49
votes
Accepted
Do I really need to fill the tub with water to properly apply caulking?
While caulk is fairly elastic, it handles better under compression than tension. By filling the tub all the way, you expand the gap quite a bit. Once the caulk is applied and the tub drained, the ...
- 131k
22
votes
Sealing space between counter and stainless stove
I use foam rubber weather stripping gaskets:
Alternatively, rubber hose works equally as well.
Just buy it in a profile slightly wider than the gap, then tuck it in the gap. Friction will hold it ...
- 24.2k
22
votes
Accepted
Why does caulk sometimes escape the back end of the tube instead of the nozzle?
Did you cut the end, but not poke a hole in the seal down the nozzle at the end of the main tube?
That seems like the most likely reason for the set of things that happened here. Many caulking guns ...
- 202k
19
votes
Accepted
Should electrical box face plates be caulked?
Definitely don't caulk.
Get appropriate (i.e., UL or ETL listed, fire retardant, etc.) foam designed for this purpose, such as this Frost King kit from Home Depot:
13
votes
Shower stall base bows downward from body weight, causing caulk to crack
The shower stall has not been installed correctly. The acrylic resin ones do bend when someone steps inside, so the proper way to install them is to put some support below the pan, in the center, to ...
- 8,767
12
votes
Sealing space between counter and stainless stove
Those gaps are rarely sealed because the stove needs to be moveable for cleaning and service. Food will get behind and under the stove, and you'll want to be able to pull it out and clean.
If you ...
- 130k
10
votes
Why does caulk sometimes escape the back end of the tube instead of the nozzle?
Most, if not all, caulk guns are equipped with an "opening rod" for breaking the seal in a tube of caulk, silicone, or whatever product you are using.
By leaving that seal intact you have ...
- 16.5k
9
votes
Can I decorate this skirting board install?
As for the gaps between the bottom of the base board (skirting) and the floor ... that is normally covered over with a base shoe molding. Base shoe is a small dimension molding that can be pressed ...
- 64.1k
8
votes
How do I finish off a silicone sealant like a professional?
Do not use tape, cut the tube of silicone at a 45 degree angle and apply it as if that is the final application. Now use a ~$5 tool like this*:
to spread the silicone. Its triangle has three ...
- 81
8
votes
Accepted
Can silicone caulk fill a 1cm shower gap?
Can silicone caulk fill a 1cm shower gap?
Yes.
Just make sure to use a high quality silicone that's mold resistant and won't yellow. Make sure it reaches from one surface to the other.
Should I ...
- 16.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Sealing space between counter and stainless stove
There are metal and there are silicone rubber pieces with a T cross section designed for just for this purpose. https://www.amazon.com/Stovetop-Extender-SE24BLA-Oven-Guard/dp/B0027DW4QG. The tops of "...
- 20.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Bathroom Grout Cracking
It's always recommended to caulk different wall planes at their joints and between tiles and the tub. That's where most of the settling will occur and grout will not adjust or expand. Start out by ...
- 78.8k
6
votes
Grout or caulk between acrylic bathtub and tile?
My Uncle was a plumber, so I called him, before re-caulking my newish bathtub for the 3rd time.
I told him that no matter how good a job I did, scraping & cleaning out the old caulk, spraying a ...
- 61
6
votes
Do I really need to fill the tub with water to properly apply caulking?
Depends on the tub, to some extent, and how (or if) it was bedded when installed. Acrylic, fiberglass and thin steel tubs do noticeably deform with a load, especially if not bedded (I'm a fan of the ...
- 202k
6
votes
Accepted
Can I caulk the corner between stone countertop and stone backsplash?
Some general input here as I install granite counters weekly.
No way the granite is bound to each other
trim piece probably has silicone (I hope) binding it to the wall
you don't have to have ...
- 47.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Replacing tub caulk
"Remove all of it" means entirely remove every trace of old caulk from the areas that you are recaulking. Don't put new caulk on top of old. Establish smooth clean surfaces for the new ...
- 34.3k
6
votes
Accepted
New caulk on tub splitting after just a few weeks
This is why we use silicone round bathtubs, not caulk - or that may even be the same grout used for the tiles, which is even worse, there is no resistance to stress at all.
If that was a 'professional'...
- 10.5k
5
votes
Do I really need to fill the tub with water to properly apply caulking?
the water pulls the tub to the position it is in when you take a bath the sides slitly deflect and it pulls down from the surround so filling is the best practice to fill the voids and have a longer ...
- 102k
5
votes
Do I have to remove all caulk before reapplication?
If only a small section of the caulking has opened it may be worth re-applying fresh caulk to them with the hopes that it won't happen anyplace else. Since the repair is small cut out the compromised ...
- 10.9k
5
votes
Accepted
How long does caulk need to dry in a 1" gap?
safe to use the shower is a relative question. when will it be safe to use it so that its use doesn't compromise the caulking seal? never - it was already compromised the moment you did it that way.
...
5
votes
Sealing space between counter and stainless stove
As isherwood noted, you don't want to do this in any permanent way. However, there are lots of companies that sell plastic/rubber strips that are meant to fit in this gap. Just Google strip to block ...
- 6,249
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use elastomeric sealant intended for roofs to caulk my shower?
It might be marketing, or it might be fact (or both!) but caulking that's designed specifically for kitchen/bath applications has an anti-microbial element.
Assuming your existing roofing caulk isn't ...
- 20.4k
5
votes
What to know before recaulking shower
This is one of those problems that so hard to solve. Silicone, latex... I've tried them all, and all eventually allow mildew and mold to grow. Caulk needs to be redone regularly (like every 10 years, ...
- 91
5
votes
Sealing siding around a chimney
You need to install aluminum or copper flashing all around chimney perimeter that would overlap vertically down from the top of the siding by at least 5–10 inches down.
You would need to grind out a ...
- 145
5
votes
How is water getting past Bilco bulkhead doors?
They leak
All the wood on the stairs should be pressure treated, since they always leak, in my experience. They are a standard product "everybody uses" that is not that good at what it does.
...
- 202k
4
votes
Accepted
How to caulking a bathtub with various size edge between wall and tub
Just my thoughts on this:
I see mold everywhere, even by the faucet
the first thing you need to do is figure out what is behind the tile. If it is drywall you are absolutely wasting your money doing ...
- 47.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Correct order of operations for caulking + sealing bathroom tile?
Those answers are all wrong, I've been a general contractor for thirty years and have had to repair other "experts" work on a regular basis.
seal tile first.
clean very well with acetone or lacquer ...
- 146
4
votes
Caulking around base of toilet
Two words: clear silicone.
You can match any toilet to any floor effortlessly if you use the clear stuff. It transmits the colors of the toilet and the floor and doesn't create an ugly, wavy visual ...
- 130k
4
votes
Do I need to seal the base of a shower and the surrounding tile?
There are two schools of thought: One is to attempt to maintain a waterproof 'seal' by ensuring all grout is treated with a waterproofing agent (but that agent is likely to break down and need to be ...
- 2,537
4
votes
Accepted
Did I remove more caulk then I should have at shower door frame end?
I think squeezing in enough caulk will fill the gap. You can tape part of the opening to seal it so that you can build a bit of pressure up in there to fill all the crevasses. It’s important to seal ...
- 339
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