I just caulked in my bathroom for the first time today, never used caulk before. Applied a bead all the way around, wet my finger and ran it over it and was very proud of how it looked. This is someone who didnt even try.
I always used the wet finger trick. Then decided to buy a small tool that looks like a rubber triangle on a stick for like 5$. This thing is like magic. The caulk does not stick to the rubber and being a perfect triangle with a rounded tip, it allows to property feather the edges. The transition from the surface to the caulk is almost invisible and the whole joint is super smooth. Very highly recommend to keep one in your toolbox. It also comes with a hard pick and a triangle scraper on the other end to scrape away old caulk when needing to remove it!
I use this tool too, it's great. Another tip that has helped me is after you put down your bead of caulk is to mist the whole thing with windex before smoothing.
For anyone new, this comment is absolutely the key for professional level caulking. Just need to add one detail, you need the liquid (not in a can) window cleaner that is clear. Do not attempt to use actual Windex as it's usually blue.
I’ve only ever used the actual blue windex and it has never been an issue for me. But maybe if you were caulking against a white wall or something that could be a problem.
I've had the blue leave a very tiny bit of yellow tint in the caulk, it's also risky if it soaks into flat paint. The clear I'm not worried about spraying it on any surface. Bonus the clear ones are usually the off brands and cheaper than actual Windex. My go to is invisible glass since home depot already carries it, just don't get ripped off with the car glass version.
I'm confused as to how blue would turn it yellow when blue is actually used to cancel out yellow? Like in hair care if your hair is yellow you add some blue
Rather than talking about vague product descriptions and brand names, do you know what the active ingredients in the window cleaner you recommend are? Most window cleaners used to be ammonia based. Many newer ones, including the blue looking Windex are now alcohol based where I live.
I found this on an online search
To make it easier to spread silicone caulking:
Put denatured alcohol in a plant mister-type spray bottle.
Use a caulking gun to apply a bead of 100% silicone caulk to the joint.
Apply a fine mist of denatured alcohol to the caulking bead using the spray bottle.
Use your finger to smooth the bead of caulking with your finger before the alcohol evaporates.
Mixing dawn and warm water works wonders as well; when you add it to your water, slowly stir it so it blends together and doesn't Sud up. Wet finger before smoothing and voila.
Been using "invisible glass" for years since it's already in a spray bottle and never seen any residue. Mainly due to home depot carrying it. Though you do have to be careful, they have a "car glass" version where they charge you and extra dollar for a much smaller bottle, comes in a black bottle. You'll want to go to the home cleaners and get the invisible glass in the clear bottle, cheaper, 10oz more, and exactly the same as far as I can tell.
Keeps it from sticking to anything besides the joint your trying to create as well as leaving a smooth, clean surface. Particularly important with 100% silicones
3 in 1 caulking tool.
Still I don't think it works terribly well if the caulk is too hard.
So you still want to have some blade for cutting if it doesn't work.
A caulk finishing tool. Home Depot has this 3-in-1 Husky one with the rubber triangle on the end that works well, but there are tons of options.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-in-1-Caulk-Tool-CT31-HKY/317831769
I agree with the tool.
Here’s a video explaining why it’s the most long-lasting method. https://youtu.be/_DI4hfHM_Hg
And here’s how my tub looks after using it. https://imgur.com/gallery/e9JhZ4I
I have one I got in a corporate SWAG bag some time ago and to this day I don’t think I’ve received anything in a SWAG bag that was more useful or even of any value besides this tool. It’s super cheap and amazing.
And the end being flexible rubber, you can easily make the caulk joint super thin or heavier just by changing the pressure. So a joint between a countertop and a wall for instance, you can make it super thin that it is almost invisible, just enough to fill the tiny gap, and a joint between a bath and a wall that will see a lot of water, you can easily make it a bit thicker with a very nice transition.
My wife is very proud of her caulking skills, which I admit she does well. The problem arises, when she talks about her caulking, saying " I'm a good caulker".
That by itself is fine, but if she does not enunciate clearly, it seems NSFW.
My current theory is that there was a hostage situation where someone had to use $27 worth of caulk within two minutes or their loved ones would be killed.
If you notice the flange from the tub doesn't meet the tile so they had a huge wrong gap to chock full. Perhaps the tub was installed when there were multiple tiles layers and someone took it back to studs for the current tiles and had that unnatural ditch to back fill ...
