Caulking question
Another day, another noob question :B My van had an INCIDENT a few days ago. A friend was driving it and managed to wedge it under the porch roof of a church! Got home and told me the whole lo...
Forum Discussion
Naio wrote:Here's the deal: Silicone (or siliconized latex) is not a bad sealant when in compression, i.e. when located between two facing materials. Silicone deteriorates rapidly when exposed to the Sun and weather. Alex Plus is siliconized latex house caulk and typically lasts for 10 years when topcoated with latex paint. It will become brittle and shrink during that time. That is why, we, as house painters, spend inordinate time scraping old Alex Plus out of joints and applying a fresh bead. It is also the cheapest caulk available.westend wrote:
Siliconized latex caulk is not the caulk to use. I'd suggest to buy some 3M caulk remover and remove the Alex Plus. That will also allow you to see if the fiberglass is cracked (a real possibility). If the fiberglass is cracked, you will want to patch that with resin and fiber or just resin. Caulk will not hold it together for long.
The best caulk to use on the exterior is one of the polymer sealants made by Geocel. They are engineered for the transportation industry. Tripolymer 2300 adhesive and Proflex RV are two types of sealant made by Geocel.
This caulk is in the seam holding the roof onto the van. I could not remove all the caulk without removing the roof. If I remove the roof, I will not be able to do the van build this year. I would have to rebuild my old van (now gutted) and use it again this winter, find a place to store the maple flooring and other matierials I bought while I am gone, etc., etc.
I will do it if it absolutely has to be done, but it will destroy all my plans for the coming year.
As an alternative, is there a better caulk that would stick to the Alex Plus, that I could use as a top coat?
I will look again, but I can see all but the bottom half inch of the fiberglass roof, and I do not think there are any cracks.
Here's what I'd suggest: Mechanically remove most of the Alex Plus that is around the joint. As a final cleanup, wipe down with mineral spirits. Inspect the fiberglass that is now exposed. After inspection and possible repair, apply one of those Geocel sealants. Doing it as above won't necessitate removing the top.
In the future--no silicone or latex on any RV exterior.
