The number of guys I see using a standard razor blade to clean up silicone on a shower door instead of a proper silicone shaper is honestly baffling.

I watched a new guy at the shop yesterday spend 20 minutes trying to get a clean bead on a frameless unit, and the result looked like a kindergartner's art project, which matters because a bad seal means callbacks and water damage down the road.

3 comments

3 Comments

juliahall1mo agoTop Commenter

Ngl, seeing a "kindergartner's art project" seal is way too common. Rileyfox is right about the laziness, because I've had to fix so many botched DIY jobs where they hacked at it with a blade. It just creates more work and a worse result every single time.

john_singh1d ago

Have you tried using a hot knife or a soldering iron with a flat tip for that? I've done a ton of these repairs myself, and it makes a world of difference compared to hacking away with a blade. The heat melts the plastic cleanly, so you get a straight line without the jagged edges that always look like a kid cut it out with safety scissors. Plus it seals the edges a bit, which stops the plastic from splitting later. I picked up a cheap one at a hardware store for maybe ten bucks, and it's saved me hours of sanding and patching. Trust me, once you switch, you'll never go back to the blade method.

rileyfox1mo ago

Honestly, it's just pure laziness. A proper tool is like five bucks and saves so much time and hassle.