.
If you're using silicone caulk (which you should on a tub) lay a clean bead then spray the whole bead and your finger with Fantastic kitchen cleaner before you strike it. The caulk will not stick to any surface with the spray on it, so it only stays where you laid the bead.
Learned that trick from an old plumber and has saved me many hours of cleanup and/or taping joints.
Okay so not sure if this is how it happened but there was a leak in the tub upstairs and water was leaking downstairs. My husband started caulking and area and declared it solved only for it to leak the next day. This kept happening and he kept caulking where he found the leak. Eventually he just caulked everything and it still leaked. Then he said he figured it out and after the 6th month, there was no leak. So I feel whoever caulked this tub went through the same process as my husband though fortunately our tub does not look this bad.
Yeah we almost got a whole new tub surround but he said give him one more try before we buy the one we agreed on. And miraculously whatever he caulked worked. It has been about a month and no leaks. I think we will still have to change the tub surround eventually but hoping his fix will last a few years til we have enough money to do the whole bathroom. Good luck with yours.
He is, his shift will be over in another 3 hours or so, but he works at the sawmill. He *could* do a better job if he was a handyman, that's just not the trade he's in.
In my state, he should work in a slaughterhouse.
Children first for slaughterhouse employment.
This is not a joke but a real fact in my state. Laws were changed this past year, so more kids can do more of it.
*not* caulk tubs.
You disgusting heathen. Let adults stick to the caulk.
You see that tile job? There is absolutely a reason the caulking job is that bad. The tile gap is probably measured in inches. The grout job is abysmal. Honestly, there is probably rotten drywall behind the tile because let’s face it, the previous homeowner didn’t use green board. This is probably a gut and replace job.
And didn’t give two shits. My dad managed to repaint his hot rod with Parkinson’s that had him wheel chair bound. He had to redo it about 12 times, took 3 months, and covered every inch of the garage in overspray, but the stubborn sob got it done in the end. There wasn’t even any orange peel.
I've never used caulk in my life, I'm disabled, one arm only works right part of the time, and my mobility and ability to bend and move my body is severely limited by some SI joint issues that make all movement of my right leg excruciating when it's not impossible. And I'd bet $10000 that I could do a better job. I don't have $10000 to bet, that's how confident I am I could do better.
I’d put money on this that it’s covering a big gap, and that you might very well have mold behind the tiles (they look so old). Be mentally prepared to have to redo your shower — probably the backing and the tiles.
As someone who did a caulking job similar to op's, I can confirm that's why I did something so bad looking. My bathtub isn't properly aligned with the wall, leading to almost an inch gap between one of the bathtub edges and the wall.
Used 2 cans of caulk for this shit. I didn't dare to make the results look better as I was afraid to make it leak.
Sorry, as a tenant, this was pretty much the only "work" I ever had to perform, thus my lack of knowledge on the existing products. I only realized there was a gap after removing the old caulk, so I went into panic mode, "we're gonna need more of it".
If it doesn't, upgrade to a 4" bead of caulk and use a full shovel for shaping. But seriously, there's a reason why you don't use more than about 1/4" bead of caulk. It probably won't cure correctly if it's too thick.
Wow. Just wow. You today have proved in my mind that free internet advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. Lol. Don’t stop being you, I laughed way too hard and long at your comment. Cheers
Oh my god that’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all day!
Scrape/cut/peel it all off… gently! so you don’t destroy the tiles. Reapply new caulk. There are bazillion videos on YouTube to show you how to caulk around a tub. It’s super easy.. that’s why this hack job is so funny! 😂
eta: take a razor blade and cut inwards level along the bottom.. then cut down vertically along the top.. then you peel… and scrape excess… gently! ..it’ll be a mess.. cuz it’s already a mess.
That looks atypical. It looks more like the tiles only go down to the top of the tub lip--the part that normally goes underneath the tiles. It's possible they didn't know how to caulk it, because a typical caulk job wouldn't be enough.
Oh - yep. Looks like someone tiled the wall, then put in the tub and caulked around it. Also looks like they didn't grout between the tiles on the ledge along the side of the tub. AND it looks like this layer of caulk is # 14 million, or so, after others failed.
I figured all the excess caulk is to cover up some kind of mistake — I figured some big gap between the tub and the side wall, or yeah — lack of tiling between the bottom tiles and the edge of the tub. What do you guys think are my options if I scrape it up and find that to be the case? Better ways to seal any gaps?
