I've taken on a do-it-yourself project, and I hope I'm up to the task.
We've lived in our house for almost sixteen years, and for approximately fourteen of those years the place where the back of my kitchen sink touches the counter was not caulked. Water from the sprayer would hit the back splash and drip down into the cabinet below.
I groused about it regularly to Dear Husband, until he decided he couldn't take it any more and went off to buy a tube of caulk.
First, I want to say for all to see, that Dear Husband is an amazingly talented man. He's a creative problem solver, and a hard worker. In many ways he's a Renaissance Man. He's never intimidated by a project, or if he is, he wouldn't admit it. But, I think he may have met his match with that tube of caulk
First, he chose a clear silicon caulk, rather than the white caulk that is traditionally used. When he was done, there was a band of caulk about an inch wide that actually closed some of the gap, but left other places open. And let me tell you.....that caulk is miserable to remove!
I went to the Do It Yourself pages on Google and looked for instructions on how to caulk the sink. Some sites were more forthcoming than others, but generally you walked away with the idea that you cut the tip of the tube and lay a bead of caulk. Done.
One of the sites said to spray the area with a bleach and water solution to kill mildew. Where I had a problem, I removed the caulk last night and sprayed. This morning, at 7:00, which is really early for me to be trying something like this, I started removing the old caulk. The white caulk from the original installation was a breeze to remove. An hour later I had the two sides and the front done, and a start on the globs at the back. I will take to heart the concept that less is more when it comes time to lay the new caulk.
Midnight, of Tongue Oil, gave me a tip. He said to use an ice cube to smooth the caulk, so that it didn't stick to my fingers as I smoothed it out. My plan is to try laying a bead of caulk on a piece of cardboard, and then to try the ice cube trick before I address the sink.
Wish me luck. Usually I play the "inept little woman" card and get Dear Husband to do repairs, (more on that in another entry) but this time the "Woman of the House" is up to bat. Wish me luck!
Comments (4)
Gee, Buffy, you may want to check the "expiration date" on the silicon caulking. I've used tubes and tubes of the stuff and never had a problem. I do, however, use a (manual) caulking gun to lay the bead, having first cut the spout of the tube at an angle to produce the size of bead that I want (yes, less is more).
Cleaning out the mold/mildew and rinsing well with plain water before starting is certainly a good thing to do. I wet my finger(s) and just smooth the caulking digitally. As long as I kept my fingers wet, no problem. (I hadn't heard the idea of using an ice cube.) Removing silicon caulking after it has had a few days to really set up might make it easier. It should all come out like a squishy rope. Good luck!
I'm worried about your comment about the "...band of caulk about an inch wide". Surely the gap that had to be filled wasn't that wide?? If so, I would try something other than caulking.
Posted by Cop Car | April 7, 2005 4:07 PM
Posted on April 7, 2005 16:07
Thanks for the advice CC. I'm almost done, and I have discovered WHY DH left a band of caulk almost an inch wide.
Like most sinks, there is a small space between the back of the sink and the back splash. This morning I discovered why the installer left the space uncaulked, and why DH used so much caulk. The shoulder of the tube is so wide that as you try to work around the sink, you mess up the caulking at the edge of the backsplash. AND, when you get to the area where the faucet is, it's a nightmare to get the bead in place. I need a tube that has a very long, thin, maybe even curved tip that would allow me access to the space to be caulked.
Dear Husband's two beads of caulk, the one at the sink and the one at the back splash, flowed together to create that ribbon of caulk, and let me tell you, that was NO fun to scrape out!
Posted by Buffy | April 7, 2005 4:28 PM
Posted on April 7, 2005 16:28
Sounds like you have it well in hand, Buffy. Yes, behind a sink is a rather inconvenient place to caulk. My sinks have grouting behind them, rather than caulking. Not having worked with grouting as much as with caulking, I can't really compare working with the two.
Posted by Cop Car | April 8, 2005 11:17 AM
Posted on April 8, 2005 11:17
I used the silicone stuff on my bath tub on my first attempt at chaulking. I could never get it off! My old landlord avoided removing it also. What he did when I moved out, I don't know, but I will never use silicone ever again. Good luck Buffy!
Posted by Susan | April 8, 2005 12:58 PM
Posted on April 8, 2005 12:58