This is a great question and one we get asked on a regular basis. There are similarities between the two seals i.e. they will both make an excellent watertight seal between your tiles and shower tray or bath. and they are both made by Sealux Ltd.

Lets look at the basics first.

Bare silicone and soft-lip seals are typically found in millions of houses the length and breath of Britain. All the shower seals in the Sealux and Trimlux Range are regarded as the best in market, having been developed and patented to fix the recurring problem of leaks around a bath and/or shower tray. For seals to work they need to flex and protect the silicone. Both Sealux and Trimlux allow for joint movement, but lets look a little closer for the differences.

The Technical Stuff.

  • There are 3 profile widths available in the Sealux seals range, namely 15mm, 20mm and 25mm.
  • Each of these are available in a punched (Pro) and regular (Reg) non-punched versions
  • The Sealux Pro range can only be installed behind the bathroom tiles, and are fixed to wall with tile adhesive.
  • The Sealux Reg range can be installed either behind or over-tile (most likely for a repair job) and are fixed to tiles or wall with silicone.
  • They allow for joint movement by incorporating a bond-breaker tape on the inside of the trim. Silicone does not bond to this tape, therefore it is allowed to stretch from the trim during joint movement. See the animation here.

What is Joint movement? Relative to this topic, any movement that happens between the shower tray or bath and the adjacent wall. This can be due to movement in floor joists, construction methods and even poorly fitted baths/shower trays.

Both Sealux and Trimlux protect the silicone from the harsh environment, e.g. water, chemicals, etc. This is very important as exposed silicone perishes over time.

Trimlux Seals were developed to compliment the Sealux range and are only available in 25mm wide trims.

  • They are also available in Pro and Reg versions.
  • They do not incorporate a bond breaker tape.
  • They allow for joint movement by allowing the trim (specifically the inner leg) to flex during joint movement see animation here. The silicone does not stretch but rather the plastic trim deforms to allow for joint movement.
  • The Trimlux seal is made of a lighter material than the Sealux trims, hencei it is more flexible than the sealux trims, this is useful should your walls or tiles be uneven.

See how trimlux works here

Which is the best seal to use, Trimlux or Sealux?

Both of these will give an excellent long lasting watertight seal by allowing for Joint movement. Neither one is better than the other but you should pick which one will best suit your requirements.

  • Do you want to install the trim (partially) behind the tiles or over the tiles?

When installing over tiles (should you be repairing a seal) then you must use the non punched 'Reg' profiles (i.e Sealux Reg15, Sealux Reg15, Sealux Reg15, or Trimlux Reg25.

  • Then establish how big a gap is between the edge of the shower tray/bath and the wall and choose which seal will best bridge this gap. See into on bridging horizontal gap between your tiles and bath ledge or shower tray ledge 

  • When installing behind wall tiles decide if you are comfortable using tile adhesive to fix the shower trim, most likely you will install the 'Pro' trim when you are laying the first row of tiles over the shower tray or bath. If you are installing a 'Reg' profile then you can fit the seal before tiling. i.e your tiler does not have to fit it.