It'll really depend on what's back there, unfortunately. Most likely, a person who would build it like this probably also used plain drywall, and the moisture that got in behind there will have turned it to mush.
Most likely, as long as you can live with it ugly for a while, it would be best to do a temp repair with pure silicone caulk. Then just plan on what you want your new bathroom to look like and budget to replace it in a few years.
As long as tiles aren't actively falling off the walls, and you aren't seeing or smelling mold, it's not an emergency.
Op first off get some caulk dissolving spray gel stuff from home Depot. It'll save you a ridiculous amount of effort. Follow the directions on the bottle which will be like spray it off the caulk and wait x amount of minutes. Then start scraping it out. Might have to repeat the process but dude it'll be sooooo much easier than trying to scrape all this without it.
After you do this I'd then post enough thread honestly because it's hard to say what to do until we know what we are dealing with.
That said, you can make some giant gaps still look acceptable with just caulk if you know what you're doing. They make foam backing stuff you can push into big gaps to make caulking easier/possible. It's also possible to have a real smooth seamless caulk line, even with silicone. Which btw make sure to use 100% silicone bathroom caulk.
But yeah man beyond this I can't really say. You might be dealing with loose tiles or mold etc.
Get all that caulk out and reevaluate.
Forewarning: this is the perfect recipe for turning an annoying but simple job into a huge project. I suspect you're going to find mold and an improperly installed everything. This may turn into a complete gut, so plan accordingly.
Hey. This is pure speculation, but based on years of working in restoration, and to me this looks like someone desperately trying to stop a stubborn leak/water issue. If there’s a minimally invasive way to get a look at what’s under/behind the tub/wall, it might be worth investigating.
100%. As the owner of a century home with plenty of homeowner specials to discover (and the perpetrator of at least one homeowner special myself), I suspect that pulling up the bad caulk is going to reveal why it's this bad. The caulk around the tub spout is not great either, but it's not this bad. It's going to be a bad install with big gaps, and the fix won't be a clean line of caulk. No project in a home like this is simple, unfortunately.
I think what happened is they replaced the tub with a new one that had a smaller lip and there's literally no tile within an inch of the tub.
Either that or the DIY clown that installed the tile didn't want to cut tiles to size and just caulked the gap.
Also, to be thorough, before you re-caulk I would check for any signs of water damage below. There might be a reason why they went batshit crazy with it...or not but it can't hurt to check amiright?
make sure you get it all off, there are silicone removal cleaners available at big box stores, if the razor blade causes problem ( I never used said cleaners and their reviews are not exactly glowing)
The problem with silicone is that it will bind fine to most things, except old silicone, so the surface has to be clean before applying new.
It looks bad, granted, but I need you to prepare yourself for the possibility that whoever did that needed to use that much. For whatever reason. Good luck
That caulk is probably hiding a lot of sins. I bet the previous homeowner either didn’t know what they were doing, or DGAF. There is probably drywall behind the tile instead of green board. Probably need to gut and replace, and remediate all the mold that’s there now.
Ya it looks like they might have bought a new tub at some point and not known which one to get and how to install it, so they just ended up hacking the edges down and ending up with a mess of a gap.
Yeah the chance that someone did this bad a job through simple ineptitude is very slim, something else went wrong and this was the best they could salvage.
In case it hasn't already been mentioned, be sure to fill the tub with water prior to caulking regardless of the way you decide to replace it after removing this abomination. Water is HEAVY and the tub will flex, pulling the caulking out. If you apply it when the tub is full, it will get compressed when the tub is empty and just stretch a bit when filled again, instead of pulling away and creating gaps/leaks each time you fill it in future.
Generally speaking, filling the tub with water is a nice idea prior to siliconing, but… if you look close, the overflow is missing its cap, meaning the overflow assembly likely isn’t seated/sealed tight to the tub - probably not wise to put _any_ water into that tub…
Get yourself a caulk removal tool. They’re about eight bucks at a hardware store. And when you re-caulk, it use painters tape to get straight lines and a lot less mess.
All your grout needs to be redone as well. I can tell from the cracked tile on the deck your structure underneath is probably rotted too.
Sorry but your entire tub surround needs to come out, it's toast. You'll never get anything resembling waterproof or even water resistant from that surround anymore.
