02831 9167703 Mon–Thu 9–16, Fri 9–12 (CET)
€0.00

Guides: silicone, waterproofing, bonding and expanding foam

69 instructions and buying guides from the specialist trade for construction chemicals: which silicone goes where, how joints last, how bathrooms and cellars become watertight. Below each guide you will find the products you need for it.

What has happened?

You can see a type of damage and want to know what causes it. Tap it and we will show only the matching guides.

Task
Where?
Type

All 69 guides

Right now in autumn

Before it gets cold: windows sealed, façade protected, roof airtight.

Instructions Guide: refreshing, cleaning and caring for WPC decking Clean WPC decking, refresh its colour and impregnate it, with a realistic care plan 12 min read easy extended weekend (incl. waiting times) Buying guide Guide: which silicone for windows Which sealant belongs in which window joint: neutral-curing, hybrid or acrylic 12 min read Problem solving Guide: wood stain is flaking off – causes and repair Why wood stain flakes off and how to restore and restain the wood 8 min read medium

Choosing silicone and sealant

Silicone, acrylic or hybrid – and which silicone for which substrate.

Guides: 11
Basics Guide: MS polymer – adhesive and sealant explained What MS polymer can do, where it beats silicone, PU and acrylic and where it does not 11 min read Comparison Guide: OTTOSEAL S100 vs. S105 in detail OTTOSEAL S100 or S105: differences in colour choice, protection and price 5 min read Comparison Guide: OTTOSEAL S67 or S69 – which cleanroom silicone? OTTOSEAL S67 or S69: which clean room silicone for which application 6 min read Comparison Guide: Ottoseal S70 or S80 – which natural stone silicone for what Ottoseal S70 or S80: which natural stone silicone for which room and stone 12 min read
Show all 7 more
Comparison Guide: Sikaflex 11 FC or Fix All Flexi – which adhesive and sealant? Sikaflex 11 FC or Fix All Flexi: PU or hybrid for joint, bonding and roof 6 min read Buying guide Guide: silicone colours – what is available and how to find the right one Find the right silicone colour for the grout, with colour shades and colour charts 12 min read Comparison Guide: silicone or acrylic – which for what? Silicone or acrylic: which sealant for wet areas and which for painters' joints 4 min read Buying guide Guide: which silicone for natural stone? Which natural stone silicone prevents grease edges: S70, S117 or S80 5 min read Buying guide Guide: which silicone for stainless steel? Which neutral silicone belongs on stainless steel and where the stainless steel colour is available 8 min read Buying guide Guide: which silicone for the shower? Which sanitary silicone belongs in the shower and when S100 or S105 fits 3 min read Buying guide Guide: which silicone for windows Which sealant belongs in which window joint: neutral-curing, hybrid or acrylic 12 min read

To the sealants in the shop

Applying and renewing silicone joints

Old joint out, new joint in: preparation, application, smoothing.

Guides: 13
Basics Cartridge calculator: silicone usage per joint Calculate the sealant and primer quantity per joint, with minimum joint widths for windows 4 min read Instructions Guide: forming and closing a shadow gap Create shadow gaps in drylining and timber or close unwanted joints cleanly 11 min read medium Basics Guide: how wide may a silicone joint be? Minimum width, depth and backing cord: how to size a silicone joint correctly 12 min read Problem solving Guide: painting over silicone – why it does not hold Why the joint flakes off after painting and which sealant really holds 12 min read easy
Show all 9 more
Instructions Guide: removing old silicone without residue Cut out an old silicone joint mechanically and remove residues so that new silicone holds 6 min read easy Problem solving Guide: silicone on acrylic baths Why silicone does not hold on acrylic baths and how the joint becomes permanently tight 12 min read medium Basics Guide: silicone on silicone – when it bonds and when it does not When fresh silicone holds on silicone and why repairing old joints fails 11 min read Basics Guide: working out silicone usage correctly Calculate silicone requirements with joint width × depth × length, plus waste 6 min read Instructions Guide: working with silicone – the complete guide Apply silicone in six steps: prepare, backfill, inject, smooth 12 min read easy Instructions How to: replace sanitary silicone – step by step Remove an old sanitary joint and inject and smooth new silicone cleanly 7 min read easy 30–60 min. per joint (plus drying) Instructions How to: seal joints with Sikaflex 11 FC – step by step Backfill, prime and smooth connection and floor joints with Sikaflex 11 FC 9 min read medium Instructions How to: seal natural stone without staining Grout natural stone with natural stone silicone and the matching smoothing agent, without grease edges 7 min read medium Instructions How to: tool a silicone joint perfectly Mask off a silicone joint, inject it and pull it in one stroke with smoothing agent and smoother 6 min read easy

Sanitary silicone and accessories in the shop

Problems with silicone joints

Mould, cracks, yellow joints, no adhesion: find the cause, then fix it.

