Proflex Bright White Caulk

[RVhiker]

I have read and made many recommendations of Proflex caulk. I'm a bit disappointed with its performance. Over many years, I have found that Proflex yellows and cracks. It's better than most caulk, I think, but it is not perfect in my experience.

What's better than Proflex?

[filrupmark]

I went to Camping World last week to purchase Dicor lap sealant and they were almost out. Seems they are taking on a new line of roofing sealant that I have never heard of. I cannot remember the brand but I did get my Dicor.

[Gjac]

I have tried many different caulks over the years and found Geocell to be the best from a price to what it does. I use the 3M 5200 on my boat as an adhesive caulk but it is expensive and difficult to remove. I don't think it lasts longer than the Geocell. The acrylic caulks seem to yellow and get black mold on them quicker than the others.

[Dave_H_M]

maybe i missed it someplace, but dicor also comes in non self leveling.

[RVguy77]

There are basically 2 types of caulks. The first type is solvent-based and they dry through evaporation which leads to shrinking and cracking. These caulks can be identified by looking at the ingredients which include the typical aromatic solvents.

The other group are reactive chemistries that cure through a chemical reaction. Silicone and Urethane are in this category. These generally perform way better that solvent-based products.

Sikaflex is the best in my opinion.

Too much to cover here. A good place for more info is the FAQ page at www.delamrepair.com

[mobeewan]

IIRC OSI is about the same consistency as Proflex. I used it a few years ago to seal around newly replaced brick molding of windows on a house I lived in. Also used it to seal where the new storm window flanges overlapped the new brick molding. I used a battery powered caulk gun for a consistent feed and steady application. There wasn't much smoothing out to be done.

[owenssailor]

The 3M caulking comes in 2 varieties. The 5200 is a very strong adhesive and is very difficult to remove. The 4200 is a very good caulk and is easier to remove. Easier - not easy!

[MrWizard]

i have used 3M to seal window edges when replacing them
for that i usually use the black

but yes i've had good luck with 3M on vertical seams

[ScottG]

RVhiker wrote:
I'm looking for something that can be used on vertical seams like Proflex; Dicor self leveling is a good product, but not for vertical seams. I have not been impressed with Dicor non self leveling caulk; it cracks pretty quickly.

Are 3M white polyurethane and OSI Quad both useful for vertical seams? Are they any harder to smooth out and work with than Proflex?

I've only had Dicor crack in one place over the years and that was because the two surfaces were moving.
Otherwise, our last TT (13 y/o) never had a crack anyplace in the Dicor.

[RVhiker]

I'm looking for something that can be used on vertical seams like Proflex; Dicor self leveling is a good product, but not for vertical seams. I have not been impressed with Dicor non self leveling caulk; it cracks pretty quickly.

Are 3M white polyurethane and OSI Quad both useful for vertical seams? Are they any harder to smooth out and work with than Proflex?

[mobeewan]

OSI Quad is a good substitute for Proflex.

[MrWizard]

i usually buy 3M white polyurethane, thats the original all these others are based

the marine grade is also a permanent adhesive, used to mount deck cleats on boats for tying up at the dock, not to be used where you might want to remove it, like sealing roof vents to the roof

i stick to the 3M regular white polyurethane

[ScottG]

I prefer Dicor. It doesn't yellow or get as hard as the clear Proflex they slathered and slopped all over my Arctic Fox. At least solvent breaks it down enough to get some of the stuff off that's a result of their finger painting around lights.

[DutchmenSport]

For an RV Dicor is still the best. Yes, it's a lot more expensive than what's sold at the big box home self-improvement stores, but it is made for RV use.

[MDKMDK]

I've had good luck with Dicor products. Mostly, the self leveling LAP sealant.