Bath tub caulking won't dry... HELP!


  #41  
Old 10-19-11, 07:46 AM
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same problem

Hi nicalichris - I had the very same thing happen to me.
Removed all old caulking and cleaned area with rubbing alcohol - put on the new caulking and let dry well over 24 hours - area was dry to the touch. Had shower and then it turned mushy I called DAP they asked what type of cauling was used before - I didn't know and told them what I had put on this time which was a kitchen and bath product but happened to be latex. The DAP representative advised me that I must have used silicone before and thats why I was having that type of reaction. There is no way to remove all traces of silicone and I could repeat this over and over and end up with the same results - so this weekend we will try with the 100% suilicone and see if that does the trick.
 
  #42  
Old 10-19-11, 09:17 AM
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The 100% silicone will do a better job anyway

btw - welcome to the forums frustrated!
 
  #43  
Old 10-20-11, 09:04 AM
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Caulk troubles too

I'm in the process of recaulking the floor edge of a ceramic tile shower and wanted to specifically ask about moisture found underneath the caulk I've removed. I can follow the advice I've read here about drying with a wet/dry vac(I've been using a hair dryer, but it's still not dry), cleaning the mildew, using alcohol, etc. But I'm worried that having this much moisture under the caulk is indicative of a larger problem that needs to be addressed. Under what circumstances should I have it checked out before going through the drying, cleaning, recaulking process? Thanks!
 
  #44  
Old 10-20-11, 09:22 AM
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Welcome to the forums CFC60!

I'm not sure I totally understand your last sentence

It needs to be totally dry before you apply the caulking otherwise the moisture is trapped and will cause the caulk to fail since it's the weakest link.
 
  #45  
Old 10-20-11, 09:35 AM
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Sorry to not be clear. I know that it needs to be dry, but I'm having a hard time getting it dry. I'm concerned about how much moisture I'm having to try to remove. I've been using a hair dryer to "blow it out" and mopping it up with an old towel. Periodically the hair dryer overheats. When I go back to the job, it seems like there's just as much moisture as when I started. I don't mind spending the time to dry it out, but just want to make sure that in doing so and then recaulking that I'm not applying a band aid to a bigger problem. Is it normal to have moisture like this when you remove the caulking?
 
  #46  
Old 10-20-11, 09:39 AM
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A lot depends on how long moisture has been getting behind the tile. Have you inspected all the grout to make sure there are no other places where the water can enter?

The drying process can take days although a hair dryer or heat gun can speed it up some.
 
  #47  
Old 10-20-11, 10:10 AM
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There were several places in the caulking I removed through which water could leak - mostly in one corner. That's the spot I aiming the hair dryer at.
Thanks for the info; I feel better about this and will get back to more drying!
 
  #48  
Old 01-02-12, 01:17 AM
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question

Although not exactly like the topic question, I do have a question in the same vein.

The caulk in my shower only seems to last about 3 months before it starts to separate/erode. The installation is never a problem, I make sure it is clean and dry as per usual, it just does not last.

I have been thinking that maybe it is a humidity issue, my wife does not run the fan or have the window open and maybe the bathroom is just to hot?

Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
  #49  
Old 01-02-12, 04:20 AM
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Welcome to the forums Pauly-Walnuts!

If the void between the tile and tub isn't completely dry before it's caulked - it will cause failure. What type of caulking are you using?
 
  #50  
Old 01-02-12, 06:38 PM
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Hello Mark,

I have been using GE Premium Waterproof, 3 Hr Shower-Ready Silicone II. The shower is a stand-up two piece insert (the floor plate is a separate piece from the sides). The last time I re-caulked we didn't use the shower for a week, with a fan and later a heat source to ensure it was dry. I researched 'problems' and made sure to follow all recommendations for cleaning etc. I waited two days after the re-caulk and everything was good for about 3 or 4 months.

Any suggestions? Is it possible that high humidity is causing the problem?
 
  #51  
Old 01-03-12, 05:34 AM
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That caulk should hold up better than that

Are you cleaning the surface with alcohol prior to caulking?
 
  #52  
Old 01-03-12, 08:57 AM
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I used mineral spirits, not alcohol.
 
  #53  
Old 01-03-12, 01:23 PM
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Alcohol evaporates quicker and doesn't leave any residue..... I don't know that it will make a difference but I'd use alcohol next time and see how it does.
 
  #54  
Old 02-20-12, 01:35 PM
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Bathroom silicone calking won't dry

Take my word for it because I have learned the hard way. If your tube of silicone calking is past or even very near to the expiry date, it isn't going to dry. Always check the date located at the bottom of the tube before using this stuff.
 
  #55  
Old 02-20-12, 02:13 PM
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It's Old!!

I would have never thought in a million years that silicone caulking could get too old to use. I should have suspected as much when I took an old (previously opened) tube of GE Silicone and tried to apply it to my undermounted kitchen sink. It came out with like-new consistency- creamy but a little sticky and greasy. In my experience, old caulk gets too old to use. Since this one didn't seem to be I thought "that's why I paid extra!" but now I see that age affects all caulkings, just in a different way. So my lesson learned here is if caulking is going to sit around you might as well throw it out.
 
