Re-caulking a bathtub
September 30 - October 3, 2005
While
my parents vacationed in Hawaii, I decided to surprise them by
driving down to their house and fixing the
moldy caulk around their bathtub. The effort proved frustrating in
ways that I did not anticipate. Here's what the "home improvement"
guides failed to mention:
- Old, stubborn caulk
- I tried for two days
to clear the old caulk out, and still couldn't get it all.
I tried adhesive remover, a putty knife, a grout getter, and a
joint opener. Maybe a jackhammer would've worked better.
- Messy caulk
- Caulk reminds me of Elmer's glue
in that it sticks everywhere. It stuck to my gloves,
anything that my gloves touched, my rag, anything that my rag
touched, the caulking tube, the caulking gun, the tub, the tiles...in
short, paper towels proved very useful (except for when the caulk
glued them to my hands).
- Uneven caulk
- I finally threw my cheap
caulking gun in the trash out of frustration. Instead of a steady,
even bead, the caulk thinned in some spots and globbed in others.
Once in awhile, the caulk spluttered out like ketchup and made me
shout obscenities. Smoothing did not help where the caulk thinned
out. The caulk either looked too skinny, or began showing pinpricks.
- Excessive caulk
- I snipped too much tip from the caulk tube. Too much caulk came out.
When I smoothed these caulky globs, the excess caulk smeared all over
the walls and tub. It took much time to clean up. I did not like it.
In summary, the task took me 4 days:
- Day 1: Gelled the moldy caulk with adhesive
remover. Scraped out caulk with a putty knife. Gelled the stubborn
caulk underneath.
- Day 2: Scraped out stubborn caulk with a
grout remover and a joint opener. Sprayed mildewcide bleach on
the residual mold. Washed the area with a sponge and soapy water.
- Day 3: Caulked around the tub.
- Day 4: Re-caulked any pinpricks that formed
within the dry caulk.
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/left_corner1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/left_corner2.gif) |
Before | After |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/tub_lining1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/tub_lining2.gif) |
Before | After |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/right_corner1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/right_corner2.gif) |
Before | After |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/tub_controls1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/tub_controls2.gif) |
Before | After |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/left_tub1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/left_tub2.gif) |
Before | After |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/right_tub1.gif) |
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/right_tub2.gif) |
Before | After |
In conclusion, I had the best luck with a tube of
"Caulk-It". It came pre-equipped with the following features:
- Angled spout (saved the hassle of snipping a hole in the caulk
tube).
- Smoothing blade.
- Cap to protect the leftover caulk.
|
![](picture_gallery/recaulk/caulk-it.gif) |
Maintained by Steven Aoki, saoki@iname.com