Jump to content

Silicone caulk removal


docj

Recommended Posts

Most of us are aware of the reasons why we shouldn't use silicone caulk on our RVs---among other things it doesn't adhere to itself if you need to re-caulk and it's very difficult to remove.  But even if none of us use the stuff, it's not uncommon for previous owners of our RVs to have used it.  However, to my complete surprise I recently discovered that it can be dissolved with the relatively harmless home cleaning product Goo Gone (or one of the other similar "simple orange" products.)  Maybe everyone else knew this already, but I don't recall having ever seen it posted.

I figured this out while trying to remove caulk from a 40' "drip rail" on my MH.  The reasons the caulk is there are unnecessary for this discussion, but I started by using razor blades to remove it from the clearcoated paint.  That was reasonably effective but it often left a "gummy" residue and occasional resulted in nicks to the paint.  I intended to use the Goo Gone to remove the gummy residue, a task it is intended to be used on, but I began to realize that it also seemed to be dissolving areas of caulk that I hadn't yet tried to remove.

At first I thought that maybe the Goo Gone was simply destroying the adhesion between the clear coat and the caulk, but I am now convinced that it really does (relatively slowly) dissolve the caulk itself.  It doesn't appear to have any effect on the clearcoat.  I was able to complete the caulk removal with far less effort and with no damage to the paint.

As I said, maybe this is a well known maintenance trick, but I sure didn't know about it and maybe others don't know it either.  

 

 

Sandie & Joel

2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
WiFiRanger Ambassador
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you ever repaint every single molecule  will leave a fish eye in the paint,Its been years now but in the marine paint trade if silicone was used it added thousands to the job.I only use marine grade products on my RV.

Polysulfides or polyurethanes   by sikins or 3M  

silicone will always fail if it is stressed in more then 1 plane, if it gets into your sandpaper while say prepping for paint  a whole lot of work and materials will go up in smoke.

2005 volvo 670 freedomline singled
Newmar Torrey Pine 34rsks
woot woot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 If you can find a product at Walmart called Prepsol, by clean strip. It is a cheap version of a cleaner  that auto paint persons use to clean before applying auto paint.

 Auto paint stores should have it , but they may have it in there version which probably will cost more. I put it in a small container so if you spill it ,then you have not lost the whole container.

 

 It may not be available in Californie or Arizona.

 

 If you wipe it on silicone it will start to wrinkle the edge in a minute ur two. When I use it on silicone I wipe it on first over several feet. Then use a utility knife to cur the thicker part out. Now if the edge is wrinkle you may take a rag and see how it will remove what is wrinkled.

 It will not hurt auto paint, or fiberglass.

 I normally will just apply another coat of Prepsol and let it soak that area as you start working farther away. Give it 5 minutes or so and if the silicone is thin it should start wrinkling and also cut much easier.

 

 Apply elbow grease as needed,.    Vern

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, hone eagle said:

If you ever repaint every single molecule  will leave a fish eye in the paint,Its been years now but in the marine paint trade if silicone was used it added thousands to the job.I only use marine grade products on my RV.

Polysulfides or polyurethanes   by sikins or 3M  

silicone will always fail if it is stressed in more then 1 plane, if it gets into your sandpaper while say prepping for paint  a whole lot of work and materials will go up in smoke.

"Fisheye remover" is an additive used for lacquers and other coatings to prevent fisheye when the surface has been previously contaminated with silicone.

 

Lance-white-sands-500.jpg

~Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...