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Thought of MD's plumbing threads, got some good help there, still appreciative.

This project was caulking an acrylic shower surround. White.
Definitely not a professional job, but, i think it will work.

i used silicone caulk, it seems to be holding ok.
(i googled, some have problems getting it to stick.)

As long as the surface was clean, you should be fine.

Robert wrote:As long as the surface was clean, you should be fine.

i cleaned the area, allowed to dry. i have a small fan running (facing the shower stall) it's been running for 24+ hours, wanted the area to be dry. i'll leave the fan running for another 24 hours before using the shower, even tho the caulk instructions say, "30 minutes" to water resistance.

it's about 62F in here, so a bit cool.

my application seems a bit thin? not sure. the water isn't forced at the seams, so, hopefully, it will hold. i wish it looked nicer. but, o.well. it's not terrible. just not great.

i don't do it enough to get good at it.

I prefer to use DAP 3.0 Kitchen, Bath & Plumbing caulking. I is not water soluble and is water resistant in 30 minutes. I use masking tape to get clean lines and wet my finger(s) to get a smooth finish, blending it onto the tape. Then when finished I remove the tape and have much less cleanup, and a nice crisp line.
I have not ever had good results with silicone and it can tend to peel at times. I prefer the above mentioned material for sinks, tubs/surrounds, and other plumbing related caulking jobs.
My second choice would be Polyseamseal which is now marketed by Loctite.
I hope your job lasts for you T1.

gcdonner wrote:I prefer to use DAP 3.0 Kitchen, Bath & Plumbing caulking. I is not water soluble and is water resistant in 30 minutes. I use masking tape to get clean lines and wet my finger(s) to get a smooth finish, blending it onto the tape. Then when finished I remove the tape and have much less cleanup, and a nice crisp line.
I have not ever had good results with silicone and it can tend to peel at times. I prefer the above mentioned material for sinks, tubs/surrounds, and other plumbing related caulking jobs.
My second choice would be Polyseamseal which is now marketed by Loctite.
I hope your job lasts for you T1.

ahh, thank you! if i must re-do, i hope to remember to return for your suggestions.

i saw the tape idea when i googled, thot it was a great idea, then ignored.
if i re-do, i will use tape.

the last time i caulked, i was painting our small dining area, not a wet area.
i caulked "everything," before painting, all molding seams, etc. then painted.
it turned out so nicely. it had a nice finished look. it held up well, too.
i suppose that was some sort of paintable latex caulk.

that was the weekend Princess Diana died.
my family was away, i had the weekend to paint on my own.
i ended up painting while listening to all the news reports. sad.

I have another pluming / shower question. I'm planning to have my tub/shower refinished and I want to replace the hardware as well. Which should happen first, the refinish or the hardware (shower pipe & head, control handle, and faucet)?

I don't want the refinish guy to get his goop or whatever he uses, on the new hardware. But I don't want him done, and then my new hardware doesn't quite match.

RZehr wrote:I have another pluming / shower question. I'm planning to have my tub/shower refinished and I want to replace the hardware as well. Which should happen first, the refinish or the hardware (shower pipe & head, control handle, and faucet)?

I don't want the refinish guy to get his goop or whatever he uses, on the new hardware. But I don't want him done, and then my new hardware doesn't quite match.

I assume that you have fiberglass units in place for refinishing or are you having new porcelain sprayed onto the original of steel/cast iron pieces? In either case, I would have the refinishing work done first, then replace the fixtures. If you are concerned about scratches in the new finish, you can always put masking tape around each hole (the blue painters tape) and then remove after the fixtures are in place but before you tighten down the escutcheons, which are the final part of the job.
Just think of it as a new install. The actual plumbing fixtures are done after the installation, though the "rough in" is done prior to.
Hope this helps.
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love those posts, RZehr+george.
george, thanks for adding your youtube link.
i was thinking of it for Automotive, too.

my caulk job is "better than it was," but did not stop the annoying small water leaks (i was sure it would!) next step:
Shower Splash Guard
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weiman-Product ... s/50295255

surely this will do it?!
i've read several "excellent" reviews; for the tiny amount of splash i have, it should work fine.
placed between the shower curtain and shower liner, it should not be visible.

i'm a little afraid of their adhesive on my nice acrylic shower fixtures, but, will hope for the best.

on this Lowes page, one reviewer stated he caulked all around his guard, but, i doubt i would need that (?) i have just a few drops of water that escape from under the shower curtain in one corner, so, this guard should be "over kill" for my use (?) i hope.

if my family ever visits it might be a great help for them.

temporal1 wrote:love those posts, RZehr+george.
george, thanks for adding your youtube link.
i was thinking of it for Automotive, too.

my caulk job is "better than it was," but did not stop the annoying small water leaks (i was sure it would!) next step:
Shower Splash Guard
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weiman-Product ... s/50295255

surely this will do it?!
i've read several "excellent" reviews; for the tiny amount of splash i have, it should work fine.
placed between the shower curtain and shower liner, it should not be visible.

i'm a little afraid of their adhesive on my nice acrylic shower fixtures, but, will hope for the best.

on this Lowes page, one reviewer stated he caulked all around his guard, but, i doubt i would need that (?) i have just a few drops of water that escape from under the shower curtain in one corner, so, this guard should be "over kill" for my use (?) i hope.

if my family ever visits it might be a great help for them.

I have installed those splash guards on my tub/shower and it does the trick, but you will still need to put just a dab of caulking in the very corner on the inside (shower side) to keep it from oozing out through there as the corner didn't seal well on mine. Here's hoping it works for you!

gcdonner wrote:I have installed those splash guards on my tub/shower and it does the trick, but you will still need to put just a dab of caulking in the very corner on the inside (shower side) to keep it from oozing out through there as the corner didn't seal well on mine.
Here's hoping it works for you!

gotcha! i wondered about that very thing, so, i will do it from the start. it will be be easiest right then, with everything clean+dry.
i have enough caulk on hand, so, will plan on it.

if the adhesive does leak a bit, it might be best to not caulk on all sides, anyway.
it might work to inadvertantly seal in mold. best to allow for ventilation, even if slow.

i try to respect the need for ventilation all over the house, all year.

i'm pretty sure i would have the same problem you had with that corner.
an ounce of prevention ..