problems with silicone caulk

[Fletch]

Hello, I have been repairing a piece of wood directly under one of my windows with Elmers epoxy and today got to the point where it was time to caulk. I used silicone caulk and wondering if it's a bad choice. I applied this around 12:30-1pm and as of 830pm it is still very wet feeling like it doesn't want to dry. Is this normal??? Is GE a good brand? I asked because I also had trouble under another 2 windows but in those 2 examples the caulk broke up and looks burnt after aprox 1 year. They were both the same brand (GE Silc II) only difference was the color.

I need to finish this up as rain is coming Sunday night. Should I get something else if not dry by tomorrow morning???

Thanks, Fletch

[Master Betty]

The only problem I've had with GE caulk was when I used expired caulk.

[SteveBell]

Does it smell like vinegar? Silicone caulk gives off a vinegar smell as it cures. If it doesn't have a strong vinegar smell, it's probably old.

I've had good luck so far with that brand. I also use DAP.

The tube will tell you the curing time. If it's not cured by then, it's bad. Scrape the old stuff off, clean with whatever solvent the tube specifies, and put on something from a tube with a new date.

[norminn]

Is this indoors? Outdoors? Painted wood? Silicone is probably a poor choice for either of these - paintable would be my choice for painted wood. To answer the question, it sounds like you have a bad tube, which may be outdated. I've used GE and DAP, never a problem with caulk setting but for one time I applied it improperly. I don't have a favorite brand, and have done lots of caulking.

[Fletch]

No it doesn't smell but I just went outside and checked the date codes on both the black and the white tubes. Hard to read but it looks like both say 9/9 which means it would have expired 3 days ago. (It could have been 4/4 but I don't think lowes would have sold something that old..as I bought both last year)

Ok thanks for the tip on Dap. I have used that before with no problems but I didn't use it this time as it is not pure Silicone. I had read on the net that pure silicone is supposed to be the best but starting to think otherwise.

If not dry by tomorrow morning will rip it out and go with the Dap. I just checked and it has no expiration date listed at all. Tube says part Silicone part Acrylic

Thanks for the help,

Fletch

[Smarty]

Ok thanks for the tip on Dap. I have used that before with no problems but I didn't use it this time as it is not pure Silicone. I had read on the net that pure silicone is supposed to be the best but starting to think otherwise.

If not dry by tomorrow morning will rip it out and go with the Dap. I just checked and it has no expiration date listed at all. Tube says part Silicone part Acrylic

Thanks for the help,

Fletch

I had trouble specifically with GE Clear Silicone Caulk, which I believe was called something like Silicone II. It never cured, never gave off a vinegar smell, and was within its date code.

When I posted on this newsgroup, others warned me that GE had bad batches of this caulk, and I apparently had purchased such a bad tube. I removed the (never cured) GE, replaced it with another brand, and the problem was solved.

Smarty

[Fletch]

Thank you..that is what I have (GE Sili II) and it sounds like the same issue. The black colored GE II (what I used in 2 other windows about a year ago) did cure as far as I know but later broke apart and now looks like it was burned. No more GE...Dap from now on...

Fletch

[Red Green]

Fletch wrote in news:5b96ea8e-1659-4bde-976f- [e-mail]:

Frequent problem with GE caulks...usually due to it being expired (a lot more than days though).

I got burned ONCE. From the mouth of GE support: Put some on scrap. If it does not skin in 30-45min under normal conditions then it's NG

I now do this even with brand new tubes I've just opened.

GE recommends isopropyl alcohol to aid in removal of uncured caulk.

[Fletch]

Well my house is mostly brick except around 2 windows in the front ...so yes this will be painted.

thanks, Fletch

[Jon Danniken]

GE Silicone II does use acetic acid (source of the vinegar smell). That's one of the reasons it is superior to the old style silicone caulk (bad batches not withstanding).

Jon

[bob haller]

whatever brand caulk you buy be CERTAIN its marked paintable........

some types dont allow good adhesion between caulking and paint.........

as a friend found out he caulked his entire wood sided home, caulked everything, after priming.

boy was he unhappy when not even primer would stick to the caulk:( the wood siding was in bad shape, so he primed then caulked everything.. then he went back and to prime the caulking areas and :(:(:(*

he ended up having his home vinyl sided which is what his wife wanted to begin with..............

he wasted the better part of a summer, scraping, sanding, priming, etc. this was a evening project after work and weekends.

the caulk was clearly marked not for painting...........

[DanG]

I wouldn't use silicone under any circumstance unless it was one of the Dow Corning professional caulks - 795 works well if you use the proper primers and cleaners for most substrates. Silicone is junk caulk other than these.

If you would like to caulk it one time that will last the rest of your lifetime, use a good polyurethane caulk like Sonneborn's NP-1 or Tremco's Vulkem 116. Both products are paintable if that is part of the consideration.

These statements assume you know how to install caulk properly. Caulk should only bond to 2 clean and dry surfaces. Backer rod or bond breaker tape should be used in the bottom of the joint to prevent 3 point contact. Few people can gun an acceptable joint, so masking tape before application is prudent. Caulk striking tools are easier on the fingers than wiping joints by finger tip.

[Master Betty]

I've covered silicone caulk with thin layer of acrylic caulk and painted it. Worked well but it has only been in small areas.

[Master Betty]

I think they offer caulking classes at Juilliard. It truly is an art form. ;-)

[Fletch]

Where can I get the Dow stuff???

I am no pro by no means and for now I went back with what worked for me in the past which is the Dap stuff. The GE II stuff had not dried *at all* which made it pretty easy to remove.

Fletch

[Fletch]

Thanks...I feel for your friend as I *hate* having wood siding around just 2 windows and can only imagine the hassle if my whole house was siding rather than brick. I plan on doing vinyl or something as soon as I am in better shape money wise ..

[Fletch]

X-No-Archive: Yes

So far I have 2 tubes of Ge II that were bad. Could be they were just a bad lot but right now I am a bit wary about using it again.

These pics are not from the window I had problems with yesterday but rather 2 of my kitchen windows. You can see how the caulk broke up and looks burnt. The brownish caulk beside it is the original afaik ,

[Bob F]

I've never understood the fascination with silicone caulk. I usually use urethane caulk, and have never had a problem with it. Plus, it is fully paintable and very durable.

[Bob F]

Try a good polyurethane caulk next time.

[Master Betty]

Here's a fairly good run down on the pros and cons: