Short answer
Use a neutral-cure anti-fungal silicone such as Pereseal AF around baths, showers, basins, sinks and worktops. Keep acrylic for painted joints away from water. No sealant stays clean in a room that never dries out, so ventilation matters as much as the cartridge.
Bathroom and kitchen joints get wet every day, take soap and cleaning products, and move as baths fill and worktops get loaded. That rules out most sealants.
Why we use Pereseal AF
- Fungicide in the sealant to resist mould and mildew
- Neutral cure: low smell while it cures and non-corrosive to metal, so it's safe next to stainless sinks, tapware and aluminium screen frames
- Flexible: takes ±30% movement, enough for a bath that drops when filled
- Bonds without primer to ceramic tile, glass, stainless steel, aluminium, stone and most plastics
- White or clear, in 280 ml cartridges
See Pereseal AF for the full data.
Where AF doesn't belong
The AF data sheet rules out aquariums, paint coatings, copper, and polycarbonate or acrylic sheet under tension. If you want to paint the joint, such as a skirting or cornice away from the splash zone, use Pereseal 702 acrylic instead.
None of our data sheets cover direct food contact. AF is for sealing around a sink or worktop, not for surfaces that food sits on. For commercial kitchens and food-processing areas, talk to us first.
Don't use acrylic where water sits
702 is weather-resistant once dry, but it isn't for joints that stay wet or sit in water. It also needs 24 hours before it gets wet at all. Around a shower tray or bath, use silicone.
Pereseal MP will seal a bathroom joint, but it has no fungicide and its acetoxy cure isn't for uPVC or copper. For a wet area, AF is the better choice.
Mould is a moisture problem
The fungicide stops mould growing in the sealant. It can't stop mould growing on soap film sitting on top of the bead, or in water trapped behind a lifted edge. Run the fan or open a window after showering, wipe the joint dry and clean it regularly. If the black keeps coming back, see why bathroom silicone turns black.
If you're replacing an old bead, follow our step-by-step resealing guide. Removing every trace of the old silicone matters more than which cartridge you buy.
Which sealant for which joint
Bath, shower tray, basin, sink
Pereseal AF, white or clear.
Glass shower screen to tile or aluminium frame
Pereseal AF, clear.
Painted skirting, cornice or wall crack away from water
Pereseal 702 acrylic, painted once dry.
Sources
- A brief guide to mould, moisture and your homeUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
Pereseal AF for wet areas
Anti-fungal neutral-cure silicone for bathrooms and kitchens. See the data, colours and where to buy.
See Pereseal AF
