New Bathroom - caulk peeling off


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Old 01-29-17, 09:23 AM
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New Bathroom - caulk peeling off

Bathroom was finished just months ago... I had a pro do the tiles and was a bit surprise by the amount of sealer he was putting over the grout but anyhow.... everything seemed good and perfect for a first few months but now I see that the caulking around the tub is just peeling off as if it never properly adhered to the surface.

Is it possible that the caulk was old or there was too much sealer applied and he didn't clean it off the tiles and tub edges ?

What would cause caulk to peel off so soon after installation ?

PS: I did wait over 2 days before taking shower.... just because I wanted to make sure both grout and caulk are fully cured.
 
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Old 01-29-17, 09:30 AM
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Since the issue is adhesion, it is most likely that the wall tile was not clean prior to caulking. If the sealer directions weren't followed, it might also have interfered with the adhesion of the caulk. Hard to say what he used, or how much time elapsed between sealing and caulking. Bottom line is that it all needs to be scraped off and properly prepped before caulking it again.
 
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Old 01-29-17, 09:50 AM
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that's my thinking.... I will scrape it myself and clean and re-apply.
What would you recommend as a cleaner ?
Standard Windex is OK or should I use something stronger ?
 
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Old 01-29-17, 09:57 AM
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The last thing you should wipe the joint with before caulking is denatured alcohol. Or acetone, if there are no plastics.
 
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Old 01-29-17, 10:27 AM
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Denatured alcohol would be my first choice. You want to use a solvent as opposed to a cleaner as the cleaner residue can cause adhesion problems.

I think X meant to say is you should wipe with denatured alcohol last, just prior to caulking.
 
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Old 01-29-17, 11:20 AM
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Yes... I didn't mean that it's the "last thing on earth"... lol. Now that I reread it, it almost sounds that way.
 
 

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