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LAGrunthaner
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Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5509
Location: 1st Coast
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 Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 6:17 am Post subject: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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I power washed my garage the other day to prepare to paint. The crack I sealed up with clear outdoor silicone was applied a year ago and dried as normal. After power washing I now have soft sticky silicone that has "uncured"?
The structure is masonry block with something over top, what ever they used in 1950, then painted with latex masonry paint 10 years ago.
1. What did I do wrong?
2. What is the best method to remove it solvent wise after I scrape the majority out?
3. What should I replace it with?
Garage last winter:
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| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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mark tucker
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Joined: April 08, 2009
Posts: 23937
Location: SHALIMAR ,FLORIDA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 7:31 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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| I think thay may of been just what ever it was put on or painted with, on another note...on my old bug I had a clamp I made to clamp to a header tube to support the muffler/anti vibration. it was SS, half a ss tube the same size as header with a stud welded to it. it just held on with std SS hose clamps. I put ultra blue sily cone between the header tube and the "saddle clamp" when I installed it. it was probably 3 or 4 years befor I ever took it of for something. the sily cone was still goooey....4 years of daily fun driving and still goooey. witch I would rather have than dried up sily cone and h20 getting between there and rusting the tube. |
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raydog
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Joined: February 09, 2006
Posts: 1163
Location: Cape Cod
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Maybe it has something to do with it being July 5th and you still have snow on the ground.
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Who.Me? 
Samba Member
Joined: July 14, 2014
Posts: 2211
Location: UK (South)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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1 Don't know - any chance it was past its expiry date when applied? Any solvents in the garage that could have affected it?
2 I'd try silicone bath sealant remover
3 Fix the cause of the crack if it hasn't already been fixed then - if the crack is stable fill it with a slurry grout made with neat cement or cement with just a little fine sand. If there's a risk of it moving I'd secure metal plates or straps across the crack set in to the wall, then grout, then fill over the plates. If the crack is in a corner where two walls meet, use 90 degree brackets to secure the walls together.
That's basically what I did to fix settlement cracks in our 1950s house (UK, so brick and block) when I renovated it.
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Andy
Looking for info on my truck's history. Are you from Campbell California or nearby. Do you recognise it? ... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=636786 |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3330
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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First off you cannot paint silicone will not adhere. Chisel out as much as you can, then apply some paintable caulking, ie latex or polyurethane. Allow to cure before painting.
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raydog
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Joined: February 09, 2006
Posts: 1163
Location: Cape Cod
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Did you power wash with any chemicals? Also, watch the labels. You need a caulk that is 100% silicone. If it is paintable caulk, that stuff does break down and shrink, it's usually called latex caulk, which goes around windows and doors, but needs to be painted so it doesn't break down as easily when water hits it.
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LAGrunthaner
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5509
Location: 1st Coast
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 3:50 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Update:
I actually found the tube in my garage and it expired several years ago, I'm too embarrassed to tell you the expiration date as well as surprised it even has an expiration date. Don't trust clean looking products in your garage. After all of your comments and also reading several other sites regarding the same problem I have my answer which is just like all of you said "ITS OLD AND EXPIRED". I have learned a very good lesson, when the label has an expiration date it means it may not work properly and that goes 10X on silicone caulking. I was very surprised that this stuff expires in the first place. Now for my search for "silicone bath sealant remover" thank you for that suggestion Who.Me. I did read I can use denatured alcohol as a solvent or Goof Off so I think I'm good to go.
Yesterday I purchased the proper masonry caulk and used it on some other cracks and I'll start cleaning out the silicone caulk once I complete painting all the other sides as we are approaching another storm tonight.
I am so very grateful for this site with brilliant people that motivate me to power through solving problems.
Thanks again professors.
| Who.Me? wrote: |
1 Don't know - any chance it was past its expiry date when applied? Any solvents in the garage that could have affected it?
2 I'd try silicone bath sealant remover
3 Fix the cause of the crack if it hasn't already been fixed then - if the crack is stable fill it with a slurry grout made with neat cement or cement with just a little fine sand. If there's a risk of it moving I'd secure metal plates or straps across the crack set in to the wall, then grout, then fill over the plates. If the crack is in a corner where two walls meet, use 90 degree brackets to secure the walls together.
That's basically what I did to fix settlement cracks in our 1950s house (UK, so brick and block) when I renovated it. |
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| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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mark tucker
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Joined: April 08, 2009
Posts: 23937
Location: SHALIMAR ,FLORIDA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:03 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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| and yes you can paint silycone calk and sily cone sealers. |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3330
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:21 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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| mark tucker wrote: |
| and yes you can paint silycone calk and sily cone sealers. |
You can paint silicone , but the paint will not adhere.
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my59
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Joined: August 13, 2003
Posts: 3793
Location: connecting the dots
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 1:51 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Check the caulk maker, some require primer on the substrate for adhesion. Keep in mind caulk is not meant to fill a crack, but to keep a joint water tight. Foam backer rod in the joint before caulk means the caulk sticks to the sides only, and can flex as the joint works.
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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LAGrunthaner
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5509
Location: 1st Coast
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 4:06 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Wow djkeev very interesting information. Please share more about both the good & bad of silicone. I used it for years as our biology students were required to build bio-systems in my tech lab. We used aquarium grade silicone (the other silicone kills fish) and I always thought it was amazing. But After my experience with expired silicone never curing I'm very interested to hear more about this product.
| djkeev wrote: |
Silicone is one of the greatest marketing success stories for selling a crap product in recent history!
About the only good use for silicone caulk is fish tanks...... and maybe not even that good for them!
Everyone is CONVINCED that if a product has silicone in it, it is a superior product.
Silicone caulk quite simply is crap.
Many products with silicone in them are crap.
Silicone has its uses, we've gone way beyond that.
Dave |
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| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3330
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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Just make sure whatever you use says paintable on the tube, oh and the expiration date is good to go.
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my59
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Location: connecting the dots
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| Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 5:58 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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One of the issues with silicone caulk is if you use it on limestone, marble, travertine the oils in the caulk stain the adjacent stone and make it look like....silicone stained stone.
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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LAGrunthaner
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5509
Location: 1st Coast
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2021 9:44 am Post subject: Re: Silicone caulk breaks down when power washed? |
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djkeev. Thanks. Very cool reviews on the Level, they call it the duck tape of caulks. And handle up to 400% joint movement. Very impressive.
"Lexel is waterproof, immediately upon application and never freezes, which means it can be applied even in the wettest or coldest of conditions."
https://www.sashco.com/products/lexel/
I'm dodging rain now therefore I'll pick some up.
I also like your suggestion on Phenoseal caulk.
Interesting that the Phenoseal is also used as a bonding product and it expands & contracts too.
http://www.phenoseal.com/product_details.aspx?product=12
| djkeev wrote: |
I’ve been in the building industry for a long time, I’ve yet to see any aged silicone in good shape.
It is used on vehicles in an attempt to seal leaks, it does for awhile until it fails.
Go into any public Bathroom (or maybe the one in your house) and take note of the failed silicone based caulk with multiple layers applied on top of it.
Never never never have I seen a bead of silicone caulk that has held up.
Yet I see it used all
Over the place like a magic potion.
A good caulk? Lexel is high on my list as is phenoseal.
Got auto glass? Please use a quality 3M sealant.
Silicone also makes the next auto repair more difficult for nothing sticks to where the silicone was!
Horrible horrible horrible stuff!
Dave |
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Maui Roadsters
www.mauiroadsters.com
http://www.oacdp.org
| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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