Bathroom Caulk

Need to re-caulk around the bathtub. What would you suggest as the BEST caulk, no matter cost, for the job? TIA. 


Must be pure silicone, not siliconized latex!

If you’re trying to color match, Home Depot carries many colors in siliconized latex. You may need to order silicone caulk. GE probably only comes in clear and white. Custom Building Products has a huge range to match their grouts.


The preparation is much more important than the type of caulk you use. 


I found this on the intertoobz


  • Choose pure silicone for a more durable caulk job that you don’t intend to paint afterward. It’s more waterproof and flexible, so it better resists rot, rarely cracks with thermal expansion (when the shower or tub material expands or contracts with temperature changes), and lasts longer (40 or more years). However, it doesn’t take paint well and is about 10 percent more expensive than the alternative.
  • Siliconized latex/acrylic caulk, on the other hand, is easier to apply and correct than sticky pure silicone, which can be a real pain if you make a mistake during application. But it’s less moisture-resistant and more likely to crack with thermal expansion, so your caulk job will be more short-lived (30 to 40 years).

Based on this, and if you're not a pro at applying caulk, I'd go with the siliconized latex. The disadvantage only seems to be that instead of getting over 40 years of life, you get 30-40. Seems like a fair trade-off for more ease of application.

And I second Mr. Barchetta's comment.

Here's a good article on caulk removal.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/a1448/how-to-remove-caulk/



Has anyone ever had their caulk around the tub last 30 years without getting mildewy and needing replacement? I feel like I replace mine less than 10 years apart, maybe every 5-7 years.


If your caulk turns black, just "paint it" with a gloppy solution of bleach and baking soda. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. Works like a charm.

But yeah, 30 years seems pretty optimistic.


Perhaps from the alternate weight of a full and empty tub, temperature changes, and house shifts/settling, some separation eventually develops between caulk and tub, or between calk and tile/grout. And this provides an area for water to pool and mildew to breed.

My first caulk replacement I used 100% silicone, but it was really hard to remove when it was time to replace it, and was hard to get off without pulling out grout with it. My second caulk replacement about 3 years ago was with siliconized latex, with the hope that it would be easier to remove when needed. Separation is starting to occur, and it will probably need to be replaced by next year.



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