barfie

This is almost the same as what I got! I have the Boston Acoustics Soundware xs 5.1 coupled with a Denon AVR x1000. This setup works very very well for movies and games. Been enjoying the system for the last couple of months. The Denon also supports bluetooth, airplay, DLNA all that, so it's also easy for me to stream music in my phone direct to the amp via wifi. I have the amp connected by LAN cable. Music wise... these are still satellites, so they are going to be a bit lacking of the mid-ranges, but I really can't complain cause I don't have the space nor the cash for better systems. Best part? I managed to get both the amp and the 5.1 system for a total of $899 at Courts Tampines. What a steal. Can't comment on your choices of AVRs, but if you ever consider a setup like mine and get a good deal, I don't think you'll regret it.

I just got my rack from Thian Lee as well, price wasn't as cheap as the rest I asked but I had a good experience - they responded pretty quickly and their racks feels sturdy and high quality.

Constant efforts to remove mould from existing sealants is really labour inefficient. The mould will just grow back. Removing and replacing with black sealants will help of course, but not everyone wants to use black sealants on bathroom fittings, especially if these fittings are white. My recommendation to remove sealant and replace with a good, anti-fungal sealant is of course somewhat of a chore, but it will save you many years of frustration and attempting to clean mould. Anti-fungal sealants are available in different colours, even clear, so you do not need to have black strips lining the edges of your fittings. And as I have mentioned, anti-fungal sealants work on a simple but very effective principle - they contain fungicides so that any fungal/mould/mildew spores that attach itself to the sealant surface will die immediately. In terms of cost, you will be surprised how cheap a cartridge of good anti-fungal sealant will be. The problem is actually finding a good one, as many hardware shops in Singapore do not stock quality products; and even when they do it may be tough to find the anti-fungal variant. After finding a good cartridge of sealant, the next problem is in application. The good thing is that silicone sealants are pretty easy to use as long as you take the time to make preparations of the areas to be sealed - i.e. use masking tapes, use soapy water to "smoothen" the sealant after application etc. My father's home uses a special green colour, anti-fungal silicone sealant to seal his green sink. It was applied 25 years ago, and only last year did it start to grow small patches of black mould. Think about that same amount of time with a lousy sealant and all the time it would have taken to clean the mould again and again.

Cleaning the mould is going to be quite tough, and after cleaning it is just going to grow mould again. Would really recommend removing the existing sealant and reseal, this time with proper anti-fungal silicone sealant. This type of sealants contains fungicides which prevents the growth of mould on the silicone surface. However, even this anti-fungal properties have limited lifespan, usually can only last a few years. Some can last more than ten years without growing mouldy, depending on the conditions. Definitely better than 2 months!

Silicone sealants are still one of the better choices for sealing wet areas because of the water-resistant properties, and its adhesion to all these common surfaces like tile and glass. Also important is the flexibility of the sealant (it can stretch and bend to accommodate the movement of the things being sealed). But like you say, it WILL develop fungus and mould on the surface after time, especially exposed to humid and wet conditions. This happens not because the silicone material itself is growing mouldy. This is because silicones have slight porosity that allows water, micro-organisms and spores etc to attach itself to the surface of the sealant. After time, this may grow into mould. What is very important is to ensure the sealant is cleaned properly regularly. A lot of people will clean the floor and the walls, but they might miss out on the seals at the corner. The best solution is mould-resistant or anti-fungal silicone sealants. These sealants contain fungicides, so any spores that attach itself to the sealant will die and not grow mould. However, these fungicides also have a limited life, but depending on the quality of the sealant, fungicide, and cleanliness of the area, it may last many many years without mould growth. My father used anti-fungal silicone to seal our bathroom sink. It only started turning black after 20 years.

Silicone sealants are very resistant to water and soap, and they are mostly flexible. A new silicone sealant applied for less than two months should not crack, especially not after 2 months. When this happens, either the silicone is of extremely bad quality, or the contractor did not even use a silicone but something else (some type of cement caulk perhaps?) If you touch the silicone, is it rubbery or very hard? Silicones are rubbery. Replacing the silicone with something of good quality will solve the problem. They very, very rarely crack. Just have to be careful in your application, and make sure that for at least 24 hours after sealing, it does not come into contact with water, soap, or doesn't get damaged.