Handyman jobs

Silicone resealing and grout repair

Silicone and grout are what stop water getting behind tiles and under worktops. In Singapore's damp air they go black, peel or crack sooner than you'd think, and once they let water through, the damage behind them grows quietly.

Tell us where it's failing and we'll pass the job to a partner handyman, who cuts out the old sealant, cleans the joint and seals it again.

Ask for a quote What’s covered

A shower corner where blackened silicone is being cut out and a fresh white bead is being run from a sealant gun

What silicone and grout repair covers

The usual jobs under this heading. Tick it in the enquiry and describe yours; if it isn’t here, describe it anyway.

Shower and bathtub resealing

The joint where the tray or tub meets the tiles, the shower screen's base and the corners, cut out and resealed with mould-resistant sanitary silicone.

Kitchen worktops and sinks

The line where the worktop meets the wall, around the sink and the hob cut-out, resealed so water from the tap can't get underneath.

Basins and toilets

The bead around the base of the toilet and the edge of the basin, renewed where it has gone black or come away.

Grout repair

Cracked, crumbling or stained grout between floor and wall tiles raked out and replaced, either in patches or across a wall.

Windows and frames

Silicone around the inside of window frames where it has cracked and lets a draught or damp in.

Black spots under the surface of the silicone are mould that has grown into it. Cleaning products bleach the top but don't reach it, so the lasting fix is to replace the bead.

Silicone and grout repair: a small fix or a bigger job?

What this site arranges

A handyman job

Resealing a shower, bath or sink
Re-grouting a patch of tiles
Renewing sealant around a toilet or window
Replacing a cracked bead on a worktop

A wall with its plaster hacked off to the bricks, a bin of debris and new tiles: a renovation — A bigger job

A renovation

Re-tiling a bathroom
Waterproofing a floor that leaks into the flat below
Replacing a worktop

A floor that leaks into the unit below needs waterproofing, a bigger job than resealing. Junk to Clear, a renovation and disposal company we refer jobs to, takes renovation enquiries.

What affects the price

We don’t publish prices. The partner handyman quotes once it knows the job. These are the things it will ask about.

How many joints, and how long. A shower corner and a whole bathroom are different jobs.
How hard the old sealant is to remove, and whether there's mould behind it.
For grout, the area, whether it's floor or wall, and whether the tiles need cleaning first.
Colour matching, if you want the new grout to match the old.
Whether several areas, such as the kitchen and two bathrooms, are done on the same visit.

Photos that help the quote

Each joint you want redone, close enough to see the condition.
A wider shot showing the length of the joint.
Any water stains or bubbling paint nearby, which can mean water is getting behind.

Keep them on your phone: the handyman may ask for them when it contacts you.

How to prepare, and what happens on the day

Before the visit

Stop using the shower or bath a few hours before the visit, so the joints are dry.
Clear the bathroom of bottles, mats and anything on the tub's edge or the worktop.
Plan to leave the sealed area dry for the curing time the handyman gives you, usually a day.
If you have a second bathroom, plan to use it that day.

On the day

1 The old silicone is cut out with a blade and the joint scraped clean of residue.
2 The joint is cleaned and dried, and treated where there was mould.
3 A new bead of sanitary silicone is run and tooled smooth, or the grout is packed in and wiped down.
4 The handyman tells you how long to keep water off it before using the shower or sink.

Afterwards

Wipe the silicone dry after showers and keep the bathroom ventilated, with the window open or the fan on. Mould needs damp to grow back, and a dry joint stays white far longer.

Silicone and grout repair in homes and offices

The same job differs between a flat, a landed house and an office. Here’s what changes.

HDB flats

Bathrooms in HDB flats are often small and poorly ventilated, which is where silicone fails first. If there's a stain on the ceiling of the flat below, the problem may be waterproofing under the floor, not just the sealant.

Condos

Shower screens and worktops in condos are often stone or glass, which need neutral-cure silicone that won't stain them. Mention the material in the enquiry.

Landed homes

More bathrooms, and often older ones. Outdoor joints around windows and doors take sun and rain and need resealing more often than indoor ones.

Offices

Pantry sinks and washrooms used by many people. Work can be done after hours so the room can cure overnight.

Questions about silicone and grout repair

Can you seal over the old silicone?

It's better not to. New silicone doesn't bond to old silicone, so it peels off, and any mould underneath carries on growing. The old bead should be cut out first.

How long before I can use the shower?

Usually about a day, but it depends on the product. The handyman will tell you on the day.

Why does the silicone keep going black?

Mould grows into it where the joint stays damp. Drying it after use and better ventilation slow it down; replacing it removes what's already there.

There's a leak into the flat below. Will resealing fix it?

Only if the leak comes from a failed joint. A leak through the floor often needs waterproofing, which is a bigger job. The handyman can tell you which it looks like.

Ask for a silicone and grout repair quote

Tell us what needs fixing, the property and roughly where it is. It takes a minute, and there's no obligation to book.