caulking to seal the edges of a bathtub

[davidilya]

i bought a caulk tube from home depot (dap kwik seal plus caulk kitchen and bath adhesive high gloss white) sealed the tube and like the instruction said waited 24 hours before allowing any contact with water after my first use of the bath tube all the caulk came off, it dissolved into the water. i tried redoing the whole process 3 times already, each time giving it more and more time to dry. By the 3rd try i gave it almost a week and still it dissolved.

maybe i did something wrong, or chose the wrong caulk, are there any suggestions on how i can fix this problem.

thanks

[concretemasonry]

I have always used the Silicone caulk (GE?) in either white or clear. It is not paintable.

One key is to makes sure the gap is thoroughly cleaned out and scraps of old caulk removed. After that, go over it and into the gap with denatured alcohol or acetone to kill everything and give it a day. For clean job, tape the area off and caulk slowly, forcing the sealer into the gap. with a tip much smaller than you think is necessary and wipe the joint with your finger or the tip of a spoon in one continuous sweep and let it dry well. Strip the tape off after the caulk has gotten an initial set. Any raveling along the tape line can be removed later with a gentle cleaning with a solvent.

Dick

It works for me, but don't be in a hurry, but have a continuous finish in one direction.

[below_ground]

Caulking should never dissolve in water. Have you spoken with HD in respect of this matter?

[RTF]

Use 100% silicone caulk around your tub at all points of contact with tile. Silicone will not breakdown, it is not a water based product. Quit using the Dap product and switch to GE . The caulk you used is most probably a siliconized acrylic caulk, which will breakdown with water contact.

[CThomp]

There's a caulking that is called "Tub and Tile" It goes on white but drys clear. It's amazing stuff. It really does dry very clear. I use it in the kitchan the bathrooms. In the kitchen at the granite back splash seem and in the bathroom pretty much everywhere. It's good stuff.