Need help playing with my caulk in the shower

So, I put in a nice shower surround and caulked it.  I can look at the caulk funny and it just falls off after 3 months.

What caulk do I need for a plastic type shower surround?

Thanks!

Rubberized?

I like loctite brand tub and shower. 

Does the loctite stuff stick to plastic surrounds?

The surround is not rubberized. 

I wipe down the entire area with alcohol like a surgeon.  Then I try to wait days.....

Datsun310Guy said:

I wipe down the entire area with alcohol like a surgeon.  Then I try to wait days.....

I did that the first time.  Still doesn't stick.  Unfortunately, I don't remember what I used.

Make sure you're buying Urethane and not Silicone.

Urethane lasts much longer and can handle more flex than silicone.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Sticks to mine for a year or so

GE silproof

Tremco Spectrum 2

Dow 791 or 795 ( one we tested adhesion to Kynar but I would have to look it up if in the job file).

Pecora makes some good ones. We just did a job with some crazy adhesion challenges and they stepped up with some amazing products. Again I would have to look it up. 

I did my shower with the GE silproof 10 years ago and it is still good as new. I think you can get it at the box stores. 

Wipe down with alcohol and dry with a hair dryer, then go with 100% silicone.  No experience with the above mentioned urethane, but that sounds like it may be even better.  If things move around, your going to have issues, so make sure everything is solidly mounted.  Silicone goes on the outside of the shower gutters.  I see lots of people put it inside and can't figure out why the water keeps getting on the floor.  Gutters are designed to allow water to drain back into shower.  Most new shower surrounds don't require caulking to tub if they come as a multi piece unit.  If you just put up walls over an existing tub, that thing is never going to be right.  You will be battling water intrusion for life.

This is one of the interlocking surrounds that required new studs and everything to mount to.  

I do not have any water issues.  

The instructions said to caulk it, so I am.  

Thanks everybody!

Is this caulk for the gap between the surround and the tub? If so, fill the tub with water before applying the caulk and then let it set. I’ve had good success with it setting well and lasting for several years. 

I always duck buttered silicone into the corners with the tip cut as big as possible, more is better right?

Wrong.

My most recent shower event was a 3 X4 ft. glass job (my last BTW!) and a friend helped me install it.  He cleaned the joints with denatured alcohol (DNA?), then used blue paint tape on each side of the joint about 1/8" away.  Tip of the caulk tube was cut to 1/8" or so, then squeezed into the gap.  Let sit for a minute or three, remove the tape, then wipe the joint with a paper towel/rag dampened with DNA.

No leaks, no BS, no visible caulk!

Dan

Man, having your caulk fall off in the shower sounds like a nightmare.

EastCoastMojo said:

Man, having your caulk fall off in the shower sounds like a nightmare.

better than making your hootis watertight

@RX: TMI man. 

@wvu: sounds like the surround wasn’t dry or clean enough. We had the same thing happen with out shower and it turned out to be too wet. We took out the failed silicone and cleaned the surround thoroughly and left a fan pointed at it for a day or two and reapplied. No further issues for years. 

Just an FYI. Silicon versus utithane does not automatically determine the sealants elasticity.  You can get both with more than 100 percent.  Up until a while ago sealant type had much more to do with adhesion to specific substrates. In more recent years  silicon’s have stepped up there game but again you need to make sure a specific product will work for a given situation.

Oh. And then there are the mysterious tri polymer sealants that are a hybrid of silicon, urethane and butyl.  I don’t tend to use them but on the ovations where we have they have worked very well. 

wvumtnbkr said

The surround is not rubberized.

You are being too literal.  I was trying to imply that your caulk should be properly protected before you apply it to any crevices.

1988RedT2 said:

wvumtnbkr said

The surround is not rubberized.

 

You are being too literal.  I was trying to imply that your caulk should be properly protected before you apply it to any crevices.

Oh, I didn't even get this comment at first.  I had to erase my response....

I get it now.  Very funny!

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

LOL.  I was trying to be less graphic than say, RX, but I may have been too subtle.  It's a fine line. 

Tip 1: Keep shampoo well away from the caulk, if even a tiny bit gets inside somehow, you'll be sorry.

(Because the caulk won't adhere well afterwards )

Tip 2: A waterproof phone can make the job easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

(It's good to have music and communications/info lookup while you work, and nobody wants to wreck their phone in a toilet or wet shower/sink )