Shower stall caulking
 

I have a 1994 built house, had a mouldy shower stall. Stripped off the
caulking, hard to tell
what kind, it was kind of soft like silicone. The one 'tween the metal
door and tile was
definitely silicone. First attempt at caulking with silicone miserable
failure, stripped it out
again, this time when I was smoothing it out, it became like cottage
cheese. Stripped it out
again (PAIN!). Don't want to get it wrong this time. Any advice as to:

1. What caulking to use, silicone, latex or hybrid.
2. If silicone is to be used, should I try to tool (smooth) it out
immediately after i finish one
side or finsih the entire stall and then do it? Might it not then be
too late?
3. Can I leave the caulking on one vertical side, since it is fine? I
cut the bottom 1/2 cm to
make room for caulking the side. I guess since the old caulking is
silicone, it may have to
go?

4. Should I just hire someone to do it, since a leaky shower is
definitely not worth saving money?

Thanks in advance,

Frustrated, somewhere in NJ,
Vijay

Shower stall caulking
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a 1994 built house, had a mouldy shower stall. Stripped off the
caulking, hard to tell
what kind, it was kind of soft like silicone. The one 'tween the metal
door and tile was
definitely silicone. First attempt at caulking with silicone miserable
failure, stripped it out
again, this time when I was smoothing it out, it became like cottage
cheese. Stripped it out
again (PAIN!). Don't want to get it wrong this time. Any advice as to:

1. What caulking to use, silicone, latex or hybrid.
2. If silicone is to be used, should I try to tool (smooth) it out
immediately after i finish one
side or finsih the entire stall and then do it? Might it not then be
too late?
3. Can I leave the caulking on one vertical side, since it is fine? I
cut the bottom 1/2 cm to
make room for caulking the side. I guess since the old caulking is
silicone, it may have to
go?

4. Should I just hire someone to do it, since a leaky shower is
definitely not worth saving money?

Thanks in advance,

Frustrated, somewhere in NJ,
Vijay

There are others here who know way more about this than me, but...if it;s
acting like cottage cheese, there is probably moisture where you are
applying it. Need to get it dry and clean first. Silicone should work
beteen tile and metal.

Shower stall caulking
 

Make sure you have fresh caulk. It does have an expiration date,
believe it or not. Try to find mold/mildew resistant type. A few more
$$ but worth it. Make sure all surfaces are clean and dry. 100%
silicone is perfect for this application, but it sets quickly so smooth
as you go along - don't wait until it's all on. Good Luck!

Shower stall caulking
 

Buy the most expensive stuff you can find. 100% silicone. Expect to
pay around $4 or $5 per tube.

Shower stall caulking
 

Use 100% clear silicone. Cut the tip on the tube at a 45 degree angle
about 1/4 inch from the tip. Clean the old surface well and make sure
it is dry. Use a small amount of caulk in the crack and then run your
index finger down the caulk. Let set for double the recommended time on
the tube.

Shower stall caulking
 

" writes:
Use 100% clear silicone. Cut the tip on the tube at a 45 degree angle
about 1/4 inch from the tip. Clean the old surface well and make sure
it is dry. Use a small amount of caulk in the crack and then run your
index finger down the caulk. Let set for double the recommended time on
the tube.


I really stunk at caulking until someone added an additional tip to
the above advice:

Keep a cup of very soapy water handy to moisten your finger tip before
running it down the caulk bead. A clean moistened with soapy water
fingertip seems to make a world of difference in making a smooth
bead. And of course, making that bead within seconds of laying it
down out of the gun. Some caulk sets up pretty quickly and becomes a
mess if you try to smooth it afterwards.

YMMV, but this really helped me.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Shower stall caulking
 

Use 100% clear silicone.

I have had trouble with mildew forming on Silicone Caulk so I quit using it
and use Acrylic instead which also mildews but is much easier to clean out
to redo. (??)

Walt Conner

Shower stall caulking
 

Les wrote:
Buy the most expensive stuff you can find. 100% silicone. Expect to
pay around $4 or $5 per tube.

Use masking tape

Shower stall caulking
 

wrote:

Thanks in advance,

Frustrated, somewhere in NJ,
Vijay

there is mold resistant 25 yr caulk in the tile dept
like, 8 or 9 DOLLARS

Shower stall caulking
 

I had a similar problem. Mildew in the caulk joints of a sower stall. I
first used Phenoseal - recommended to me by a plumber friend. Mildewed very
quickly. I ripped it out and replaced with Silicone. Also mildewed
quickly. Ripped it out and replaced with DAP. It also mildewed quickly.

Each time I tried cleaning with straight bleach. Would not get it clean.
Then I tried a Lysol brand Tub/Tile cleaner. The differenc is that after
showering in the morning, I would spray the Lysol on the joints and let it
sit all day, till the next morning's shower. I had to do this for 2 or 3
days, and the mildew was gone. It comes back, after a couple of months, so
it is a normal maintenance, but now that I know what to do, it's not a big
deal.



"WALTER D. CONNER" wrote in message
news:8UFqf.45262$eI5.15111@trnddc05...
Use 100% clear silicone.

I have had trouble with mildew forming on Silicone Caulk so I quit using
it and use Acrylic instead which also mildews but is much easier to clean
out to redo. (??)

Walt Conner