Tray to wall
The horizontal and vertical joints where an acrylic, stone-resin, or ceramic tray meets the tiles.
Shower resealing
Shower resealing is the removal and renewal of sanitary silicone where a tray, glass screen, or enclosure meets tile, acrylic, or the floor. Book it when the bead is cracked, mouldy, or letting water out in a UK home, rental, or one-bathroom flat. Send a photo on the quote form, or WhatsApp the same details.
Who it is for
Who books a shower reseal
Homeowners who have wiped black spots and watched them return in the joint. Landlords between tenancies. Anyone whose ceiling below the shower has started to mark. A shower reseal is the right visit when the bead itself has failed, not when the tray is cracked through.
Variants
The fittings this page covers
Glass screen
The bead between a framed or frameless screen and the tile, including the bottom channel if it is open.
Quadrant and enclosure
Sliding doors, bi-folds, and corner entry frames, including the joints the door track hides.
Low-profile tray
A shallow tray still needs a tooled joint. If the floor is a former with no upstand, that is wet room sealing, not this visit.
Scope
Included, and the jobs we will not call a reseal
Included in the visit
- Inspection of the bead, the corners, and any soft plaster beside the tray
- Cut-out of the old silicone rather than a skim over it
- Clean and dry of the joint
- Sanitary silicone, tooled to a finish that sheds water
Outside this visit
- A cracked tray, a weeping waste, or a failed tanking membrane
- Full retiling or regrouting of the whole wall
- Decorator’s caulk, acrylic gap filler, or a paint-over of mould
- Using the shower the same day. The bead needs 24 hours
How it is done
On the day
- 1
Check the leak
We look at the bead, the waste, and the ceiling below so a tray crack is not quoted as a silicone job.
- 2
Cut out and dry
Old silicone comes out. Residue is cleaned. The joint is left dry enough to take a new bead.
- 3
Tool the new bead
Sanitary silicone is gunned and tooled along the tray, screen, and enclosure edges that were agreed.
- 4
Leave it to cure
Keep water off the new bead for 24 hours. That is the minimum cure before a shower, bath, or basin is used again.
Symptoms
What you can see before you book
Black spots in the bead
Mould in the silicone is not a surface film. Wiping it leaves the contaminated bead in place.
Water outside the tray
A split bead at the front lip or screen channel lets shower water onto the floor.
Mark on the ceiling below
That can be the bead, the waste, or a crack. The leak check decides which one before anything is cut.
Bead peeling off acrylic
Silicone applied over damp acrylic or old residue lets go in sheets.
Quote
What changes the price
The job is quoted. These are the factors, not a menu of fixed prices.
Length and corners
A single tray edge is a smaller quote than a three-sided enclosure with a screen and a riser.
How dirty the joint is
Mould grown into the joint, or silicone smeared over old silicone, takes longer to cut out.
Screen and access
A frameless panel in a small en-suite takes more care than an open tray in a family bathroom.
Colour
Standard white is the usual quote. A matched grey or sanitaryware colour is priced on that cartridge.
After the visit
Prep, cure, and how long it lasts
Clear bottles off the tray before the visit. Leave the shower dry on the day. After the new bead is tooled, do not splash, wipe, or use the shower for 24 hours. A weekly squeegee and a fan or open window slow the next mould film.
A joint cut back to a clean surface and finished in sanitary silicone commonly stays sound for years. It fails again if water sits in the channel, the room never dries, or a new bead was laid over old silicone. A hairline split at a corner is the usual first sign to book again.
DIY
When a tube is the wrong tool
A tube from a DIY aisle can seal a dry, clean joint. It struggles once mould is inside the old bead, or the screen has to come off an acrylic tray. A slip with a blade marks the tray for good. If the ceiling below is already stained, book the leak check before a weekend recaulk.
Questions
Questions about shower resealing
Can you reseal a shower tray without replacing it?
Yes, when the tray is intact and the leak is the silicone joint. A cracked tray or a waste that weeps underneath is a different job, and a new bead will not stop it.
Do you reseal shower screens and enclosures?
Yes. The visit can include the screen-to-tile joint, the bottom channel, and the enclosure frame, as well as the tray perimeter. Say which edges are failing when you send the quote.
How soon can the shower be used after resealing?
Wait 24 hours before water touches the new bead. The visit itself is one appointment. The shower is not ready the same day.
Will a mould spray fix a black shower bead?
A spray can fade stains on the face of the silicone. If the mould is through the bead, the old silicone has to be cut out and replaced with sanitary silicone.
What changes the shower resealing quote?
The length of bead, the number of corners, screen removal, how contaminated the old joint is, the colour, and access in a small room. Send a photo on the quote form or by WhatsApp for a figure before anyone cuts.
Related work
Other joints
Areas we cover
Where this visit runs
Quote this shower resealing
Send the photo and the postcode on the form, or WhatsApp the same details. Water stays off the new bead for 24 hours.
Tell us which edge has failed
Name the room and the joint. If a ceiling below is stained, say when the water appears.