Can you use something other than pure silicone for the tile to tub lip joint? I posted earlier about a mold issue on the fixture side of the tub.
It appears the strong mold odor is coming from this 8 inch area in the corner of the tub surround.
Its relegated to the caulk joint there as we had the cast iron tub reglazed in place and were told to leave that joint free of grout or caulk.
I cut behind the base moulding in the adjacent closet to expose the wall under the tub and plumbing and found zero evidence of mold or moisture.
I raked out the mold an thoroughly removed old caulk from the tile edge to the adjacent tub lip. Finished up with X-14 and a stiff nylon brush and rinsed away excess with water and dryed up the area afterwords.
If Alex Plus is a possibility any idea on the cure time before a shower is taken?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Replies
Alex plus is not an option for a tub surround, at least not a very good one.
Did they give you a reason why you could not use silicone or grout?
After I posted I realized I didn't specify what was in that joint. The reglazer filled it with what appeared to be silicone caulk. Whatever he used wasn't very mildew resistant.
So no options besides pure silicone?
Silicone with inhibitors are the way to go, sounds like you cleaned it well enough so i wouldnt worry too much. Some brands are colored too if that helps, I use denatured alcohol in a spray bottle a couple squirts right after you squeeze a bead the finger it smooth.I cut the board twice and its still too short ! ! !
Don't use grout in the corner, it will crack. Use bathtub silicone, which has mold inhibitors built in.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Why is it that you don't want to use silicone? There's many different types, and as someone else mentioned, the types made for tubs is mold/mildew resistant. It can also found in colors to match if you're thinking about the clear stuff.
Last time I used it, it skinned over in a matter of minutes. I thought I could do one continuous bead on 5ft tub surround and then run my finger over it and all would be good.
It turned into a bumpy ridged mess.
I didn't know about denatured alchol at the time. Some else mentioned, I think it was DanH, using paint thinner to smooth the bead.
I think I used GE silicone ll.
What brand would you suggest? Thanks
I too would suggest Silicone II, but I know that there are other brands. You are correct, silicone can be very frustrating to tool nicely. I've heard that both 'tricks' mentioned work well though.
DAP¯ KWIK SEAL PLUS¯ Premium Kitchen & Bath Adhesive Caulk w/MICROBAN¯
DAP¯ Flexible CLEAR Sealant
I've used both with success. Make sure you get all the old stuff out of there, clean well, and let dry. I've never used x-14, I use clorox cleaner w/bleach and it works well. You might prefer the Kwik Seal Plus, it's latex and doesn't skim over too fast, and performs well. The Flexible Clear elastomeric Sealant is tougher, and only comes in clear, will skim if you wait too long, but you can rub them out with mineral spirits, but it can take alot and really prolongs the cure time.
I ended up using Polyseamseal Tub & Tile. Thanks for the help. I'll try bleach next time.