Hello,

Has anyone tried using a heat gun to soften the newer kinds of silicone
caulks, like GE's Silicone II, to make it easier to remove? Does it
actually get soft enough to help remove it?

Thanks

Blackadder III wrote:
Hello,

Has anyone tried using a heat gun to soften the newer kinds of silicone
caulks, like GE's Silicone II, to make it easier to remove? Does it
actually get soft enough to help remove it?

Thanks

Silicones don't soften with heat enough to notice. Sharp blades (razor)
work well, then get the residue with a paint remover based on
methylene chloride. It won't dissolve, but it will swell and lose
adhesion slowly. Follow all safety precautions on the label, etc. It
ain't easy, so budget a fair amount of time.

Joe

"Blackadder III" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

Has anyone tried using a heat gun to soften the newer kinds of silicone
caulks, like GE's Silicone II, to make it easier to remove? Does it
actually get soft enough to help remove it?

Thanks



Never use a heat gun unless you're a trained professional. Heat guns can do
major damage to the surrounding area.

I recently saw an ad for gunk that removes silicone. Googling (sorry
Google, but the verbing of your name is here to stay) turns up products like
DSR-5. Ask around at paint stores, hardware stores, and home centers.
Siliconized latex caulk is not the same thing as Silicone, and that which
removes the former may not remove the latter.

I've used heat guns to soften caulk for removal. It works just fine.
I'm not sure what kind fo caulk it was, but believe it was put in 1987.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've used heat guns to soften caulk for removal. It works just fine.
I'm not sure what kind fo caulk it was, but believe it was put in 1987.



Heat guns can also bubble paint, scorch or otherwise mess up Formica and
drywall, melt plastic and vinyl, remove fingerprints, and do a host of other
undesireable things if the user isn't careful. It's a good bet that you
were careful. In the hands of Josie Housewife, no offense to Josies or
housewives, a heat gun can be dangerous.

Blackadder can try it, but there are less risky methods available.

Caulk is not the same thing as silicone, necessarily.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've used heat guns to soften caulk for removal. It works just fine.
I'm not sure what kind fo caulk it was, but believe it was put in 1987.


They work great for removing hardened window glazing.

Bob

Bob wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've used heat guns to soften caulk for removal. It works just fine.
I'm not sure what kind fo caulk it was, but believe it was put in 1987.


They work great for removing hardened window glazing.

Bob


OK...thanks everyone...so far I have used the brute force method, but I
have mostly used plastic tools so they don't scratch the paint as much
as opposed to metal tools.
Also, my wife found that white vinegar helps, which it does when you
get down to the little pieces that are left as you are scraping...

I will probably not go down the heat gun road...

Thanks everyone