caulking

[HouseofWool]

When I first moved in I recaulked the bathtub using clear silicone caulk which since discolored. I picked up some white latex caulk, cleaned out all of the silicone and recaulked over the weekend. As soon as it got wet after curing, it all came up in a big nasty mess. I did a bit of searching on line to see why and the answer appeared to be that it was silicone residue which was best removed using mineral spirits. So, back to the hardware store I went. I cleaned everything really well again, used the mineral spirits, then washed it down with soap and water to remove the oily residue from that. I recaulked it all again and waited 30 hours to use the shower. Again, it is all coming up in a big icky mess.

Tomorrow I will be gettng different latex caulk to see if that is the issue, but I am at a loss as to why it isn't adhering to the tub or the tile. Any thoughts?

[GreyhoundsRUs]

When I first moved in I recaulked the bathtub using clear silicone caulk which since discolored. I picked up some white latex caulk, cleaned out all of the silicone and recaulked over the weekend. As soon as it got wet after curing, it all came up in a big nasty mess. I did a bit of searching on line to see why and the answer appeared to be that it was silicone residue which was best removed using mineral spirits. So, back to the hardware store I went. I cleaned everything really well again, used the mineral spirits, then washed it down with soap and water to remove the oily residue from that. I recaulked it all again and waited 30 hours to use the shower. Again, it is all coming up in a big icky mess.

Tomorrow I will be gettng different latex caulk to see if that is the issue, but I am at a loss as to why it isn't adhering to the tub or the tile. Any thoughts?

Bizarre - maybe the temp/humidity warrants more curing time? I'll check tomorrow what we used. Scratch that - I thought you put 30 minutes, not hours. No clue

[diggitydot]

Mineral spirits = super crazy oily. You may need something much stronger than soap and water to adequately remove it, something more like lacquer thinner or maybe even toluene. If ANY residue of either the silicone or mineral spirits/paint thinner are still there, you will have contaminant issues that will interfere with the caulking's ability to adhere.

What brand of caulk are you using and how thick is your bead? Definitely up your dry/cure time. Cold and wet weather DRASTICALLY increases the dry and cure times for latex coatings, even when working inside. Can you cover it loosely with lightweight plastic for a few days or use another bathroom? Every time you use that shower/tub, you're introducing more moisture and inhibiting the dry/cure.

[HouseofWool]

We are a one bathtub house, but hadn't been showering to allow for a longer cure time. The kids loved the day off from bathing, but I miss my morning shower.

I am going to pick up a different brand of caulk. I'm just frustrated that this will be the 3rd time that I can removing the caulk from this tub.

[diggitydot]

Tape off some plastic over it to protect it and just give it a LOT more time to dry before removing the plastic.