caulking shower question

amandalc04

i have caulked this shower 4 times now in the past 5 months. it keep cracking or peeling. have tried acrylic and many others. i have also used the strips that adhere. i am still waiting to see how the ge silicone holds up since i just applied that. some of the walls can pull away a little bit causing some movement which then ruins the caulking.

any suggestions? and i was wondering since i clean up the walls and shower and spray water on everything once the caulking is non-existant, the water will fill up behind the shoer wall and flush out any dirt, loose caulk etc. i would think there is more protection for these showers other than the caulking that is used. what exactly is behind these shower walls once water goesw betwen the cracks and flushes the backside out? i couldnt imagine wood being right behind there.

jlhaslip

there is likely some moisture back there, or you need to 'clean' the surface with a solvent to prep for the caulking.

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amandalc04

heres pics

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amandalc04

could be until it drie, but id hate to think the shower would be made with exposed wood is behind there and termites eating away since water can very easily go through the cracks

profiler1

I'm sure you'll have water and mildew behind. If you can't fix the tub from moving, you'll never solve the caulking problem. Even if you have to get behind and under the tub. Install new wood and or bracket to hold the tub up without moving. That should fix it. Marcel.

wrangler

Most likely the faux marble panels are glued to sheetrock or greenboard. Spraying the cracks with water is not a good thing because you are forcing water into the cracks and onto the greenboard. The water in the cracks will make it impossible for the sealant to adhere or cure properly. When the silicone you just applied fails, scrape it all off, then clean the joints with a little denatured alcohol applied to a cloth. Make sure you let the whole shower dry for at least 24 hours before you recaulk or the sealant will fail again due to the trpped maoisture. It might not hurt to set a space heater or fan in there for a day before you caulk to ensure all the joints are free of moisture.

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Man of many hats

Maintenance 6

The denatured alcohol suggestion is a good one for silicone. Before you wipe down with that, take your blow drier and evaporate any water trapped in the cracks. Keep the caulk bead thin enough that it can absorb any movement without tearing.

amandalc04

i will do that. you mean rubbing alcohol correct? and by hat you explained im guessing based on common construction, i wouldnt have to worry about a termite issue from water going in the cracks?

Bud Cline

In reality Amanda your actions are the cause of the repeated failures, wrangler is dead-on. Running water into those cracks only worsens the issue and twenty-four hours isn't near enough time to dry concealed drywall material that is wet and has wicked moisture. Now, moisture is once again trapped behind the silicone. Mildew and mold could form. I would peel the silicone out of there then follow the above/below recommendations.

kathyann

Have you tried a product like http://www.thehardwarecity.com/?sku=6040216? Don't give up!