Use the real stuff!
I am a new subscriber to this forum and am looking for some help. I have been recaulking bathtubs my whole adult life and have never had a problem before. But now, in recaulking my two tubs, the caulk starts peeling up after a couple of uses of the shower. I have caulked each one three times so far. I have used three different new tubs of caulk (All DAP Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk - not the 100% silicone type). I have cleaned out the old caulk really well, scraped the surfaces with a razor blade, cleaned with Tilex mold and mildew cleaner (only on the first try), cleaned that up with water, wiped with laquer thinner (only the first time), wiped with rubbing alcohol (didn't have denatured type), dried with towel and air for 30 minutes, then caulked. Waited 24 hours to use. Peels up after two uses. Once I even dried with a hair dryer, but it also peeled up. I don't think I'm doing anything different than I have done previously countless times. Why does it come up? When I take it out again, the part that is buried somewhat deep under the tile is still soft and gooey. Any ideas? Thanks. Bob
Hi Bob,
Water based caulks are really easy to use and the line can be wiped-in with a damp sponge, so that's why everyone uses them. However they tend to yellow with age, don't have much flex to them, and they're really terrible when setting cast iron sinks where, eventually, rust leaches out around the edge.
So what's a guy to do?
Get the real stuff: GE Silicone, either the original stinky stuff or the newer Silicone II.
'But I can't wipe it in with a sponge and it's a mess to work with', is the typical response.
Here's where a good fresh roll of green painter's tape and/or electrical tape comes in.
If dealing with straight seams, the painter's tape is just fine, but when going around a sink, toilet base or shower controls, electrical tape can just about follow any curve.
You want to mask each side of the seam, leaving about 1/8" to 3/16" gap.
Cut the tube so the nozzle opening is pretty small so you'll have better control.
Oh, yeah: Before you start caulking, tape a paper towel to the wall in the shower area.............Just hang it by a strip of tape so it's hanging flat.
Now..........With all the joints masked, caulk your first vertical seam, and then using whatever finger you like, push the caulk in while 'drawing' your finger down the seam.
Wipe your finger on the hanging paper towel by 'rolling it' off. Now you can see where the excess is, and then use a clean spot for the next time, and so on. You won't need a whole roll of paper towels this way.
If you need to, repeat the push and draw on the same seam, clean your finger, and then, carefully, pull the tape, one piece at a time, but pull it away from the seam instead of across it.
You'll have a perfect seam every time.
It sounds like a lot of work, yes, but a whole lot less than doing and redoing it twice like you've gone through.
"Why is it that there's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over?"
That's a quote I saw hanging on a sign in a hardware store I saw many years ago.
If the silicone peels, by the way, it very well may be that the surface was contaminated with silicone spray somehow, and that's not good.
Best of luck!
Howard
PS-Did you spray a grout sealer on these tile areas? I've never used them, but they may be the culprit regarding the peeling problem.