Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower

not-real-handy · 09-17-2009, 05:39 PM

I have to replace the sliding glass doors etc on my tub. It is a full size fiberglass, single peice unit. The unit, existing doors, and caulk are 20+ years old. Before starting, I'm trying to identify any "land mines" that may make the project difficult. One possible issue is removing the old caulk without damaging/marring the fiberglass tub and walls. Does anybody have any helpful tips/info on this?

Are there any other thorny issues I may run into?

Thanks.

KAdams4458 · 09-18-2009, 05:31 PM

Well, those plastic razor blades work great for me when I want to remove old caulk. They scrape about as efficiently as their metal counterparts, but are not hard enough to damage fiberglass and acrylic. I've even used them to safely remove tar and sap from my cars without damaging the paint.

I tried some of the caulk remover years ago on a fiberglass shower stall. I thought it was slow, messy, and kind of sucked compared to just scraping it with a plastic razor. Maybe I was using a crumby version, though.

not-real-handy · 09-19-2009, 08:44 AM

Thanks! I didn't know there were such things as plastic razor blades.

Another question: Is there some kind of treatment (like Armor-All) for fiberglass tubs/showers? Since I'm going remove the doors and tracks, I thought I'd treat the fiberglass if there is some product out there.

KAdams4458 · 09-20-2009, 05:41 AM

Treatment for fiberglass showers and tubs... I've heard of some waxes, but have never used them. I hear they can help with water spotting.

Sometimes if a fiberglass or acrylic tub is looking a little dull you can polish it up with the same stuff you polish the paint on your cars with. (Learned that trick years ago on a fiberglass tub that someone scuffed up by cleaning it with a Scotchbrite pad.) Lots of elbow grease and polish can make them really shine.

You can polish everything with products that are "paint shop safe", and not have a problem with caulk sticking. Obviously caulk won't stick to a waxed surface, so save wax, if you choose to use it, for after everything is caulked, and don't ever put anything like wax on the floor - slick is bad in the shower.

I'd take a look around the Internet and see what people say about polishing (not waxing, but truly polishing) fiberglass. I bet you can find some good product recommendations on the auto/boat/detailing forums. A fiberglass shower isn't all that much different from a boat hull, so there's a good place to start.

ErickMcG · 09-21-2009, 09:04 PM

There are some good restoration polymers on the market that work well on fiberglass. Vivilon comes to mind, it shines fiberglass right up. Do a search for it online.

cheers,
Erick

09-17-2009, 05:39 PM	#1
not-real-handy Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower I have to replace the sliding glass doors etc on my tub. It is a full size fiberglass, single peice unit. The unit, existing doors, and caulk are 20+ years old. Before starting, I'm trying to identify any "land mines" that may make the project difficult. One possible issue is removing the old caulk without damaging/marring the fiberglass tub and walls. Does anybody have any helpful tips/info on this? Are there any other thorny issues I may run into? Thanks.

09-18-2009, 05:31 PM	#2
KAdams4458 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Snohomish, WA Posts: 120	Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower Well, those plastic razor blades work great for me when I want to remove old caulk. They scrape about as efficiently as their metal counterparts, but are not hard enough to damage fiberglass and acrylic. I've even used them to safely remove tar and sap from my cars without damaging the paint. I tried some of the caulk remover years ago on a fiberglass shower stall. I thought it was slow, messy, and kind of sucked compared to just scraping it with a plastic razor. Maybe I was using a crumby version, though.

09-19-2009, 08:44 AM	#3
not-real-handy Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower Thanks! I didn't know there were such things as plastic razor blades. Another question: Is there some kind of treatment (like Armor-All) for fiberglass tubs/showers? Since I'm going remove the doors and tracks, I thought I'd treat the fiberglass if there is some product out there.

09-20-2009, 05:41 AM	#4
KAdams4458 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Snohomish, WA Posts: 120	Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower Treatment for fiberglass showers and tubs... I've heard of some waxes, but have never used them. I hear they can help with water spotting. Sometimes if a fiberglass or acrylic tub is looking a little dull you can polish it up with the same stuff you polish the paint on your cars with. (Learned that trick years ago on a fiberglass tub that someone scuffed up by cleaning it with a Scotchbrite pad.) Lots of elbow grease and polish can make them really shine. You can polish everything with products that are "paint shop safe", and not have a problem with caulk sticking. Obviously caulk won't stick to a waxed surface, so save wax, if you choose to use it, for after everything is caulked, and don't ever put anything like wax on the floor - slick is bad in the shower. I'd take a look around the Internet and see what people say about polishing (not waxing, but truly polishing) fiberglass. I bet you can find some good product recommendations on the auto/boat/detailing forums. A fiberglass shower isn't all that much different from a boat hull, so there's a good place to start.

09-21-2009, 09:04 PM	#5
ErickMcG go Monarchs! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: California Posts: 1	Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower There are some good restoration polymers on the market that work well on fiberglass. Vivilon comes to mind, it shines fiberglass right up. Do a search for it online. cheers, Erick

Removing old caulk from fiberglass shower