How Often Should You Reseal a Shower?

Silicone is one of those things nobody thinks about until it turns black or starts peeling. By then it’s often been failing quietly for a while.

Most showers need resealing every few years. Queensland’s building regulator advises home owners to replace silicone joints “every few years” as routine maintenance. In our experience, a busy family shower usually needs it every two to five years. Check the joints once a year and reseal as soon as you see gaps, peeling or mould inside the silicone.

That range is wide for a reason. How long your silicone lasts depends on how much the shower gets used, how well the bathroom is ventilated, and how the joint was done in the first place. This guide covers all three. If yours is already due, our shower resealing service covers all of Melbourne.

Key Takeaways

• Plan to reseal a shower every few years and check the joints yearly (QBCC, 2026).
• A 25-year silicone guarantee covers peeling and cracking, not mould, so it isn’t a lifespan.
• Ventilation, gentle cleaners and full removal of old silicone make a reseal last longest.

How long does silicone last in a shower?

Selleys backs its Wet Area Silicone with a 25-year guarantee against peeling or cracking (Selleys, Wet Area Silicone). Yet the QBCC recommends replacing silicone joints every few years (QBCC, 2026). Both are right, because they’re measuring different things.

A guarantee against peeling or cracking tells you the product won’t fall apart. It doesn’t promise the joint will stay clean, mould free or bonded to the tile through years of hot water, steam and cleaning. In a shower, the joint usually fails for those reasons first. So if you’re holding off because the tube said 25 years, that number isn’t telling you what you think.

The QBCC’s 2026 home owner guidance on waterproofing lists replacing silicone joints every few years alongside fixing cracked grout and keeping drains clear. Silicone in a shower faces daily water, heat and cleaning, so it wears out much faster than its product guarantee suggests. Yearly checks catch failures early.

What are the signs your shower needs resealing?

The QBCC names “peeling or discolouring silicone joints” as an early warning sign of waterproofing problems (QBCC, 2026). You don’t need a calendar if you know what to look for. Check for:

• Black or grey spots that won’t scrub off. That’s mould growing inside the silicone, not on it. Our guide to black mould in shower silicone explains why cleaning won’t fix it.
• Gaps or lifting edges. Run a fingernail along the joint. If it lifts away from the tile, water is getting behind it.
• Splits or shrinking. Silicone that has pulled back from a corner leaves a channel for water.
• Water outside the shower. A damp floor or skirting after every shower usually means a seal has gone. See why showers leak from the bottom.
• A musty smell that hangs around. The QBCC flags this as a sign of trapped moisture.

How long since anyone actually looked at yours? For most people, the honest answer is “not since we moved in”.

What makes shower silicone wear out faster?

The Building and Plumbing Commission requires wet-area sealants to be flexible, mould resistant and compatible with the materials around them (BPC, Waterproofing of wet areas). Anything that undermines those qualities shortens a joint’s life. These are the usual suspects.

Poor ventilation. A bathroom that stays steamy for an hour after a shower gives mould everything it needs. An exhaust fan that actually vents outside, or an open window, makes a real difference.

Harsh cleaning products. The QBCC advises against harsh or corrosive cleaning chemicals in wet areas. Strong acids and scourers wear down the silicone surface, which makes it easier for mould to take hold.

Silicone applied over old silicone. New silicone doesn’t bond properly to old silicone. A quick reseal over the top looks fine for a few months, then peels. Every reseal should start with full removal.

Heavy use. A shower used four or five times a day by a family will need attention sooner than an ensuite used once.

Building movement. Newer homes settle in their first few years. Joints between floors and walls take that movement, which is why a reseal is common a year or two after handover.

How long after resealing can you use the shower?

Selleys rates its Wet Area Silicone at a cure rate of about 2 mm per 24 hours (Selleys). A typical shower joint needs at least 24 hours before it gets wet, and deeper joints need longer. Always follow the product label and your installer’s advice.

We usually ask clients to keep the shower dry for at least 24 hours after we reseal. It’s the step people are most tempted to skip, and the one that makes the most difference. Silicone that gets soaked before it has cured can stay soft, lose adhesion and fail early.

If your household only has one shower, plan the reseal for a day when everyone can shower elsewhere or wait.

Should you reseal a shower yourself?

The Building and Plumbing Commission stresses surface preparation and compatible materials as the basis of a lasting wet-area seal (BPC). That’s where most DIY reseals go wrong. Squeezing out a bead is the easy part.

A lasting reseal means cutting out every trace of old silicone, removing residue and mould, making sure the joint is completely dry, then applying a neutral-cure, mould-resistant silicone in one even bead. If you’re handy and patient, it’s doable. If the old silicone is mouldy, the joints are wide, or there’s any sign of a leak, a professional job will usually outlast a DIY one by years.

Not sure what it would cost? Our guide to the cost of caulking a bathroom in Melbourne breaks it down.

Is your shower due for a reseal?

Opal Caulking Services reseals showers across Melbourne with full silicone removal and mould-resistant, neutral-cure wet-area silicone. Send a photo of your shower for a free online estimate, or call 0413 377 760. Book a shower reseal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you reseal a shower?

Most showers need resealing every few years, which is what Queensland’s building regulator recommends for silicone joints. A busy family shower often needs it every two to five years. Check the joints yearly and reseal earlier if you see gaps, peeling, splits or black mould inside the silicone.

How long does silicone last in a shower?

Products like Selleys Wet Area Silicone carry a 25-year guarantee against peeling or cracking, but that’s not a real-world lifespan. In a shower, silicone usually needs replacing within a few years because of mould, lost adhesion and daily wear. Ventilation and gentle cleaning help it last longer.

Can you put new silicone over old silicone?

No. New silicone won’t bond properly to old silicone, so it tends to peel within months. The BPC says wet-area sealants must be compatible with the materials around them, and old, contaminated silicone isn’t a sound base. Remove the old bead completely, clean and dry the joint, then reseal.

How long should I wait to shower after resealing?

Wait at least 24 hours for a standard joint. Selleys rates its Wet Area Silicone at about 2 mm of cure per 24 hours, so wider or deeper joints need longer. Follow the product label and your installer’s advice, because water on uncured silicone can cause it to fail early.

The short version

• Plan to reseal your shower every few years, and check it every year.
• Don’t rely on a 25-year guarantee: it covers peeling, not mould or wear.
• Full removal, a dry joint and 24 hours’ curing make a reseal last.
• Reseal early if you see gaps, mould inside the silicone or water outside the shower.

Seeing black spots already? Read whether to clean or replace mouldy shower silicone, or browse our caulking services across Melbourne.