Rusting behind caulk on outside seam of tub

[Pantherfan]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum and am a bit of an amateur as home projects go, but here goes.

The caulk on the outside lip of the tub (a seam near the edge/top/outer area, not inside the tub or tiles of the tub) has caulk that was discoloring due to rusting behind it. After I stripped away the old caulk and did quite a bit of scraping found dampness and in essence bare, rusty metal behind the old caulk, running about half way down this horizontal seam.

On this seam nearest the showerhead side, there are small sections where it appears the rust has grown a bit beyond/below the usual caulking line, and I'm wondering if there's a solution to a) removing any excess rust to in the end attempt to simply caulk over and have a good seal, b) patch the porcelain (it seems there are kits available to do this, but not sure if the rust issue is problematic for that...)

Thanks, any guidance is greatly appreciated!

[jadnashua]

Once the tub starts rusting, I don't think you will make a decent, long-lasting repair.

[Pantherfan]

Jim,

Thanks for your reply and thoughts. I had a hunch there's probably not a quick fix to this situation, but I also should have noted that we will be putting our house on the market in the next few weeks and I'm not inclined to completely overhaul this bathroom and/or tub. (Read: $$$$!!!:eek:)

If I'm able to free up and remove any/all lose rust, will getting a good fill of caulk in the seam still seal, and will it even adhere to the surface if it's not clean metal?

Thanks again to any/all who can respond.

[jadnashua]

You could try a rust converter/primer but no guarantees.

[Redwood]

Maybe a tub refinisher could make it pretty for the sale...

That would turn me off but it may fly!

[Howard Emerson]

Jim,

Thanks for your reply and thoughts. I had a hunch there's probably not a quick fix to this situation, but I also should have noted that we will be putting our house on the market in the next few weeks and I'm not inclined to completely overhaul this bathroom and/or tub. (Read: $$$$!!!:eek:)

If I'm able to free up and remove any/all lose rust, will getting a good fill of caulk in the seam still seal, and will it even adhere to the surface if it's not clean metal?

Thanks again to any/all who can respond.

P-Fan,
Was the caulking silicone or acrylic? My guess is acrylic, which is water based, which is friendly with the rust-making gremlins.

If you get all the rust cleaned up and then covered in a good rust primer, I'd make sure that you use a pure silicone based caulk instead.

HE