You know after 3 years with one of those years being full time the caulking seam in between the tub and the shower wall started to crack not to mention that I couldn't clean the existing caulk any more.
The caulk that was there presented a discoloration that I couldn't clean plus there were some visible sunken spots in the caulk around the tub.
Now did you know that the caulking process that was done at the factory used 2 products, a white caulk and a clear caulk.
The white forms the main bead between the tub and the shower walls and the clear seals the gold shower stall walls from the top of the tub.
I started out by cleaning everything and drying out the tub with paper towels. I used my trusty ol' Gerber and flipped out my 4" blade and went to work removing all the old caulk. That was one job that took me a good hour+ to make sure it was as clean as possible.
Reading the instructions on the caulk it says don't use an ammonia based cleaner so I used a vinegar based Windex product which worked very well.
By now the tub was full of old caulk so I just hooked up the hose to my basement
CV950 Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner and promptly cleaned up all the garbage. I've developed quite a liking for the Dirt Devil however my next challenge would be to get a remote control shut off so I can leave the hose plugged into the outlet while I'm doing something else.
Once I got as much of the old caulk out I used my Vinegar Windex one more time to clean the entire caulking area and wiped it dry with paper towels. To make sure it was completely dry I lifted the hair dryer off of the wall and used it to completely de-moisture the area to be caulked.
I used a water based white caulk since it was the only thing I had for the moment and it was really easy to work with and I made a really nice bead and I was able to make a nice finish by using a moistened finger tip. I cleaned up the balance with a moist paper towel and it looks just about perfect.
The second job was done with silicone based clear caulk. I don't think they make a water soluble clear. The clear went on very easily and I made a nice bead along the outside shower walls.
Tomorrow I get to see the whole thing dry. I hope it works. I've never done this type of work before in the motorhome.
I'm hoping that the prep work and the clean surfaces will give me another 3 years before I have to do it all over again.
This being retired is quite something! At this rate I'd rather be back at work. There's always something to do and not enough time to do it.
Tomorrow is exterior wash and clean day and Wednesday we're off for a month on the road. Just thought I would share.
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