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Ardex 100% Silicone Caulk on Maax Acrylic Bathtub

mrkleyn | Posted in General Discussion on May 31, 2013 12:19pm

I have installed an acrylic bathtub and am ready to seal the gap between the tile and tub.  I have 100% silicone caulk to match the Ardex grout I installed.  I’ve heard varying opinions on using silicone on acrylic.

Anyone out there have success with 100% silicone on acrylic tubs?

If not silicone, what do you recommend that can come in colors other than white?

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  1. rdesigns | May 31, 2013 09:10am | #1

    Although silicone would certainly work, the trouble comes later when, due to settling or other causes, a gap opens and you want to add/amend the caulking.

    Nothing--not even more silicone--will adhere to cured silicone. You'll have to remove it all to get a good job of re-caulking.

    Newer acrylic-latex caulks stretch plenty for your application, you can get them in many off-the-shelf colors, and paint stores will make up tubes of custom colors, if needed.

    I like DAP Dynaflex 230 or any acrylic-latex caulk that meets the ASTM 920 standard.

  2. florida | May 31, 2013 05:07pm | #2

    Dont use silicone. As Calvin said, you'll never get it off. The joint between the tub and tile is a maintenance area. Whatever you put there will need to be replaced in a few years. You can buy ;latex caulks to match your grout at any tile store or big box.

    1. DanH | May 31, 2013 06:22pm | #3

      Actually, silicone comes off pretty well with acetone.  But you don't want to put acetone on an acrylic tub.

      1. florida | Jun 04, 2013 07:42am | #7

        No, silicone doesn't come off easily with acetone. Once the silicone dries acetone has no effect on it at all,

  3. semar | Jun 03, 2013 12:52am | #4

    silicone at acrylic tub

    Maybe you can specify what kind of tub lip you have. Some tubs come with a formed lip (usually 1"). The tile backing materials sits on top of the lip and the tile is brought over it to within (max) 1/4" of the tubedge.

    The other situation is that the tub is used mainly on a platform. It does not have the lip mentioned above but rather the flat edge is formed down to sit on the platform. If this kind of tub is used in a "normal" tub surround it comes with a tubflange which is glued on the flat edge and goes up ca 1 1/2". The tile is installed also within a 1/4" of the tub edge.

    Now you have to deal with two seals. The first is the tubflange, the second the tile edge. I assume you are dealing with the first scenario - you have a tub with a build in flange. As others mentioned already this is a maintenance area. Not so much that the silicone seal is breaking but that after a while the silicone shows mildew and looks awful.

    Water hardly sloshes up, under the tile and over the lip. The mainreason the gap is siliconed is to protect the raw edge of the drywall.Even moisture will wick up the drywall if not protected.

    We have used two methods. Really gobsilicone the bottomedge of the drywall and flange and then set the bottom tile in a chrome Schluter rail with the Schluter embedded in silicone on the tubedge. This way no caulking is visible. (Tape off the tubedge to prevent any silicone to get on the acrylic surface)

    The second method is similar: Tile down to tub with gap. Silicone gap. Then install a small decor strip (glass strip) directly on the tubedge. No gap showing.

    With every tub - wether steel, acrylic - it absolutely imperative that the tub sits fully supported on the subfloor. I have seen tubs resting only on the front skirt and the lip screwed against the studs. Put 60 gal of water in it and add a 180lbs person  and you have a problem on your hand

    BTW we also use this system on kitchen counter backsplash situations. Silicone the gap between the countertop and the backsplash then set the tile in the Schluter. Schluter bottom siliconed to the counter. No gap - easy to clean up. The line you see in the picture on the bottom of the tile is the small groutline in the Schluter

    1. calvin | Jun 03, 2013 07:04am | #5

      Semar

      Nice splash.

      Any reason (other than cost) that the devices were not moved up into the white tile?

      1. semar | Jun 03, 2013 11:13pm | #6

        ardex 100 % silicone

        this is an example when the HO wants the job done as fast as possible but does not have full specs when the job is started. Materials are selected on the fly. Originally this was supposed to be an all-glass strip backsplash. Then he saw this decorstrip at the tilestore. He did not want to spend any more $ after we had to repair the whole wall. The original apartment framing was 3" out of square on 13' length. Ze Fraimers should have been sent to ze Konzentrationslager - jawoll

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