Which Silicone Should I Use to Reseat a Walk-In Tub Door Gasket?

Ella does not name a brand or grade of silicone for the door gasket. The published guidance calls for a thin bead of silicone sealant, which the knowledge base describes as a hardware-store item, placed into the gasket channel only when a seal that has come loose or been damaged is being put back in. It never goes on the sealing face of the gasket, because the seal is held by its fit in the channel and closes against the frame, not by adhesive. Start with What Is the Door Seal on a Walk-In Tub? if you are not sure what the gasket is or how it works.

Most Gasket Problems Do Not Need Silicone at All

Before opening a tube, rule out the three problems that look like a failed seal but are not. The gasket is a silicone strip that presses into a groove running all the way around the door and is held there by its fit. If it pops out at the top every time you shut the door, a section is resting on the edge of the channel instead of inside it, and the fix is to open the door, clean the groove, and press the gasket back in along its whole length with your thumbs or a plastic spatula, as Why Does the Door Gasket Pop Out Every Time I Shut the Door? describes. If the door leaks along the bottom edge, the cause is almost always a tub sitting slightly out of level, and Why Does My Walk-In Tub Door Leak at the Bottom? is explicit: do not run silicone or caulk over the seal. If the gasket feels sticky, it needs a household cleaner and rubbing alcohol, not a lubricant and not sealant, per My Door Seal Is Sticky. What Can I Clean or Lubricate It With?.

Silicone has exactly two jobs on an Ella door. The first is securing a gasket that has become loose or damaged and is being reinstalled, where a thin bead in the channel holds it. The second is resealing the door handle screws when water weeps through the screw holes, which is a screw-hole problem rather than a gasket problem. Everything else is leveling, cleaning or reseating.

Where the Bead Goes, by Situation

The table separates two things owners often combine. A bead in the channel, or in the corner where the gasket meets the frame, is a way to hold the gasket in position. A bead over the face that meets the frame would change how the seal compresses, and that is the one place the knowledge base says never to put it. Silicone sealant from a hardware store is all the sources describe; they do not specify a color, a bathroom grade or a brand. If you want a particular product, a licensed plumber can choose one, and Ella's technical support can answer that person's questions by phone or email.

The Reseating Steps from the Door Seal Maintenance Video

The first video on this page is Ella's door seal maintenance guide for inward and outward swing doors, and it is the published source that shows silicone going into the channel.

1. Clean the seal and the door frame with a common household cleaner. Residue in the channel or on the frame keeps the gasket from seating and is itself a cause of leaks.
2. Remove the loose or damaged section of gasket from its channel.
3. Run a thin bead of silicone into the gasket channel. Thin is the operative word: the bead secures the gasket, it does not fill the groove.
4. Let the silicone set up for 20 minutes before reinserting the gasket.
5. Press the gasket back into the channel and wait 24 hours for the silicone to dry before the door sees water.
6. On an inward-swing door, roll the seal gasket away from the frame and run a bead down the corner where the gasket meets the frame. Add a bead to the other side of the gasket if necessary, and again wait 24 hours.

Afterward, leave the door slightly open whenever the tub is not in use. That prevents unnecessary compression of the gasket and extends its flexibility and life, and it is the single habit that keeps most seals from ever needing this procedure.

Fitting a New Gasket Without Silicone

The second video shows how a replacement gasket is installed, and it uses a different helper: adhesive remover sprayed onto the gasket so it slides more easily into the door channel, with a spatula to press it into the groove until it is fully seated. At the curved sections of the door, four V-shaped relief cuts are made with diagonal cutters where the gasket bends around the outer edge, above the gasket reach line, and straight vertical cuts are made at the inner curves where the door bends inward. At the end point a small angled cut lets the tip overlap slightly while staying fully inserted in the groove. A replacement seal is matched to your model and serial number and ships under the Lifetime Limited Warranty after a ticket with clear photos of the seal and the leak point at ellasbubbles.com/support or a call to (800) 480-6850. If the leak is at the handle rather than the seal, Water Leaking From the Door Handle Screws covers resealing the screws first and testing before a gasket is ordered.

Related Guides

• Door seal or gasket looks worn, loose, or leaks: care, repair, and replacement
• Caring for Your Door Seal: Cleaning, Reseating, and Replacing the Gasket
• Replacing a Leaking Door Seal: Torn Seal or Door Alignment, Warranty Coverage, and How the Seal Ships

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