There are several factors and aspects that need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure that the rooms of your house are functioning just like they should. One of these things is bathroom caulking.
While caulking your bathroom is extremely important for a number of reasons, the problem lies in the fact that not many people know if and when their bathrooms need recaulking. To understand that, you first need to know what caulking is and how long results last.
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So, What Is Caulking?
Caulk is a flexible and thick adhesive substance that works both as a sealant and as glue. It is typically applied using a caulking gun to outer spaces or joints that need to be filled. As the caulk dries out, it fixes gaps preventing any issues from escalating. Caulk is a multi-purpose substance, which is why it can be used in numerous ways all over your bathroom.
Is Caulk the Best Choice for Your Bathroom?
While there are numerous types of caulk available on the market today, not all types of caulk are great to be used in the bathroom. It is usually advised to use the one that is mildew, dirt, and mold resistant and especially built to be used in a bathroom. However, it must be noted that caulk is not the best choice for your bathroom, especially if you are looking it for long term use.
Caulk has its limitations, which is why it is not considered ideal for fixing and maintaining your bathroom. Here are a few limitations of caulk:
- Removing caulk is time-consuming
- It is not water-resistant
- It can easily be affected by mildew and mold
- It is not long-lasting
- It creates a lot of mess when applied or removed
- It’s not corrosion resistant
- It dries out quickly and is not easy to apply
Now you know the limitations of caulk, so you must use something more reliable and flexible to fix your bathroom gaps quickly and easily, such as a self-adhesive trim strips (also known as peel and stick trim or a bathroom caulking tape). A self-adhesive trim strip is a great alternative to messy caulk as it is mildew-free, water-resistant, mess-free, easy to use, flexible, paintable, and long-lasting. Therefore, if you want long term and reliable solutions for your bathroom, self-adhesive trim strips can be the solution for you.
Common Bathroom Problem Areas
Areas in the bathroom that are notorious for caulk damage are usually spaces that are constantly in contact with water, such as edges, corners, tubs, showers, sinks, and other areas of the bathroom, which are always exposed to water. In the tub or shower, for instance, you will usually notice problems along with the seal between the wall and the bathtub. In the hand-shower, you might notice caulk damage along the floor area where the tile connects with the wall. This means all these areas might require caulking every once in a while.
How Long Does a Typical Caulk Last?
You generally won’t have to spend time, money, and effort caulking any area in the bathroom more than once every five years. However, there are numerous factors that will determine how often you’ll have to caulk your bathroom, including:
- Pre-existing mildew, dirt or mold
- Humidity levels
- Application technique
- Quality and type of caulking material used
- Cleaning practices
- Condition of the area when it was applied
Signs It’s Time to Recaulk Your Bathroom
No matter how excellent the quality of the material is or how cautious you are with your caulk application, your caulking will ultimately have to be removed and replaced. But the question is, how do you know the right time for a replacement? Worry not; here are a few signs that will indicate that you need re-caulking:
- Cracked or dried out caulk
- Evident gaps in your bathroom tiles and corners
- Mildew or mold under the surface of the caulk, which usually indicates pipe leakage
- Missing or peeling caulk
- Caulk that is older than four or five years
Remember, if the caulk of your bathroom starts to deteriorate or within the initial year of applying, this means it was not specifically made for the bathroom use. No matter how often you use bathroom caulking tape for a temporary fix, it would still require replacement every now and then.
Easy Ways to Recaulk Your Bathroom
Bathroom caulking makes a sink, tub, shower, and other bathroom materials water-resistant for an extended time. With time, however, caulking can crack, shrink, and get discolored, which may lead to costly issues such as water damage treatment and restoration. One great way to prevent water damage, mold, and mildew is to maintain your bathroom fixtures regularly. At the end of the day, however, the best solution is recaulking, in order to make your bathroom look brand new once again.
When you know your bathroom needs to be recaulked, you must never delay it. Here are a few simple steps you can follow to treat caulk damage in your bathroom:
Step 1: Peel and Stick Trim the Old Caulk
This is the first step of recaulking. In this step, you will have to peel the old caulk along the walls with a flexible scraper blade or a utility knife. After that, you can use any of these tools to scrape along with the shower of tub that requires recaulking. This step is very crucial as you can’t recaulk your bathroom without removing the old caulk.
Step 2: Clean the Tiles and Other Areas
After removing the old caulk, you need to clean the entire area. To clean the surface, you can use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of excess caulk dirt, or you can use a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Use any of these methods to clean the surface of the tiles and other areas that require recaulking. Basically, this prep work helps to create a strong bond between the new caulk and the clean surface area. This is because you will need a smooth and clean surface to apply the self-adhesive trim strip.
Step 3: Apply the Trim Strip Carefully
After that, use a good quality adhesive trim strip to the spaces that need repairing. During the process, you don’t want to create a mess, which is why you must use a bathroom caulking tape in a way that would expose the area that needs to be caulked. Also, apply only enough caulk to fill in the spaces.
Step 4: Give the Last Check and Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint
In the last step, you must check your bathroom for any extra splotches of caulk so that you can peel and stick trim to cover up them up. Moreover, when you are done checking, apply a fresh coat of paint over the tape to make your bathroom look brand new. Bathroom caulking is essential for its maintenance. This mitigates the risk of gaps, molds, and mildew emerging in your bathroom. We hope these simple tricks will help you out when you try to recaulk your bathroom on your own.
Author Bio
Greg Amundson is the founder and creator of InstaTrim & have been working in the home construction industry for 30+ years and have always had a passion to make DIYers’ life easier by developing products like white vinyl adhesive strips, brown PVC corner trim, grey PVC corner trim, etc.