Guides: 8
Instructions Guide: cleaning silicone joints – what helps and what harms Clean silicone joints properly: scratch test, household remedy check and deep clean 11 min read easy approx. 30 min. per bathroom (deep clean) Problem solving Guide: preventing and removing mould in silicone joints Remove mould from silicone joints, when the joint has to be renewed and how to prevent it 5 min read easy Problem solving Guide: silicone joint is pulling away from the wall – causes and fix Why silicone joints come away from tile, bath or frame and how the new joint holds 5 min read easy Problem solving Guide: silicone joint is turning yellow – causes and fix Yellow silicone joint: clean off the film or renew the joint, depending on where the discolouration sits 8 min read easy
Show all 4 more
Problem solving Guide: silicone joint keeps cracking – causes and fix Why silicone joints keep cracking and how backing cord and joint dimensions put an end to it 6 min read medium Problem solving Guide: silicone joint will not set – causes and fix Why silicone stays soft or tacky and when the joint has to be redone completely 6 min read easy Problem solving Guide: silicone or adhesive will not stick – which primer helps Which primer helps on which substrate when silicone or adhesive does not stick 7 min read easy Problem solving Guide: stains on natural stone from the wrong silicone Where dark edges on natural stone joints come from and how to regrout with S70 5 min read medium

Silicone remover and joint accessories in the shop

Waterproofing bathrooms, showers and cellars

Liquid membrane, waterproofing slurry, sealing tape: the waterproofing under the tiles.

Guides: 7
Instructions Guide: applying waterproofing slurry Apply waterproofing slurry in thin coats crosswise, with sealing tape at corners and connections 12 min read medium Basics Guide: bathroom waterproofing – rules and exposure classes What DIN 18534 requires in the bathroom: classes W0-I to W3-I, heights and matching systems 11 min read Instructions Guide: bonding XPS boards to bitumen Bond XPS perimeter insulation to the bitumen waterproofing with solvent-free adhesive 12 min read medium Instructions Guide: waterproofing a bathroom with liquid membrane Waterproof a bathroom under tiles with liquid membrane, sealing tape and collars 13 min read medium
Show all 3 more
Comparison Guide: waterproofing slurry or bitumen – what belongs where? Waterproofing slurry or thick bitumen coating: which waterproofing goes where 12 min read Buying guide Guide: which sealing tape or which collar for what? Sealing tape for joints and edges, collar for pipes: what goes where 4 min read Instructions How to: waterproof a shower with liquid membrane and sealing tape Waterproof the shower before tiling with liquid membrane, sealing tape and collars 7 min read medium

To waterproofing and building protection

Bonding and assembly

Assembly adhesive, wood glue, mirrors, skirting boards – what holds on what.

Guides: 6
Instructions Guide: bonding a mirror – the guide that does not ruin the mirror Bond a mirror with mirror adhesive and primer so that the coating stays intact 12 min read medium Basics Guide: bonding silicone – what holds and what does not When silicone is enough as an adhesive, what it holds on and when a hybrid adhesive is better 15 min read Basics Guide: using PTFE spray and Teflon spray properly What PTFE dry lubrication is good for, how to apply it and when oil is better 12 min read Comparison Guide: which wood glue – D3 or D4? D3 or D4: which wood glue for furniture, interior fit-out and outdoor components 6 min read
Show all 2 more
Instructions How to: fix skirting boards and panels with construction adhesive Bond skirting boards and panels without drilling: substrate, suitable adhesive, fixing 10 min read easy Instructions How to: release wood glue When wood glue can be loosened with water or heat and when D4 glue does not give way 5 min read easy

To the adhesives in the shop

PU foam, windows and roofs

Using PU foam correctly, installing windows to RAL guidelines, airtight roofs.

