When it comes to silicone sealant, the difference between a job that looks professional and one that looks rushed often comes down to the finishing. Lumpy beads, dented joints, and messy corners are the bane of tradespeople and DIYers alike, and fixing them usually means you’re reaching for multiple tools and lots of blue roll, making a mess, and hoping for the best.

Adam Dolan from Elite Plumbing Anglesey, a professional plumber based in Gaerwen, put both our silicone finishing tools, Silicone Block and Silicone Block Pro, through their paces on his day-to-day jobs.

Adam has been in the trade for 18 years and runs Elite Plumbing Anglesey, a local family-run plumbing business in Gaerwen on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. Silicone sealant is a constant on his job list, from shower trays and bathtubs to sinks and wet rooms, so he knows better than most what a good finish looks like and how long it can take to achieve without the right tools.

The Challenge: Getting a Consistently Neat Finish, Every Time

Silicone sealant is one of those materials that looks deceptively simple to apply but is notoriously tricky to finish well. Achieving a smooth, consistent bead, especially in tight spots like behind taps or in internal corners, often takes years of practice, and even experienced tradespeople can struggle to get a clean result first time.

For DIYers, the challenge is even greater. Without the muscle memory of a professional, finishing silicone joints neatly can feel like an uphill battle, often resulting in smeared or uneven joints, lumpy corners, and more stains and mess than you’d care to admit.

We asked Elite Plumbing Anglesey to test both the Silicone Block and Silicone Block Pro on a shower stall sealing job – exactly the kind of application both tools are designed for. Adam had previously used a multi-piece silicone finishing kit – similar to the Cramer Fugi – so he came to the test with a clear benchmark in mind.

The Tools: Silicone Block vs. Silicone Block Pro

Both of our silicone finishing tools, the original Silicone Block and the newer Silicone Block Pro, are designed to take the guesswork out of silicone finishing. All you need to do is spray them with soapy water to prevent the sealant from sticking to them, and then swipe out from corners along the bead to create a clean, professional joint with no special technique required.

The original Silicone Block produces a consistent 6mm or 8mm silicone bead, glides smoothly over tile grout joints without leaving dents in the sealant, and at just 30mm wide is narrow enough to work in tight areas such as behind taps and in corners. It’s equally at home in the hands of a seasoned tradesperson or a confident DIYer tackling a bathroom refresh and is ideal for shower trays, bathtubs and sinks.

The Silicone Block Pro is the newer, evolved version of the original, developed using feedback from both trades and DIY users, so it’s been shaped by the people who actually use it on the job.

The most notable upgrade is the triangular corner shape, which allows the tool to smooth both vertical and horizontal joints in one motion, making those fiddly 3-way corner joints (the kind you find in shower cubicles) significantly easier to finish neatly. It’s also a touch narrower at 25mm wide, meaning it fits into even tighter spaces with ease.

The Pro produces a narrower 4mm or 6mm bead, giving a slightly slimmer, more contemporary finish compared to the original – a look that suits modern bathroom aesthetics particularly well.

The Professional Verdict

After using multi-piece silicone finishing kits for a while, Adam found the Silicone Block was easy to use and produced a tidy finish on the bead effortlessly:

“The finish on the joint was really good, even on corners so I was happy with it. The Silicone Block Pro was especially good for vertical joints.”

As for which tools he’d prefer going forward, Adam’s honest take is that both his old multi-piece kit and the Silicone Block have their place, and he’d likely keep both the Silicone Block and his existing multi-piece kit in his van, reaching for whichever suits the job and how tight the space is. For curved joints, he felt he’d be more likely to go with the traditional Fugi-style kit, but for straight runs and vertical joints, the Silicone Blocks impressed him. “It depends on the job. For curved joints I’d probably still go back to the Fugi kit, but for vertical joints the Pro was great. They’d work well alongside each other.”

Would he recommend them?

“I’d definitely recommend the Silicone Block, especially to anyone doing home DIY. It’s easy to use and doesn’t need multiple pieces.”

An Idea for the Future

As a frequent silicone user working regularly on shower cubicles, Adam also shared a thought for future development: a version of the tool capable of producing a wider silicone bead at 10 & 12mm – something which he thought might be particularly useful when resealing larger gaps in shower enclosures where a broader coverage is needed.

It’s exactly the kind of feedback we love to hear from the people using our tools on real jobs, and if you’ve got ideas or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you too. Just drop us a message using the contact details below!

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re a professional plumber looking to speed up your silicone finishing or a DIYer who wants bathroom results you’ll actually be proud of, both the Silicone Block and Silicone Block Pro are designed to make the job simpler, neater, and faster, with no specialist skill required.

The original Silicone Block is a brilliant all-rounder for everyday sealing jobs, producing a clean 6mm or 8mm bead and handling corners and tight spots with ease. The Silicone Block Pro takes things a step further with its slimmer profile, 3-way corner finishing capability, and the option of a sleeker 4mm bead which is well suited to modern bathrooms and more demanding applications.

Together, they replace the fumbling and the multiple-tool juggle that silicone finishing so often involves, leaving you with a result that looks like it was done by a pro – because it was.

Get Your Hands on the Silicone Block and Silicone Block Pro

Both tools are available from our trusted retail partners across the UK.

Prefer to talk to us directly? Whether you’re a tradesperson interested in trying our tools or a retailer looking to stock them, we’d love to hear from you.

Have you tried the Silicone Block or Silicone Block Pro on your own jobs? Share your experience with us, we’re always looking for feedback from the trade.

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