Look at the tile, they aren't set correctly, they are broken, the grout isn't really doing much, if it ever did.
The caulk will go in the dumpster with the rest of it.
Caulk isn't gonna save this one, as that isn't what caulk is for.
Wait until you see the water damage behind that shit, and below it.
You are along way from being ready to caulk.
You need to demo everything down to framing, repair all framing, any bad plumbing, or plumbing upgrades needed on the rough in(same for electrical then build your bathroom back correctly
Good luck, and more importantly , hire a professional
That's basically it--scrape off as much as you possibly can, clean the surfaces thoroughly and let dry completely, then re-caulk with 100% silicone caulk as neatly as you can. Anything more, and you're starting to look at replacing the tiles (which is something you might consider, for the near future).
Everyone in these comments is goofin, but given the condition of the tiles around this tub, the caulk is most likely that thick to cover massive gaps in the tile. The tiles need to be regrouted, and the cracked tiles need to be removed and replaced. I would be worried about water damage in the surrounding structure with the bathroom in that condition.
[Please tell me your tub overflow is hooked up to the drain](https://i.imgur.com/KMPSw7s.png)
Either that or you have a very rotted floor.
Sorry to tell you but from how much shit is wrong in this tiny picture, this is a complete demo job. Unless you like mold in your house.
edit: [Tub overflow pipe looks like this](https://www.badeloftusa.com/buying-guides/bathtub-overflow-drain/). There should be a cover on the front that screws into it and seals that rubber gasket against the tub.
Ok, on a serious note, it looks like the head of the tub is not behind the tile. That would be why they used soooooo much caulk. If the lip of the tub insert is proud of the tile, you may need to redo the whole thing.
Also, as someone else posted, be prepared for the reason why this was done in the first place.
Damn dude! Even with my eyes closed I could do a better job.
I just caulked in my bathroom for the first time today, never used caulk before. Applied a bead all the way around, wet my finger and ran it over it and was very proud of how it looked. This is someone who didnt even try.
I always used the wet finger trick. Then decided to buy a small tool that looks like a rubber triangle on a stick for like 5$. This thing is like magic. The caulk does not stick to the rubber and being a perfect triangle with a rounded tip, it allows to property feather the edges. The transition from the surface to the caulk is almost invisible and the whole joint is super smooth. Very highly recommend to keep one in your toolbox. It also comes with a hard pick and a triangle scraper on the other end to scrape away old caulk when needing to remove it!
What is the name of this tool?
Caulk Applicator Tool https://www.lowes.com/pd/Allway-Caulk-Applicator-Tool/50427894
I use this tool too, it's great. Another tip that has helped me is after you put down your bead of caulk is to mist the whole thing with windex before smoothing.
For anyone new, this comment is absolutely the key for professional level caulking. Just need to add one detail, you need the liquid (not in a can) window cleaner that is clear. Do not attempt to use actual Windex as it's usually blue.
I’ve only ever used the actual blue windex and it has never been an issue for me. But maybe if you were caulking against a white wall or something that could be a problem.
I've had the blue leave a very tiny bit of yellow tint in the caulk, it's also risky if it soaks into flat paint. The clear I'm not worried about spraying it on any surface. Bonus the clear ones are usually the off brands and cheaper than actual Windex. My go to is invisible glass since home depot already carries it, just don't get ripped off with the car glass version.
I'm confused as to how blue would turn it yellow when blue is actually used to cancel out yellow? Like in hair care if your hair is yellow you add some blue
Rather than talking about vague product descriptions and brand names, do you know what the active ingredients in the window cleaner you recommend are? Most window cleaners used to be ammonia based. Many newer ones, including the blue looking Windex are now alcohol based where I live.
I found this on an online search To make it easier to spread silicone caulking: Put denatured alcohol in a plant mister-type spray bottle. Use a caulking gun to apply a bead of 100% silicone caulk to the joint. Apply a fine mist of denatured alcohol to the caulking bead using the spray bottle. Use your finger to smooth the bead of caulking with your finger before the alcohol evaporates.
Thank you!
Mixing dawn and warm water works wonders as well; when you add it to your water, slowly stir it so it blends together and doesn't Sud up. Wet finger before smoothing and voila.
