Silicone and polyurethane sealing is a walk in the park on the face of it. Most Australians have had a go at some time in their lives. They blame the sinking and separating at the edges on the product if they return to take a second look. 

However, there’s more to joint sealing than squeezing sealant in a gap, and complaining later when we can’t get adhesive off our hands. We wrote this post to explain why there is more to the task than that. And perhaps to persuade you that you may need a professional, like us to help! 

How to Select a Contractor to seal a Joint that is functional and looks great at the same time! 

Make a list of companies you can work with

Ask any fellow looking for a job on a street corner, “Can you silicone a joint?”, and they’ll likely answer yes I can. But when the joint seal fails, they don’t deserve the blame. The buck actually stops with you.

That’s because you forgot to do the reliability test. Did you ask whether they did similar jobs before, ones that they are proud to show you? Did they have a reputation in the marketplace that confirmed their attention to detail?

And when they’re on the job and hit a snag, do you think they’ll take time to call and discuss options? They are more likely to squeeze in the filler and smooth it over. Because they know the client can’t see what’s going on behind it.

1. Check out the people in your chosen supplier’s team

You don’t need your contractor stopping on the corner and hiring ‘silicone specialists’ on the spot with no training. Did you know there’s nothing legally preventing them from doing so in Australia?

That’s because joint sealing is one of the few trades not requiring any formal training. This means tilers and carpenters with spare time on their hands could end up sitting next to a novice and picking up bad tips.

We don’t believe in that approach at Quality Seal Australia. We have been joint sealing for over four years in Gold Coast and surrounds and have decades of combined experience in the trades industry. We did the training with our suppliers before we started, and we meticulously pass that knowledge on to our staff and we spend hours training our staff in hard and soft skills. 

Do they know how to handle tricky work so it does not come back?

Knowing when and where to use the appropriate seaslent is vital to the longevity and functionality of the seal. There are times when some lateral thinking is required for trickier joints or when it comes to hard to reach places. Just because you don’t see certain joints, does not mean they are less important.  At the same token, when a joint is visible, you want a team who treats that bead like the frame on a piece of art!   

Do they appreciate why attention to detail makes or breaks a job?

Most clients would not know where to start when quality checking a job. However, they’ll soon put their finger on an untidy seal around the front door. And that’s going to take time to rake out, clean up, and retrofit the seal properly.

A seal may be the only waterproofing strategy in a building design. A storm can drive water past it if it sinks and pulls away at the edges. This should not happen if the crack is filled properly. 

However, the main contractor can’t be everywhere all the time. Choosing the right sub-contractor is the only way to achieve attention to detail. But, there is still one more aspect to consider, before choosing the service provider for you.

Does the contractor – and their team – have a real passion for the job?

A joint sealing task – or any other assignment – must be more than just a job for the quality to shine through. You can seal a joint quickly you may never see again, or you can do it properly first time. Here’s an example of the kind checklist we use:

• Are we using the right sealant for the job
• Is it a fresh batch well within its use-by-date
• Do we have enough material to close the joint 
• Have we cleaned the joint of all dust and dirt
• Is our equipment serviced and working properly
• Did we discuss our plans with the client
• Are we confident of doing a decent job

A Joint Properly Done is a Window to the Future

We would like our joint finishing service to be a complement to the rest of the job. We would like it to be a frame around the overall project that completes the picture of a quality job well done.

You’ll find proof of passion and pride in every sealing job we do, and evidence we turn our words to actions at Quality Seal Australia. If you have a project that needs silicone jointing by trained professionals, then don’t you think we should be talking soon?