  #56  
Old 02-21-12, 12:55 PM
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Ok ok here is some advice.

Get a space heater or two and after cleaning up help target the area that is being treated do this for about 8 hours moving the heater or heaters in different positions or even maybe 2-3 hours depends you will know when its dry now take the new silicone make sure its 100% silicone latex or any latex kind isn't very good against water if its in a tube make sure you run it under hot water and work it a little bit squeezing the unopened tube making sure its mixing good then apply the silicone now move the heater or heaters far away about 6-10' from the tub/shower and leave it on and keep room warm if its too cold the silicone will never setup this has always worked for me hope it helps you!
 

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  #57  
Old 04-20-12, 06:14 AM
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Same problem but a bit different too

I have had these same problems, but not all of my caulk turns mushy, only he parts that seem to be where water collects in a few areas. I will preface this by saying I clean with denatured alcohol, dry thoroughly, don't use shower again for several days to ensure good dry time. I called DAP about the shower and bath caulk and confirmed that itt is not expired. 85% of the caulk on the shower is fine and has not had to be replaced, it is only the 15% that turns tto mush after a few showers. So it's not the caulk, and this is the same caulk I have used for the 12 years I have been in this home. The places where it does not stick are between the tiles and a built in seat in the shower and one place on the floor where the floor pan meets the tiled wall. grout still looks good, no outside evidence of water damage. I hope I have covered all the things I have seen previously. Thanks for your help, I am at my wits end with this.
 
  #58  
Old 04-20-12, 09:26 AM
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Welcome to the forums southsidegirl!

How are you drying the area to be caulked? it can take days for the moisture to seep out of a crack. A heat gun or blow dryer can help speed up the process. You need to make good and sure the crack is dry before you seal it with caulk! I suspect there is still moisture in there that is getting trapped by the fresh caulk
 
  #59  
Old 04-20-12, 10:40 AM
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marksr, thank you for your response. The first time around I let the shower dry out for two full weeks with a fan blowing inside. The only way there is still moisture anywhere around there is possibly from when the caulk failed and water ran behind the built in seat that I mentioned in my prior post. That is how we discovered he caulk failed is when it ran into the basement.There is absolutely NO evidence that where I have caulked (now going on 6th) time that there is any moisture in that immediate area. So are you saying that if there is moisture underneath that built in seat down on the floor and on the wallboard that is probably not tiled underneat that seat (can't see past the crack I am caulking, but I would assume it s this way) that that moisture would cause caulk placed above it to fail??? If so, then the only way to get this !@#$ thing fixed is to rip out the seat and then replace wallboard, find tile to match and basically replace half of my shower??? I truly hope that is not what you are suggesting, because that is not in my budget. Please let me know if I have misunderstood your direction and if you have any further guidance. Thank you.

Yeah, this icon is how I feel about this shower right now.
 
  #60  
Old 04-20-12, 11:25 AM
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Just to clarify, the water running into the basement situation was the initial firstt time I calked, it has not run in there since as we always quit showering in there once we saw the caulk turning to mush. That initial experience had caulk that had been in there for years and was very good, but a small crack had developed in it over the mentioned built in seat, and the water ran down behind there and eventually into the basement.
 
  #61  
Old 04-20-12, 12:47 PM
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built in seat down on the floor and on the wallboard that is probably not tiled underneat that seat
Not sure I understand there shouldn't be any tile under the seat, or am I undrstanding it wrong? maybe a pic might help http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

There should be more than just caulking keeping the water out of the basement. It sounds like maybe the shower wasn't built right Is the seat sloped toward the shower so any water would drain off of the seat?
 
  #62  
Old 04-20-12, 03:03 PM
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You have confirmed what I thought is that they did not tile all the way down the wall to the floor underneath that seat--what would be the point, no one would see it and it would cost more. So, that being said it is probably exposed wallboard underneath the seat that would soak up more water than a tiled and grouted wall. This is my thought anyway. I would also assume that the floor pan is a rectangle that goes from wall to wall and the seat was built in a triangle over the top of it. So, the shower seat in general is sloped toward the shower, but water tends to collect right at the wall where the seat meets the shower, not a huge amount of water, but it does collect there and that is where the mush happens. It also happens in the other corner.

By the way, how the water was leaking into the basement was around the water pipes that lead up ino the bathroom. These pipes are locaed on the same wall as the seat, so that was the point where water could flow down into the basement. Iin he opposite corner of where the shower would be we noticed wet plywood in the basement, so that is how I know it was leaking there as well, and that is also my mushy spot.

I tried following the directions to download photos, but I cannot get a URL to come up. I'm out for the evening but will try again tomorrow afternoon if I have time, otherwise it is Sunday.
 
  #63  
Old 04-21-12, 09:39 PM
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I still cannot get a URL to come up; however, I do not have these picures on a Facebook site like the instructions indicate. Is there no way to attach a jpg file?
 
  #64  
Old 04-24-12, 01:44 PM
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I'm not to pc savy I've posted pics before but I've also had problems posting pics - Hopefully someone else can give better instructions.

I think maybe the best thing to do until you get where you want/can redo the shower would be to make a point to remove any water [after each shower] that gets on that seat. That should prevent the caulking from failing prematurely.
 
 

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