A changeover of tenant often gives a landlord chance to do the little jobs that cannot be described as urgent but are not only pleasing on the eye but also contribute to keeping the property in a good condition.
A good example of this is resealing the sanitary ware in the bathroom. With a little patience and skill this is one of those jobs that can be done in house. It doesn’t take long and can save a fair amount of money when you consider the call out fees charged by a plumber.
Resealing the bath is the most time consuming and tricky of the sanitary ware to tackle, so should be done first.
If possible, this is a job to be done on a warm dry day, this will allow the bathroom to air and help the sealant you are going to use, chance to dry properly after the application. It is always advisable to spend that little bit extra on the sealant, using a cheap one could mean you are doing the same job inside 12 months, buy an anti mould type if possible.
Time to start the job, be sure to wear protective clothing as you first of all strip away what remains of the old sealant, use a Stanley knife and screwdriver to remove every last vestige of the old stuff, the more removed the better the new sealant will work. Work carefully a screwdriver can badly damage a bath which would mean a claim on your landlord insurance and possibly negate the savings made on doing the job yourself.
Now fill the bath to approximately half way, this ensures the gap between the bath and the wall is more or less what it will be when the bath is in use. Remember that the narrower the gap between bath and wall, the less sealant you have to use. Working with a narrow gap also means the line of sealant will be thinner which should mean, it is easier on the eye, less messy and will have a lesser drying time.
Always allow at least 24 hours for the sealant to dry before using the bath or importantly a shower over the bath. Using the same technique and the same drying times reseal the toilet and sink as well.