The grout line between the tile walls and tub cracked, pieces fell out,
etc. Happens to everybody since the tub moves with weight, and the
walls stay stationary. Okay. So I wanted to cover the grout with a
material that flexes with the tub. I figured that grout is entirely
inappropriate because it is hard, brittle, and does not flex.

Did some usenet searches, seems like the consensus was to use mildew
resistant silicone. Over 16 months, it has worked well, no cracks or
separations. But... the mildew...

I suppose resistant is a squishy term that is subject to
interpretation. But compared to the grout before it, the mildew
resistant silicone fails terribly. Worse yet, there is no corrective
action with the mildew as it seems to grow *into* the silicone. With
the grout, there was a spot or two before, and a little elbow grease and
maybe a store bought spray would clean it up. Not with the silicone.

So, I'm left with removing the silicone. I plan to mechanically scrape
it with a putty knife and a razor. Does anything dissolve silicone?
Then, is there something more robust I can replace it with? I certainly
don't want to do this every 16 months

In article , Veggie wrote:

So, I'm left with removing the silicone. I plan to mechanically scrape
it with a putty knife and a razor. Does anything dissolve silicone?

Not really. And nothing sticks to it either. :-(

Dry cleaning solvents such as trichloroethane will probably remove most of it,
but BE CAREFUL. Such solvents are chemical first cousins to chloroform. Use
ONLY with thorough ventilation. Wear a chemical respirator if you can.

Veggie wrote:
Worse yet, there is no corrective
action with the mildew as it seems to grow *into* the silicone.

Actually, the corrective action is preventative: clean more often to
prevent the mildew from growing in the first place. There are all kinds
of harsh chemicals you can try now to clean it up. Ask at a tile store.

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 18:46:50 -0600, Bill Seurer
wrote:

Veggie wrote:
Worse yet, there is no corrective
action with the mildew as it seems to grow *into* the silicone.

Actually, the corrective action is preventative: clean more often to
prevent the mildew from growing in the first place. There are all kinds
of harsh chemicals you can try now to clean it up. Ask at a tile store.

Is there some chance the mildew is coming from behind the tiles?