I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

wrote:
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

I am amazed that you're having a problem with PolySeamSeal.

I've been using this stuff for over 20 years & I've never had it fail.

here is the link for the TDS

http://www.polyseamseal.com/products/tech-TUBTILE1.pdf

if you look at the limitations section

there are some words about "below the water line" & "constant water
imersion"

if the six showers in the morning do not allow caulk to dry out maybe
that is the problem

or if the shower / tub configuration is such that water can pool or sit
on the caulk?

DAP DynaFlex 230 is also another possibility

or just bite the bullet & go with a silicone.

cheers
Bob

wrote:
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

I'm not a big fan of Polyseamseal, particularly in wet areas. Silicone
caulk is my preferred beast at the tub/tile joint and for tub
surrounds. I do use latex caulk when I need color-matched caulk, but
in my experience Polyseamseal hardens over time and loses its
elasticity (it fails). BobK doesn't seem to have had the same
expereinces with it.

Latex caulk is easier to apply (a bit), easier to clean up, and is
affected more by water during its curing period. Some people use too
much water when smoothing latex caulk during application. It's also
possible that you have too deep of a caulk joint. The caulk should be
designed to move in one direction only, and there should be backing rod
and/or bond breaker tape used to control depth and adhesion to the
correct surfaces.

If you want the most tenacious caulk and can settle for a more limited
palette of colors, polyurethane would be a good choice - anything by 3M
or Sikaflex.

R

RicodJour wrote:
wrote:
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

I'm not a big fan of Polyseamseal, particularly in wet areas. Silicone
caulk is my preferred beast at the tub/tile joint and for tub
surrounds. I do use latex caulk when I need color-matched caulk, but
in my experience Polyseamseal hardens over time and loses its
elasticity (it fails). BobK doesn't seem to have had the same
expereinces with it.

Latex caulk is easier to apply (a bit), easier to clean up, and is
affected more by water during its curing period. Some people use too
much water when smoothing latex caulk during application. It's also
possible that you have too deep of a caulk joint. The caulk should be
designed to move in one direction only, and there should be backing rod
and/or bond breaker tape used to control depth and adhesion to the
correct surfaces.

If you want the most tenacious caulk and can settle for a more limited
palette of colors, polyurethane would be a good choice - anything by 3M
or Sikaflex.

R

All of my experience w/PolySeamSeal has been in SoCal so maybe it's a
environmental condition thing

even when stuff gets wet out here it generally doesn't stay wet for
long

I would agree about the urethane suggestion if you don't want to make
the jump to silicone.

cheers
Bob

We use polyseamseal here in Arizona all the time in our home repair business
as well as our own home and have very good luck with it. 48 hours should be
plenty for dry time.

cm


wrote in message
oups.com...
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

wrote:
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly
get at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a
tub surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

In my experience caulk failure is usually the result of poor surface
prep. Everything must be clean and dry. Note: Bleach will kill mold, but
is does not clean anything. All traces of the old caulk must be removed.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

wrote:
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

Where are you using the caulk? Inside, between layers of plastic or
along outside of seam? Only time I have ever had caulk fail was when I
removed an aluminum/glass shower door unit to clean up and recaulk.
Being a newbie at that, I slathered latex caulk all along the edge of
the unit before I reinstalled it. The more, the better, right? )
Waited couple of days, and first shower had caulk running down outside
of tub ) Ick!

Cleaned it all up. Went to pro installer for free advice, got sillycone
and did it the right way. Wipe with bleach first. I don't look for
particular brand, but it is usually DAP.

Never put in a plastic shower/tub unit, but what do install instructions
tell you to use?

In article .com,
) says...
I am in the process of re-doing two bathrooms. I needed to quickly get
at least one shower working so I installed an acrylic tub and a tub
surround. I caulked the thing once using ployseamseal tub & tile
caulk, but it failed. I figured I hadn't given the caulk enough time
to cure, so I took everything apart, cleand everything with bleach and
alcohol. Then I put it all back together, re-caluked, let cure for 48
hours, and it's failing again. There is six people in my family so I
am now thinking that that many showers in the morning is killing the
caulk job. Any recommendations on better brands of caulk?

