Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross

John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross


How long has the caulk now been on there? Every vent of this type
that I have seen, it's hard to imagine the perimeter of the device with
the louvers getting hot enough to interfere with caulk setting up.
Even if you applied it directly to the pipe, I would be surprised if a
dryer vent pipe could get that hot. I would think it more likely the
caulk just hasn't completely cured yet.

I'd wait a few days and see what happens. If what's there is firm and
cured and you want to go over it with another bead, you can. I also
would not think it should damage the stucco if you want to remove it,
but I'd only do that as a last resort.

Silicone caulk that does not cure properly is old and should not have
been used

John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross

I have used an acrylic caulk which is advertised to "go on white,
cure clear". Cure actually means the water carrier evaporates so that
the latex particles can coalesce.

Mine took quite a while to go from white to clear. The water has to
diffuse from the inside of the bead before the bead becomes clear. At
that, mine didn't end up water-white clear but it was clear enough
for my purposes.

Most acrylic sealants will stick to cured acrylic. I would wait a
while to see what happens before attempting a repair job though. I
had some thick beads near the roof which took months to reach their
final degree of clear.

Every clear silicone sealant I have ever used went on clear and cured
clear. Stuff that went bad in the tube remained "clear".

-Jason

John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross

Let it cure completely, then trim the excess off with a razor blade or
utility knive. If it isn't adhering to the stucco/vent, it should pull
away easily. I certainly wouldn't think of splashing chemicals on it
unless it is running down the wall. Is the stucco painted? Color? I
can't imagine the color of the cured caulk being important if it is
trimmed back and a relatively even line.

clipped

I have used an acrylic caulk which is advertised to "go on white,
cure clear". Cure actually means the water carrier evaporates so that
the latex particles can coalesce.

Mine took quite a while to go from white to clear. The water has to
diffuse from the inside of the bead before the bead becomes clear. At
that, mine didn't end up water-white clear but it was clear enough
for my purposes.

Most acrylic sealants will stick to cured acrylic. I would wait a
while to see what happens before attempting a repair job though. I
had some thick beads near the roof which took months to reach their
final degree of clear.

Every clear silicone sealant I have ever used went on clear and cured
clear. Stuff that went bad in the tube remained "clear".

-Jason

When our kitchen was remodeled, the contractor used a white-to-clear
silicone caulk. I have no doubt it is silicone, but have never used the
sil. that changes color myself.

john,the aluminum dryer vents dont have vents, the plastic one do, no the
heat couldn't heat the caulk, if the caulk is very thick it will take a
long time to completely cure, if it stays soft and rubbery, that is good,
the junk caulk gets hard and eventually dries & cracks, if it is sealed ,
the caulk can be painted. and yes you can caulk over old caulk but probley
not over silicone.
sr ,

"John Ross" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco.

In article .com,
John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross


Can you plant a bush in front of the vent?

--
No dumb questions, just dumb answers.
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland - lwasserm(a)charm(.)net

wrote:
John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross


How long has the caulk now been on there? Every vent of this type
that I have seen, it's hard to imagine the perimeter of the device with
the louvers getting hot enough to interfere with caulk setting up.
Even if you applied it directly to the pipe, I would be surprised if a
dryer vent pipe could get that hot. I would think it more likely the
caulk just hasn't completely cured yet.

I'd wait a few days and see what happens. If what's there is firm and
cured and you want to go over it with another bead, you can. I also
would not think it should damage the stucco if you want to remove it,
but I'd only do that as a last resort.

It is not the louver type. It is all metal hood type with metal flapper
inside. It is only 4 feet away from dryer and gets VERY hot. It was
done on Tuesday.

One issue that no one is picking up on is the "swelling" up. That
certainly is not normal is it?

--
John

wrote:
John Ross wrote:
Just installed a dryer vent pipe hood through outside wall, which is
stucco.

Caulk was put around the aluminum hood piece that was on the stucco. I
didn't do this myself, so unfortunately I can't give exact details of
caulk except that it was supposed to go on white and then turn clear
after curing and I assume silicone.

The dryer was used less than an hour after this. I noticed that the
caulk on top (which had a good gap between it and stucco) had sorta
"swellled" up so it is now protruding upwards quite a bit (although
still meeting wall and plate). In addition, it stayed white and is
rubbery to the touch, not hard. The sides mostly turned clear, but have
a sticky feel to them. I assume the intense heating of the aluminum
screwed up the caulk so it didn't cure correctly.

What can be done? The problem is that if you try and take off this
caulk it will damage the stucco (unless there is a chemical way to do
it). If the excess on top (which is the part that is cosmetically
unappealing--kinda like someone took a tube of toothpaste and squeezed
it out--is cut down a bit (before getting to stucco), can new caulk be
put on top of the remaining bad caulk? Will caulk stick to caulk
anyway?

Any ideas? I am lost because I have a feeling that the stucco is going
to be damaged and the cure worse than the problem.
--

John Ross

I have used an acrylic caulk which is advertised to "go on white,
cure clear". Cure actually means the water carrier evaporates so that
the latex particles can coalesce.

Mine took quite a while to go from white to clear. The water has to
diffuse from the inside of the bead before the bead becomes clear. At
that, mine didn't end up water-white clear but it was clear enough
for my purposes.

Most acrylic sealants will stick to cured acrylic. I would wait a
while to see what happens before attempting a repair job though. I
had some thick beads near the roof which took months to reach their
final degree of clear.

Every clear silicone sealant I have ever used went on clear and cured
clear. Stuff that went bad in the tube remained "clear".

-Jason

On your thick ones that took months to "reach their final degree of
clear", what consistency were they during that time? Were they still
soft? But, again, the difference here is that it seemed to swell up.
Also, the parts that did go mostly clear are sticky--did you notice
that?
--
John

steve wrote:
john,the aluminum dryer vents dont have vents, the plastic one do, no the
heat couldn't heat the caulk, if the caulk is very thick it will take a
long time to completely cure, if it stays soft and rubbery, that is good,
the junk caulk gets hard and eventually dries & cracks, if it is sealed ,
the caulk can be painted. and yes you can caulk over old caulk but probley
not over silicone.
sr ,


What did you mean when you said the heat couldn't heat the caulk? Do
you mean high heat doesn't affect caulk or are just assuming it didn't
get heated? First, let me assure you, it got VERY hot. Also, it swelled
up, so something definitely strange happened.

Also, did you mean it was good to stay soft and rubbery forever or just
until it cures?

--
John