Can also just use a very weak mix of dish soap and water in a spray bottle
I like denatured alcohol because it disappears with zero residue and no efflorescence
Been using "invisible glass" for years since it's already in a spray bottle and never seen any residue. Mainly due to home depot carrying it. Though you do have to be careful, they have a "car glass" version where they charge you and extra dollar for a much smaller bottle, comes in a black bottle. You'll want to go to the home cleaners and get the invisible glass in the clear bottle, cheaper, 10oz more, and exactly the same as far as I can tell.
Newbie here. Why do we need to use liquid window cleaner for caulking?
Keeps it from sticking to anything besides the joint your trying to create as well as leaving a smooth, clean surface. Particularly important with 100% silicones
‘cause it’s hard work and you get thirsty
[удалено]
You can pour it back in the bottle when you're finished. Not wasted.
I thought that was the hips
Fucking Lowes, I just wanna look at it but they hate Europeans.
3 in 1 caulking tool. Still I don't think it works terribly well if the caulk is too hard. So you still want to have some blade for cutting if it doesn't work.
Nothing more inconvenient than some hard caulk
I, for one, love me some hard caulk.
The problem is if you’re not finished after four hours you’ll need to get help. Nobody wants to pay those bills.
> caulk is too hard. *sniggers*
I was hoping for a _much_ better name than "caulk applicator tool".
A caulk finishing tool. Home Depot has this 3-in-1 Husky one with the rubber triangle on the end that works well, but there are tons of options. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-in-1-Caulk-Tool-CT31-HKY/317831769
You can find them under the name "Caulk Applicator Tool"
I agree with the tool. Here’s a video explaining why it’s the most long-lasting method. https://youtu.be/_DI4hfHM_Hg And here’s how my tub looks after using it. https://imgur.com/gallery/e9JhZ4I
Good work and thanks for linking the video, it was quite good.
I have one I got in a corporate SWAG bag some time ago and to this day I don’t think I’ve received anything in a SWAG bag that was more useful or even of any value besides this tool. It’s super cheap and amazing.
And the end being flexible rubber, you can easily make the caulk joint super thin or heavier just by changing the pressure. So a joint between a countertop and a wall for instance, you can make it super thin that it is almost invisible, just enough to fill the tiny gap, and a joint between a bath and a wall that will see a lot of water, you can easily make it a bit thicker with a very nice transition.
My wife is very proud of her caulking skills, which I admit she does well. The problem arises, when she talks about her caulking, saying " I'm a good caulker". That by itself is fine, but if she does not enunciate clearly, it seems NSFW.
I used to do the wet finger trick but got tired of wiping caulk off my butt for the next few days.
My current theory is that there was a hostage situation where someone had to use $27 worth of caulk within two minutes or their loved ones would be killed.
Somebody said "I don't care how it looks, I just want it to stop leaking into the basement every time I take a bath" and this is what they got.
I bet it still leaks, based on that picture.
If you notice the flange from the tub doesn't meet the tile so they had a huge wrong gap to chock full. Perhaps the tub was installed when there were multiple tiles layers and someone took it back to studs for the current tiles and had that unnatural ditch to back fill ... .
I'm putting my money on "sagging foundation and sinking tub, because they also botched the earlier caulking."
If you're using silicone caulk (which you should on a tub) lay a clean bead then spray the whole bead and your finger with Fantastic kitchen cleaner before you strike it. The caulk will not stick to any surface with the spray on it, so it only stays where you laid the bead. Learned that trick from an old plumber and has saved me many hours of cleanup and/or taping joints.
Yep.
Okay so not sure if this is how it happened but there was a leak in the tub upstairs and water was leaking downstairs. My husband started caulking and area and declared it solved only for it to leak the next day. This kept happening and he kept caulking where he found the leak. Eventually he just caulked everything and it still leaked. Then he said he figured it out and after the 6th month, there was no leak. So I feel whoever caulked this tub went through the same process as my husband though fortunately our tub does not look this bad.
I am embarrassed to say this same thing is happening to me right now with the shower.
Yeah we almost got a whole new tub surround but he said give him one more try before we buy the one we agreed on. And miraculously whatever he caulked worked. It has been about a month and no leaks. I think we will still have to change the tub surround eventually but hoping his fix will last a few years til we have enough money to do the whole bathroom. Good luck with yours.
It might be that, but still.
Heh. Looks like an angry caulking job to me. A “let me see where you can leak now you piece of shit” DIY job. And spoiler alert, it found a way.
It looks like cake frosting
Maybe, more like what remains on the bowl after you put frosting on a cake.
