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I would like to recaulk between the bathtub and the ceramic-tile wall, but there are many kinds of caulking for sale. What kind should I use?

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2 Answers

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I just caulked my shower last night. I used GE Silicone II caulk from Home Depot. I read up on this a little before picking out what kind I needed. From what I can tell, silicone caulk is good for bathrooms because:

  • It's permanently waterproof
  • It doesn't crack or shrink

Another factor which may play into your choice of caulk could be whether or not it's paintable, but the most important factor for a bathroom is going to be waterproof/mold proof.

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you beat me to it. – NTulip Jul 21 '10 at 19:22
For some reason, the allegedly "mold-proof" GE Silicone II has caught red/black mold with me. I guess it could be because I hadn't eradicated the existing mold before re-caulking... – Ates Goral Jul 22 '10 at 7:32
I had some black mold on caulk that wasn't smoothed. I think the water was pooling up on it. – Greg Nov 5 '10 at 21:00
I had that problem with the GE Silicon II, and it had been properly smoothed. The caulk also seemed to discolor from clear to yellowish (on the wall, not in the tube) after a while. – Jeremy W. Sherman Sep 19 '12 at 2:34
up vote 5 down vote

I just bought a permanent silicone product by GE which is guaranteed to dry in 1 hour and is mold resistant.

GE 9.8 oz. White KB Supreme Silicone II Caulk

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one thing to note: Make sure you smooth it out with a wet cloth as soon as you apply it. It will dry very very quickly. – NTulip Jul 21 '10 at 19:23
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I agree with @NTulip -- The biggest problem you will have is making it look nice. – Joe Philllips Jul 22 '10 at 1:21
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Use all-purpose spray and wipe cleaner after application. Works wonders. – MGOwen Jul 29 '10 at 7:49

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