Are seal-strips fit for purpose ?

Seal-strips (also called sealing strips) are typically L-shaped PVCu profiles wherein the upper leg (fixed exclusively to the wall) is claimed to leverage a soft-lip attached to the outer leg against the ledge to form a watertight seal.

1. The wall ledge/joint is under BS5385 called a ‘movement joint’ because it expands (refer to FAQ 1 & 2). The undeniable fact about a seal strip is that as the ledge drops down the pressure exerted by the soft lip on the ledge diminishes and consequently reduces the effectiveness of the seal. A seal-strip is ‘pressure sensitive’ and as such is inherently flawed to seal a joint that expands.
2. Exposure to the thermal fluctuations, shampoos, soaps and cleaning agents found in the shower environment causes deterioration in the soft lip and a loss of flexibility. This contributes to a further loss of soft lip pressure on the ledge and exacerbates the problem of joint movement.
3. The wall thickness of some seal-strips has been reduced over the years to the point that the outer leg deflects up when installed because it is too weak to leverage the soft lip firmly against the ledge.


 











Seal strip manufacturers do not offer relevant test data to substantiate fitness for purpose. Many promoters of seal-strips now call them bath trims to avoid litigation. Those who still promote seal-strips as fit for purpose seals have resorted to bluffing consumers with “we get no complaints”. Their failure to substantiate their claims with objective test-data is understandable because test data proves seal-strips are not fit for purpose.

DIY sheds promote seal-strips as ‘fit for purpose’ seals because DIY’ers and tilers who don’t know any better buy them. The sheds and their suppliers will continue bluffing up seal-strips because they are highly profitable items and the risk of a consumer funding the product testing required to expose the inherent design flaw and then risk the legal cost of contesting the issue with a big company in court is negligible.

However, in the event of damage to property being caused as a direct consequence of a leaking seal strip, and a consumer providing proof the seal strip was inherently flawed at the time of sale and likely to fail, they may seek redress up to a period of six years (five years in Scotland) after discovery of damage.

 

 

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