Caulking outside

[dportem]

I looked and could not find the right forum to place this, so here goes. I'm planing on re-caulking most of the rv next week and was wondering if there are any tricks of the trade that could be passed on. I've caulked bathrooms ect, but this is definitely a huge undertaking. I'm going to home depot today to look for a de-caulker to help remove the old stuff and maybe a cleaner to prime the area. Is there a particular white spf silicon that is recommended over another. Any tips would be a hugely welcomed. Thanks

[Fla2RI]

I'm going to do mine also, I've decided to clean up the old stuff and then use 4" Eternabond tape instead of caulk.

[M Henry]

Originally Posted by dportem

I'm planing on re-caulking most of the rv next week and was wondering if there are any tricks of the trade that could be passed on. Is there a particular white spf silicon that is recommended over another. Any tips would be a hugely welcomed. Thanks

If your home is sealed with silicone it's pretty nasty stuff to remove but not impossible. It's best not to put any kind of thinner, etc. on it beforehand. The easiest way to get it off is with a razor blade or an Olfa blade. It takes time, but if you lay the blade up against the side you can cut the majority of the caulk out in one section. There will be some left over but that will rub off with a small squegee or you can try cleaning it off with thinner when the worst has been removed.

Once your home is free of caulk I would recommend using TremPro 656 or another paintable caulk. This is what we use to recaulk units before paint and we have never had an issue with it. It will also save you the cost of having to pay for recaulking if you should ever repaint your home and it is also very easy to work with. You should not recaulk your home in silicone unless you are sure your planning to keep the same design. If you do need to recaulk areas with silicone, it should be as little as possible.

[Workshop]

I use a white GE Silicone II for most of the sealing and a Dicro sealant for the roof.

I have been also replacing alot of the sealant/caulk on my unit and have found Minerial Spirits good for removing just applied silicone that havn't cured, but didn't work well for me when removing the older/cured stuff. I have used GOO Gone, wiped on with a paper towel, does a good job in helping to lift/loosen the silicone after it has been partly removed. Haven't found anything that will make it jump off the unit but the Goo Gone has helped. It hasn't affected the painted surfaces or the fiberglass on areas I've done.

After the caulk/silicone has been removed, I use a general purpose cleaner...I use 409...to spray and clean the area. Before aplying the sealant, I will wipe the area with alcohol applied with a papper towel.

For tools, it's plastic scrapers, a 'dull' parring knife for hard areas and a fingr nail or two. Nothing to sharp but have used a flat blade razor a time or two but have to be careful because it will cut quickly.

I did a picture post on the Excel Forum, pg 1 - post #4, when I was caulking my compartment doors if your interested.

Chris

[dportem]

Thanks everyone for the response. Happy Fathers day!

[Gary RVRoamer]

Don't use a silicone caulk. Use Dicor Lap Sealant or Alpha self-leveling caulk for the roof and a sealer like Geocell Tripolymer )clear or white) for vertical surfaces