Silicone vs sealant strip
Updated: 23 October 2026
You are choosing between a silicone cartridge and a peel-and-stick strip for the same bath edge, and the strip looks quicker because there is no gun and no cure. The strip covers the joint. Silicone fills it. We compared the three strips and the silicone packs in our [sealant comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/sealant) with public UK notes from Soudal and Porcelanosa. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are choosing between a silicone cartridge and a peel-and-stick strip for the same bath edge, and the strip looks quicker because there is no gun and no cure. The strip covers the joint. Silicone fills it.
You are choosing between a silicone cartridge and a peel-and-stick strip for the same bath edge, and the strip looks quicker because there is no gun and no cure. The strip covers the joint. Silicone fills it. We compared the three strips and the silicone packs in our sealant comparison with public UK notes from Soudal and Porcelanosa. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Form | Pack | What it does | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Sika Sika SikaSeal sanitary silicone, white | Sanitary silicone | 295 or 310 ml | Fills a wet joint | 9.0 | about £7.69 | View offer |
 SOL SOL 7 m bath sealant strip | Peel-and-stick strip | 7 m, width not in spec | Covers a straight edge | 8.6 | about £5.99 | View offer | |
 MAGOSIS MAGOSIS seal tape, 3.8 cm x 3.2 m | Wide PVC tape | 3.8 cm × 3.2 m | Covers a flat seam | 7.6 | about £5.99 | View offer |
On this page
Fill a joint or cover it
Silicone sticks to the two faces and flexes when a bath moves. A strip is tape that bridges a line you can press flat. Porcelanosa’s UK note treats tape as reasonable on a straightforward bath-to-tile edge, and silicone as the better fill when the angle is complicated. Soudal’s sealing-strip sheet is interior only, not for expansion joints, and not for PE, PP, PTFE or bitumen. Adhesion needs a clean, dry, rigid surface. Soudal still asks for 24 hours before you use the ware, even with no silicone cure. Acetoxy versus neutral sits on the bathroom sealant buying guide.
Where a strip is reasonable
Use a strip on a straight, shallow edge you have cleaned and dried. SOL is 7 m at about £5.99, 4.3 from 81 reviews, with no width in the spec table. One reviewer measured about 22 mm and a centre groove. MAGOSIS is 3.8 cm by 3.2 m, also about £5.99, with a crease and a smoother. AILUYA is two 6 m rolls, 8 mm wide, at about £6.99, and the stated maximum gap fill is also 8 mm. Wider tape can cover a flat worktop seam if it holds. An 8 mm tape is a hairline. None of these suits a joint that opens when you fill the bath. Do not use the MAGOSIS gas-stove wording as a reason to tape an appliance.
Where silicone is the better seal
Choose silicone when the gap is uneven, deep or full of corners, and when the bath moves. The white sanitary cartridge at about £7.69 is the shower start if you have a gun. The £5.00 general-purpose cartridge is the cheaper full tube, after a date check. The 151 tube at about £3.35 suits one tap. ADVANCEDSIL at about £8.99 is a 120 ml patch, not a bath-length fill. Leave the bead for that pack’s cure. Everbuild’s family sheet is about 2 mm in 24 hours and about 10 metres on a 6 mm bead, which is not a tape instruction. Silicone is the wrong product on marble unless the sheet says stone. If the ceiling below is stained, neither format is the repair.
What the reviews show
SOL reviews include ends that lifted within a day and corners pieced together, so water sat under the tape. MAGOSIS splits: some worktop seams held, others lost the adhesive and left glue on the wall. At 3.8 from 87 reviews it is the weakest score here. AILUYA has three reviews, and one called the tape too thin, which matches 8 mm. If the joint is wet, uneven and corner-heavy, use silicone and let it cure. If the edge is straight, shallow and dry, and the strip is wider than the line, tape is a fair cover, with a day’s wait.
Common questions
Is a sealant strip the same as silicone?
No. Silicone is a curing paste that fills a gap. A sealant strip is an adhesive tape that covers a gap. They can sit on the same bath edge and still fail for different reasons. The strip does not become silicone because the listing says waterproof.
Can I use tape on shower corners?
Corners are where these strips struggle. SOL reviewers could not do corners in one piece. Porcelanosa points complicated angles to silicone because paste fills the angle. A straight tray edge is the tape case. A shower corner that moves is the silicone case.
Which strip in this set is widest?
MAGOSIS, at 3.8 cm by 3.2 m. SOL’s width is not in the spec table. One review put it at about 22 mm. AILUYA is 8 mm. Wider is not the same as better stuck. MAGOSIS also has the lowest star rating here, 3.8 from 87 reviews, with adhesion complaints.
The ends lifted. Is that normal?
It is a reported failure, not a feature. On the SOL listing, ends lifted within a day and water sat underneath. Pressing a warm strip onto a clean dry surface is the maker method. If the ends still rise, remove the tape, dry the void, and fill with silicone if the gap moves. Do not add a second strip on top of a loose one.
Do I still wait before using the bath?
Yes, if you follow a proper strip sheet. Soudal says 24 hours before using the ware, even without a silicone cure. Silicone has its own cure, often about a day, and longer on a thick bead. A bullet that says there is no drying time does not cancel a lifted end or a soft silicone skin.
Can tape bridge a wide gap?
Only up to the width the listing allows, and only if both edges have a sound surface to stick to. AILUYA states 8 mm maximum gap fill on an 8 mm tape, and a review said it was too thin. A deep void wants backer rod and silicone, not a ribbon pulled tight across a hole.
Can I put tape over old silicone?
A dirty or silicone-coated surface is a poor bond. Soudal wants a clean, dry, rigid face, not old paste. Peel or cut the failed material off, dry the joint, then choose tape for a straight cover or silicone for a fill. Tape over a leaking bead hides the leak and lifts at the ends.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the stored listing snapshot in the digest, not a live scrape. The digest does not give a separate retrieval date.
- Sika Everbuild general-purpose silicone (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- UniBond sanitary silicone sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- UniBond Triple Protection sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Soudal UK acetoxy and neutral-cure FAQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Soudal UK silicone on natural stone (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Soudal sealing strip technical data sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK damp and mould (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK construction products (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- BSI EN 15651 series (retrieved 22 October 2026)