be accelerated with a hair dryer, no need to wipe.
  

• The selected border is tried on, cut to size. At the junction of two segments, standard corners are used (if any) or the corners are cut at an angle of 45 °. Plastic can be cut with scissors for metal or cut with a hacksaw, on which a blade with a fine tooth is fixed (you can use a special one for plastic, but it is also suitable for metal). In any case, the edge is not perfect. It is brought to a perfect match with a file or sandpaper with different grain sizes, fixed on a bar (cut off pieces, leave a few millimeters to fit). When the result of joining the two pieces suits you, move on to the next step.
• The next steps depend on the type of curb you have selected. They can be self-adhesive. Then you need to remove the protective tape, put the bathtub border in place and press it well. If it is just a PVC skirting board, a sealant adhesive is first applied to the wall and / or skirting board shelves, after which it is installed and pressed well.
• The sealant that comes out from under the plinth is immediately wiped with a soft cloth. Do it without delay – if it hardens it will be difficult to clean it off.
  

That’s all. Bathtub border installed. Now you have to wait a while until the composition hardens and grabs. The exact time depends on the type of adhesive/sealant used and can take from several hours to several days.

Using this technique, a self-adhesive (border) tape is also mounted to finish the junction of the bathroom and the wall. This is an inexpensive and quick way to close a small gap. Such a finish can only last a little less than plastic, but there is less fuss with it, although all stages of preparatory work remain in force.

There is one thing to remember if you are installing a border on an acrylic bathtub. Before gluing, the bath is more than half filled with water and left in this form until the sealant polymerizes.

Methods for gluing a border with adhesive tape and a flexible (rubber) edge

It just seems that installing a strip of plastic with an adhesive layer is simple. Not at all: you must immediately install it in place, since it is unrealistic to move the plinth. Peeling off in case of an unsuccessful attempt is also not the best way out – some of the glue remains on the tiles and the side of the bathroom / shower tray. In general, you need to practice without first removing the protective tape.

Even if you immediately managed to put the curb in place, not everything is so rosy with skirting boards of this type. The fact is that the tape on which they are attached is quite thick and even the edges tightly pressed against the wall and sides do not fit so tightly. It is quite possible to leak in some places, especially at the seams.

If you really like this bath skirting board, you can glue it on with glue / sealant. To do this, tear off the adhesive tape, apply an adhesive composition on the wrong side, put it in place, press it very well. The adhesive layer is thin, the plinth is pressed very tightly, leakage is almost excluded.

And another point – so that the border does not come off, it is not necessary to apply glue to the side that is attached to the bath (described above).

Installation technology of a ceramic border for a bath

Ceramic curbs consist of straight, corner and end elements. The number of straight elements is calculated based on the dimensions of the bathtub / shower tray, corners and ends, with a standard placement for a bathtub, two angles are required, for a shower tray, an angle can be one. Take the number of straight elements with a small margin – for trimming.

It is advisable to inspect all elements before laying. If there is a need (they fit inaccurately, there are differences in thickness, etc.), the back side can be slightly worked with a file. It is better not to use the grinder – the chance is too great to harm more than fix.

Mounting methods

The method of installing a ceramic border depends on the wall finish and the size of the gap. If it’s tile, you can use a waterproof adhesive. If the tile is embossed or the wall is simply plastered, installation on glue does not date the required level of tightness. In this case, a ceramic bathtub border is mounted on a special tile adhesive for wet rooms. It is sold in bags in dry form, before use, a certain amount of it is mixed with water until smooth.

Sequencing

The whole process consists of a sequence of steps:

• The surface is cleaned from raids and dust. If there is mold, remove it, treat the wall with an antibacterial compound, and let it dry.
• If the gap between the bathroom and the wall exceeds half the width of the existing curb, it must first be repaired. Better – make formwork from below and pour cement mortar. The second way is to attach moisture-resistant drywall in two layers. If the shelf is large (more than 5 cm), it must be done with a slope. Maybe about 5%. So the shelf will turn out to be used (put something on it) and the water will not stagnate on it. If necessary (if the curb does not cover it all), the tiles are first laid to decorate the walls, after which the installation of the ceramic curb for the bath continues.
• Start from one of the corners. Set the angle, then two adjacent straight segments. A layer of glue is applied to the back of the border, leveled. Installed in place, pressed, leveled.
• Then continue laying to one side. End elements are installed on the sidewalls.
  

The process of installing a ceramic border for a bathroom is not much different from laying tiles. The actions are the same. It is necessary to align the elements in two planes – so that both the edges and the plane go smoothly and without drops.