I have had good results with DAP.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

Just a thought- there is no movement of the unit when people step in
it, right? Install is secure?

Yes, everything is rock solid and stable. I did however use a lot of
caulk :-( I don't normally, but it failed so poorly the last time I
went with the more is better route. I laid a thick bead down, then
slid the panels in place over it. Then swipe the bead via a wet and
soapy finger. Everything is brand new so mold is not a problem, but I
did clean away old caulk with a razor, then scrubbed with bleach and
then alcohol. I was wondering if grout would bind to the plastic....
Also, I thought this polyseamseal was silicone....?



Sev wrote:
Just a thought- there is no movement of the unit when people step in
it, right? Install is secure?

Can you get them to take a bath instead of a shower for the next week
while it cures?
Is it a fiberglass or cast iron tub?

wrote:
Yes, everything is rock solid and stable. I did however use a lot of
caulk :-( I don't normally, but it failed so poorly the last time I
went with the more is better route. I laid a thick bead down, then
slid the panels in place over it. Then swipe the bead via a wet and
soapy finger. Everything is brand new so mold is not a problem, but I
did clean away old caulk with a razor, then scrubbed with bleach and
then alcohol. I was wondering if grout would bind to the plastic....
Also, I thought this polyseamseal was silicone....?



Sev wrote:

Just a thought- there is no movement of the unit when people step in
it, right? Install is secure?


I can't see your setup, but it sounds like the same mess (mistake) I
made when I caulked around the frame of the aluminum/glass door unit
before I replaced it. Didn't know that caulk only went on the edge of
the joint after the unit is in place ) Had a latex waterfall goin' on
first time I showered - water hit glass door and ran out under the
frame, taking the goo with it. )

If the area is not perfectly clean it can fail, bleach should be used to
kill any spores, after scrubbing use a razor blade to get it clean.
Silicone caulk is best but check the expiration date, old caulk never
works well

My experience is that Dap is crap, and Dow is wow.

Just one man's experience, Dap Acrylic Latex caulk is garbage. GE or
Dow works better for me.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Larry Caldwell" wrote in message
.. .

I have had good results with DAP.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

I've heard to fill tub with cold water while caulking (and for the two
days of drying time). This stretches the tub DOWN as best it's gonna
go. When it's empty it comes up, which compresses the caulk. Whic is
OK.

No idea if this works or helps.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

wrote in message
oups.com...
Can you get them to take a bath instead of a shower for the next week
while it cures?
Is it a fiberglass or cast iron tub?

After a day or two I notice that if I touch the caulk there is white
residue on my finger, which leads me to think it's not dry. Then when
I take a damp rag to wipe off the ledge, some strings of caulk come off
and float down the edge of the tub. It's not completely gone, but
some weep holes are devloping etc... I tore apart the whol tub and
surround, cleaned everything with bleach fantastic, then wipe down with
alcohol, dried, and re-caulked. Same difference. I was thinking
about tearing it back out and using the silicone that they use for fish
tanks. I don't know what else to do. I never had a problem with caulk
before. Same brand from two different stores so I assume that the
batches are different.



Stormin Mormon wrote:
My experience is that Dap is crap, and Dow is wow.

Just one man's experience, Dap Acrylic Latex caulk is garbage. GE or
Dow works better for me.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
.

"Larry Caldwell" wrote in message
.. .

I have had good results with DAP.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

This site may answer some questions for you.........

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infcau.shtm

Good luck with this :-)

In article , cayoung61-
(Stormin Mormon) says...
My experience is that Dap is crap, and Dow is wow.

Just one man's experience, Dap Acrylic Latex caulk is garbage. GE or
Dow works better for me.

Acrylic latex would really be the wrong thing to use around a tub. Tub
and Tile Adhesive Caulk would be my choice. I have had very good luck
with the DAP product.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.