Recommendation for bathroom caulk?

[trader-of-some-jacks]

Not even two years after I last caulked my showers and tubs, I'm faced with doing it again, more for esthetic reasons than anything else - some of the caulk has gotten pretty gross looking with mold or mildew, despite the bathrooms being clean.

So I'm looking for a recommendation of an outstanding caulk for tubs and showers. I guess my top criteria would be I don't want to be caulking again in two more years, and I'd like it to be mildew-resistant (or able to resist whatever the black gunk is that took it over).

Also, please give me some tips on applying the stuff so it looks good and lasts long.

Pretty basic questions, sorry.

[buffalobill]

a supply of fresh air, a high speed exhaust fan after you apply bleach and water to kill the mold .

then apply this:

"If there is mold growth in your home, you should clean up the mold and fix any water problem, such as leaks in roofs, walls, or plumbing. Controlling moisture in your home is the most critical factor for preventing mold growth.

To remove mold growth from hard surfaces use commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Use a stiff brush on rough surface materials such as concrete.

If you choose to use bleach to remove mold:

Never mix bleach with ammonia. Mixing bleach and ammonia can produce dangerous, toxic fumes. Open windows and doors to provide fresh air. Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. If the area to be cleaned is more than 10 square feet, consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings . Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document also applies to other building types. You can get it free by calling the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at [phone], or by going to the EPA web site at

. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product. More information on personal safety while cleaning up after a natural disaster is available at . If you plan to be inside the building for a while or you plan to clean up mold, you should buy an N95 mask at your local home supply store and wear it while in the building. Make certain that you follow instructions on the package for fitting the mask tightly to your face. If you go back into the building for a short time and are not cleaning up mold, you do not need to wear an N95 mask. "

[Norminn]

First time I recaulked a tub enclosure was a disaster. So I asked a pro. Told me to clean the surface with straight bleach, which I did. Used the usual white silicone. For laying down a nice even caulk line, put some painters tape down along the border of what you want to cover with caulk. Run the caulk by using even pressure and pushing the tip, not pulling. Use a wet finger to smoothe it down to meet edges of the tape and pull the tape off right away. Helps to practice. The surface must be absolutely clean and dry, free of soap scum or mildew will grow under the caulk (not the fault of the caulk). The more crud - dead skin, soap scum, etc. - the more mildew will grow. Clean and dry will keep it away. When you push the caulk down with your finger, you are shaping a kind of "cove molding" so it doesn't hold water/soap and mildew. For our last bath re-do, we installed a timer switch on the exhaust fan so's it can run a while and help dry the bathroom that doesn't otherwise have much air circ.

[bonniejean]

Ditto... Do not use regular caulk which is vinyl I believe. Buy Silicone.

Bonnie

[Joseph Meehan]

I have three suggestion.

Try to reduce the moisture (increase ventilation)

Clean the old stuff out and make sure everything is really clean and mold free before continuing.

Buy nothing but the best caulk made for bath and kitchen use. It will resist mold well and last a lot longer.

[Frank Boettcher]

When I remodeled my master bath I initially caulked all seams with the best siliconized acrilic caulk made for kitchens and baths. What a mistake. It is not structurally strong (breaks down with repeated cleanings) nor does it resist mildew (requiring repeated cleanings with chlorine bleach cleaners). I cleaned it all out last year and used pure silicone, G. E.'s best. Much much much better!

Only down side is that it is more difficult to work with and it cannot be painted if that is a need. Usually is not in a bath application.

Frank

[3rd eye]

Ditto what most others have said. I used tub & tile caulk (the squeeze tube) the first several times in my shower. Six months & it looked like hell.

Pure silicone white, in my case has looked great now for several years.

[Norminn]

clipped

Paintable caulk is pretty much inappropriate for the same places that paint is. If the seam requires silicone caulk, it likely won't be paintable. As in painting, prep is as important as the product used.