Kitchen silicone is easy to apply and can provide you with the perfect finish for your worktop and sink areas. Kitchen silicone sealant can prevent food and debris from getting into gaps between the worktops and walls and is an essential way to increase hygiene in kitchen areas.
Kitchen silicone will adhere to non-porous surfaces such as ceramic tiles, worktops and plumbing fixtures. It will provide a watertight seal and is specially formulated to inhibit the growth of mould, mildew and bacteria.
How to Apply Kitchen Silicone Sealant to Worktops
If you are fitting worktops in your kitchen then you will need to measure the distance from the wall to the edge of the cabinets carefully and allow for any defects in the surfaces. Kitchen sealant can be used to seal a small gap between the wall and the worktop. However it will not be effective on a large gap and this can make your kitchen look unfinished. Food can also become trapped in any gaps, harbouring bacteria. When you have cut the worktops seal the ends with some standard PVA then fit the joining strips. Now use kitchen silicone to finish the edges and ends of the worktop with a waterproof seal. Now you can fix the worktops in place on the base units using woodscrews or mitre joints and connecting bolts. Make sure you cut out any areas for sinks, hobs etc before you fix the worktops in place. Once the worktops are firmly in place you can then seal any gaps around the walls with the kitchen silicone sealant. Allow this to dry completely before carrying out any more work on this area to avoid cracking.
Installing Inset Sinks with Kitchen silicone
You can also use kitchen silicone to install sinks. If you do not use sealant around the sink area then water could leak through into the cupboard space below and cause the units to warp. This will also encourage the growth of mould and mildew. Kitchen sealant is designed specifically for use in kitchens so avoid substituting with bathroom sealants (although they appear identical).
If you are fitting to a worktop that is already in place then you will need to measure the existing sink hole and purchase a sink that will fit (or if larger you can carefully cut a little more out of the worktop with a jigsaw). Clean the surface of the sink hole and make sure it is completely dry before you start installing the sink. The sealant will not stick properly to wet or dirty surfaces. Apply a little sealant around the rim of the sink. Now you can fit the securing clips to the sink and install it into the hole in your worktop. The lip around the sink should fit exactly into the hole and the sealant you applied on the rim will create an additional waterproof barrier.