I have fixed my tub three times. I am trying to caulk it. What am I doing wrong? Should the tub have water in?

Question

It's between the wall and the tub. Everything has been cleaned. I have been using a 100% syclicone. No moisture or mildew to the eye.

Answer 1

is the problem the caulk joint between the tub and the walls? it has to be completely dry in there, the joint, for a good bond. have you cleaned it with a soap cleaner? did you rinse it well with hot water? is it mildew that you are trying to get rid of and make it look clean? if mildew gets under the tiles and into the sheetrock, it can't be covered. it will keep coming to the surface. to get rid of it you will have to remove the tiles and replace the sheetrock, then start fresh are you using bathroom a bath and tile caulk? they contain a siliconized caulk with a milgicide to inhibit mildew growth. other than that, with what you gave us to go on, that's all i got for ya. good luck.

Answer 2

What part of the tub are you trying to caulk??? Exterior surfaces? or the inside lip...other than that caulk is not applied to the inside of a tub...with the exception of the overflow ring, below the faucet.
In any case no water should be on a surface your trying to caulk, and a silicone based caulk just for tub and toilets is the type you want..ask for it at any home center..any other issues of a tub leaking..or for holes in the tub...patching is another issue completely...hope this helps

Answer 3

are you sure this is the problem? because a good tub caulk and your finger always does the trick.i've never put water in ,maybe your tub supports are not doing their job{ribs under the tub}

Answer 4

your problem is caused by wet sheetrock in the walls. the only way to fix this is to remove the tile, remove the sheetrock and replace it with a concrete wallboard such as durarock. Yes it can be quite expensive but there is really no other cure except for frequent re caulking.

Answer 5

Some people I've spoken to say it's a good idea to have water in the tub.

Answer 6

no it is not necessary to have water in it. If you are sealing around the tub, it is not necessary.