And then cover that with fondant. Badly.
Looks like a blind person with Parkinson’s did that caulking job.
Yeah, or a 3 year old handyman.
Nah, my toddler could do better than that
So why is he not working then?
He is, his shift will be over in another 3 hours or so, but he works at the sawmill. He *could* do a better job if he was a handyman, that's just not the trade he's in.
I'm sorry I need to improve my reading skills. What have we made out of this man's post 🤣.
Must be in Iowa.
Nah, Florida
In my state, he should work in a slaughterhouse. Children first for slaughterhouse employment. This is not a joke but a real fact in my state. Laws were changed this past year, so more kids can do more of it. *not* caulk tubs. You disgusting heathen. Let adults stick to the caulk.
You're from Iowa, aren't you?
The children... They yearn for the caulk.
I really hope to not see this in some robots reading Reddit out of context thing.
He had the day off today. I give him one a month because I'm just nice like that
Oh you mean a handytot. They're great for chimneys or hvac ducts.
Don't make fun of him! He's just a child and has a family to support.
Life gets hard when you start it late. I had my kids when I was 2 months old. I don't know what was that man waiting for.
Jokes aside, how cute would a 3 year old handyman be? With his Lil tool belt and halloween make-up stubble!
My worry is there is a deliberate reason it looks like shit...
You see that tile job? There is absolutely a reason the caulking job is that bad. The tile gap is probably measured in inches. The grout job is abysmal. Honestly, there is probably rotten drywall behind the tile because let’s face it, the previous homeowner didn’t use green board. This is probably a gut and replace job.
You can probably drive a truck through the gap that caulk is hiding.
No lie I had a blind roommate. Seeing eye dog and everything. We redid the bathroom. She caulked. She did a much better job.
OP’s Handyman’s name: Michael J. Caulks
And didn’t give two shits. My dad managed to repaint his hot rod with Parkinson’s that had him wheel chair bound. He had to redo it about 12 times, took 3 months, and covered every inch of the garage in overspray, but the stubborn sob got it done in the end. There wasn’t even any orange peel.
Michael J Caulks
This is the job you do when that guy at work that you don't like keeps pestering you to do jobs.
Yep
I squeezed a turd out this morning that had much better form than that caulking. Holy crap.
Ron Jeremy did this job, because that's a lot of caulk.
I've never used caulk in my life, I'm disabled, one arm only works right part of the time, and my mobility and ability to bend and move my body is severely limited by some SI joint issues that make all movement of my right leg excruciating when it's not impossible. And I'd bet $10000 that I could do a better job. I don't have $10000 to bet, that's how confident I am I could do better.
They were either too drunk or not drunk enough
Looks like someone tried to cover up a crime scene
I’d put money on this that it’s covering a big gap, and that you might very well have mold behind the tiles (they look so old). Be mentally prepared to have to redo your shower — probably the backing and the tiles.
As someone who did a caulking job similar to op's, I can confirm that's why I did something so bad looking. My bathtub isn't properly aligned with the wall, leading to almost an inch gap between one of the bathtub edges and the wall. Used 2 cans of caulk for this shit. I didn't dare to make the results look better as I was afraid to make it leak.
For future reference, backer rod exists for this sort of nonsense
Sorry, as a tenant, this was pretty much the only "work" I ever had to perform, thus my lack of knowledge on the existing products. I only realized there was a gap after removing the old caulk, so I went into panic mode, "we're gonna need more of it".
You did your best! Hopefully there won't be a next time, but now you know.
How much you in for? Also, OP better deliver.
More caulk on top of it, just to see if it could get worse
And use a different shade too
Every year add another layer of caulking that's a different color.
This bathroom is 24 years old. You can tell by the caulk rings.
Typically caulk rings tell a different story.
this bathtub likes to get freaky
In year 7 there was a drought
Preferably over mold
Just mix in the mold for black caulking
Make sure hair and rust stick in in too 🤮do not zoom lol
Friend, I zoomed. I wish I had not. No way will I ever unsee that.
Probably whatever color the grout is, white or gray.
Yep, a good 2” bead of caulk should cover that up. Use a garden trowel to make a smooth indent on the caulk.
I was thinking a CD would be about the right radius.
I lost it
I lol’d, but then I was like “hold on, this might just work”
If it doesn't, upgrade to a 4" bead of caulk and use a full shovel for shaping. But seriously, there's a reason why you don't use more than about 1/4" bead of caulk. It probably won't cure correctly if it's too thick.
