Silicone for Installation of The Onyx Collection Products
In the past we found ourselves receiving several calls per day for help with silicone choices. Some installers were having trouble choosing among the myriad of silicones available off-the-shelf with confusing and often contradictory labeling. Sometimes the silicones they selected did not bond well to either our product or to the wall, or would not cure fast enough costing them time and money.
To solve this, we teamed up with one of the leading silicone manufacturers in the country to develop an adhesive silicone specifically formulated for bonding our products to your walls. This adhesive silicone allows the installer to put the panel up and go right to the next panel with little or no bracing and know that the panel is there to stay. In the months since we began offering our Onyx Collection silicones, calls related to silicone problems have virtually ceased.
The Onyx Collection’s silicones are available in the following sizes:
ADHESIVE SILICONE
- 1.1 oz (for setting the drain – included with each lavatory & shower base)
- 10.3 oz
- 10.3 oz (Case of 12)
COLOR MATCH SILICONE
- 1.1 oz (for sidesplash seams – included with each sidesplash)
- 2.8 oz 10.3 oz
- 10.3 oz (Case of 12)
There may still be other silicones on the market that will also work, but because manufacturers keep reformulating their products for things like paintability and low odor which typically reduce their adhesive properties, we have no way of predicting if a product that worked as an adhesive yesterday will still work today. Consequently, our Onyx Collection silicone is now the only one we endorse and stand behind for all installations of our products.
We also provide color-matching silicone for all our colors to fill the seams for side-splashes, separate backsplashes, between wall panels, etc.
We also get calls asking how much silicone to use for an installation. Based on information we have gotten from professional installers, we recommend one 10.3 oz tube of adhesive silicone for approximately every 1000 sq. inches of panels and trim.
Should you apply too much silicone, you can remove it using rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. If the silicone has hardened, it can be removed with a flat, hard object. We have often seen credit cards, Popsicle sticks, or even plastic type razor blade tools used to remove hard silicone. These tools will remove most of the silicone, but there may be a slight residue that remains which can be removed using a rag and little hard rubbing. Also, there is a product called Goo Gone, (available in most stores) that will help remove the adhesive qualities of the silicone. You will need to apply it and then use a flat object in order to lift the edge so that the material can get underneath. For a more industrial strength product, you could try a product called DSR-5.
Silicone Calculator
Specific application instructions are on every tube and case. As always, we would appreciate your feedback from actual installation experiences, and we invite your comments on our silicones and on our instructions & recommendations.
Thank you for your continued loyalty to our products.