Guides: 7
Problem solving Guide: PU foam will not cure – causes and fix Why PU foam stays tacky or collapses and how to repair the connection 9 min read medium Comparison Guide: gun foam or hand-held foam – which is better? Gun foam or hand-held foam: when the foam gun is worthwhile and when not 8 min read Problem solving Guide: removing PU foam – fresh and cured Remove fresh PU foam with cleaner, cured foam mechanically and with remover gel 8 min read easy Buying guide Guide: which PU foam for window installation? 1K hand-held foam or 2K assembly foam: which PU foam for one or several windows 5 min read
Show all 3 more
Instructions How to: apply PU foam properly Shake, dose and cure PU assembly foam correctly 6 min read easy Instructions How to: install an airtight vapour control layer in the loft Overlap, bond and connect the vapour control layer in the attic airtight all round 12 min read medium Instructions How to: install windows the RAL way – sequence and materials Install windows according to the 3-layer rule: airtight inside, insulating in the middle, sealed outside 7 min read demanding

To PU foam

Floors, screed and tiles

Screed, levelling compound, decoupling, tile adhesive consumption.

Guides: 10
Instructions Guide: applying levelling compound Levelling compound on old adhesive residues: what may stay, what has to go and how 12 min read medium Basics Guide: bonded screed – build-up and bonding primer Build-up, bonding bridge and minimum thickness of the bonded screed, distinguished from the separating layer 11 min read Instructions Guide: cleaning joints – the right method for every type of joint Clean cement, acrylic, silicone and epoxy joints properly without damaging them 12 min read easy Instructions Guide: cleaning tiles with household remedies – what works and what harms Which household remedies dissolve limescale and soap residue and what harms joints and natural stone 11 min read easy
Show all 6 more
Comparison Guide: covering up ugly tiles – 10 solutions Ten ways to cover old tiles, separated by rented flat and owned property 12 min read Instructions Guide: laying an uncoupling membrane properly When a decoupling mat is needed and how it is laid in a thin bed 12 min read medium Basics Guide: screed on a separating layer Build-up, PE film and minimum thickness of a screed on a separating layer according to DIN 18560-4 11 min read Basics Guide: setting the flow temperature of underfloor heating correctly Guide values for the flow temperature and how to set the heating curve correctly 12 min read Basics Guide: working out tile adhesive usage Tile adhesive consumption per m² by notch size, with a worked example and allowances 11 min read Instructions How to: coat a garage floor with epoxy resin Check the garage floor, prime it and coat it in two layers with epoxy resin 11 min read medium

To floor coatings and screed

Wood, paint and façades

Wood stain, opaque paint, façade: substrate, consumption, durability.

Guides: 7
Comparison Guide: GORI 33 or GORI 88 – which wood stain suits your project? GORI 33 or GORI 88: thin-film or medium-film wood stain for which timber component 4 min read Problem solving Guide: brown stains in wall plaster – finding and fixing the cause Where brown stains in fresh plaster come from and how barrier primer blocks them permanently 11 min read easy Instructions Guide: refreshing, cleaning and caring for WPC decking Clean WPC decking, refresh its colour and impregnate it, with a realistic care plan 12 min read easy extended weekend (incl. waiting times) Problem solving Guide: removing mildew stains Remove mildew stains on wallpaper, plaster and paint and find the cause of the moisture 11 min read easy
Show all 3 more
Problem solving Guide: wood stain is flaking off – causes and repair Why wood stain flakes off and how to restore and restain the wood 8 min read medium Instructions How to: paint timber cladding opaque with GORI 23 and GORI 99 Prime a timber façade with GORI 23 and paint GORI 99 opaque, 24 h waiting time 9 min read medium Instructions How to: stain garden timber with GORI 88 – step by step Stain garden wood with GORI 88 in two coats, with wood moisture and drying times 7 min read easy

To paints, varnishes and wood protection

Calculators and selection aids

Quantity and product in a minute, using values from the manufacturers' data sheets.

Cartridge calculator Joint length, width, depth → number of cartridges, including a loss allowance. Waterproofing calculator Area and product → kilograms of waterproofing slurry or liquid membrane. PU foam calculator Windows and doors → cans, based on metres of joint per can according to the data sheet. Paint calculator Area and coats → litres of wood stain or façade paint. Which silicone? Three questions, then the right silicone for bathroom, natural stone, windows or floors.

How our guides are made

Baustoff-Held editorial team. We have been selling sealants, adhesives and PU foam to tradespeople and DIYers for years. The guides answer the questions we get on the phone every day.

Sources. Manufacturers' technical data sheets, standards (DIN 18534, EN 17333, EN 204) and manufacturers' technical bulletins. Every guide carries the date of its last review. More about the editorial team and reporting errors