HELP! Is there anything wrong with putting silly putty as sealant along the edge of the bath by the wall?

Question

Water is leaking from my bath up stairs on to the wall paper in the hall below, leaving water stains. I've had 2 plumbers look at it. Neither could see much wrong. They suggest its the overflow or water going down the side of the bath next to the wall. It's been happening for years.

Answer 1

well it would work but there are better things to use. go to the hardware store...and stop being so silly!

Answer 2

do not just seal over it

as one answer says water has been getting into the wall for years so theres almost certainly some major rot, mould and damage to the structure. there only needs to be a hairline gap for water to get through. i see lots of them, some destroying the floor etc beneath

the bath needs to come out and the floor beneath to look at the structure, let it dry and make any repairs

just putting new sealant for one will degrade quickly and is a botch repair

Answer 3

Silicone sealent will do a better job.

Answer 4

So why didn't they replace the overflow gasket if that was the case.As far as a sealant caulking would be cheaper and last longer.

Answer 5

Putty of any sort will not solve this problem for more that a week or so.  

If you have a shower head fitted to your bath then that is the problem. Many bath installations are unsuited to having showers fitted particularly plastic baths, which bend when you stand in them. The only long term solution is to have the bath replaced with one thats more suited and  and have it re-tiled to suit (or better still have a proper shower fitted).

Answer 6

Ask another plumber/builder for advice!

Answer 7

If it has been happening for years you need to, pretty soon, check and see if the wood under the the tub is rotting! Money doesn't grow on trees so until you can afford that, go to a home improvement store and ask a close by sales person in the bathroom department about the best sealant for your situation, it will cost under $5.

Answer 8

Well, you might get away with the silly putty.  There are other things that are far more effective and may not cost much more.  At any local hardware store, home store, or the hardware department in a Walmart you whould be able to find a number of different caulking materials.  Some of these come in a tube that you squeeze in your hand.  Find one that is made for bath tub use in a color that you like.  Most prefer white caulking as it does not show against a white tub.  

When you get home, remove all of the existing caulking from the area you want new material.  You may have to use a box knife or a window razor scraper to get the material off of the tub.  Clean and dry the area real well.  I usually wipe it down with rubbing alcohol when I finish cleaning it.  Make sure the whole area is as dry as you can get it.

Using your box knife and a cutting board, cut the tip off of the tube of caulking at an angle not a square corner but maybe half of that.  You may want to start at the tip of the nozzle and make a test cut to see how much material you have to remove and how big the hole will be.  The farther down the nozzle you cut, the larger the hole is and the harder it is to control as you apply the caulk.

When you put in the caulking, gently squeeze the tube and apply as you move forward with the nozzle.  The nozzle acts as a tool to spread the caulk into the crevice.  Watch as you go to be sure to get enough material into the crevice to fill and seal it in one pass with the caulk nozzle.  

When you get to the end of where you want to put the caulking, put the lid back on the tube to keep it fresh for another day.  You can follow the fresh caulk in the crevice with your finger to shape it but it is better if you did it with the nozzle.  Be sure that you have some paper toweling or an old rag to wipe up your hands and any material you get where you don't want it.  

Remember, this stuff is easy to remove when it is fresh and much harder to remove when it dries.  Be sure to clean up any excess material right away when you do this kind of job.

If you have the option, I would not use the shower in that tub for 24 hours after you caulk it.  The longer the better but you friends might complain if you wait too long.  Most caulking material is water based and it will not stand up to water until after it cures for many hours.  Check the writing on the package to see what they recommend.

Now you're an expert and you can help someone else do a similar job!

Answer 9

If you have a tile wall, use a silicone caulk to recaulk the edge of the tub next to the wall (the tube will say if it's specifically for tubs and showers, as opposed to windows or painting). Don't use plumber's putty. It doesn't seal like the silicone will. It will also eventually get hard and shrink, and leak again.

Answer 10

re-seal with kitchen & bathroom sealant,okeedokee