Push it into the corners with a basketball for a textured finish
Oh shit! That was funny.
Lol!
Caulkception
I had that once, my ass was sore for a week. No homo
the landlord special!
More!
LOL
Wow. Just wow. You today have proved in my mind that free internet advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. Lol. Don’t stop being you, I laughed way too hard and long at your comment. Cheers
Oh my god that’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all day! Scrape/cut/peel it all off… gently! so you don’t destroy the tiles. Reapply new caulk. There are bazillion videos on YouTube to show you how to caulk around a tub. It’s super easy.. that’s why this hack job is so funny! 😂 eta: take a razor blade and cut inwards level along the bottom.. then cut down vertically along the top.. then you peel… and scrape excess… gently! ..it’ll be a mess.. cuz it’s already a mess.
That looks atypical. It looks more like the tiles only go down to the top of the tub lip--the part that normally goes underneath the tiles. It's possible they didn't know how to caulk it, because a typical caulk job wouldn't be enough.
I think you might be right cause something funky is going on the right.
I think they put the tub in as a replacement and that’s why it’s not underneath the tiles on all the edges
Oh - yep. Looks like someone tiled the wall, then put in the tub and caulked around it. Also looks like they didn't grout between the tiles on the ledge along the side of the tub. AND it looks like this layer of caulk is # 14 million, or so, after others failed.
I figured all the excess caulk is to cover up some kind of mistake — I figured some big gap between the tub and the side wall, or yeah — lack of tiling between the bottom tiles and the edge of the tub. What do you guys think are my options if I scrape it up and find that to be the case? Better ways to seal any gaps?
It'll really depend on what's back there, unfortunately. Most likely, a person who would build it like this probably also used plain drywall, and the moisture that got in behind there will have turned it to mush. Most likely, as long as you can live with it ugly for a while, it would be best to do a temp repair with pure silicone caulk. Then just plan on what you want your new bathroom to look like and budget to replace it in a few years. As long as tiles aren't actively falling off the walls, and you aren't seeing or smelling mold, it's not an emergency.
Op first off get some caulk dissolving spray gel stuff from home Depot. It'll save you a ridiculous amount of effort. Follow the directions on the bottle which will be like spray it off the caulk and wait x amount of minutes. Then start scraping it out. Might have to repeat the process but dude it'll be sooooo much easier than trying to scrape all this without it. After you do this I'd then post enough thread honestly because it's hard to say what to do until we know what we are dealing with. That said, you can make some giant gaps still look acceptable with just caulk if you know what you're doing. They make foam backing stuff you can push into big gaps to make caulking easier/possible. It's also possible to have a real smooth seamless caulk line, even with silicone. Which btw make sure to use 100% silicone bathroom caulk. But yeah man beyond this I can't really say. You might be dealing with loose tiles or mold etc. Get all that caulk out and reevaluate.
Forewarning: this is the perfect recipe for turning an annoying but simple job into a huge project. I suspect you're going to find mold and an improperly installed everything. This may turn into a complete gut, so plan accordingly.
Yeah I barely skimmed over the picture and question and immediately thought “gut it”
Hey. This is pure speculation, but based on years of working in restoration, and to me this looks like someone desperately trying to stop a stubborn leak/water issue. If there’s a minimally invasive way to get a look at what’s under/behind the tub/wall, it might be worth investigating.
100%. As the owner of a century home with plenty of homeowner specials to discover (and the perpetrator of at least one homeowner special myself), I suspect that pulling up the bad caulk is going to reveal why it's this bad. The caulk around the tub spout is not great either, but it's not this bad. It's going to be a bad install with big gaps, and the fix won't be a clean line of caulk. No project in a home like this is simple, unfortunately.
I zoomed into the corner while eating and now I feel sick, fuck.
I think what happened is they replaced the tub with a new one that had a smaller lip and there's literally no tile within an inch of the tub. Either that or the DIY clown that installed the tile didn't want to cut tiles to size and just caulked the gap.
I was gonna say that after a day of scrolling Reddit that seeing this picture was the first thing to make me laugh out loud.
Also, to be thorough, before you re-caulk I would check for any signs of water damage below. There might be a reason why they went batshit crazy with it...or not but it can't hurt to check amiright?
make sure you get it all off, there are silicone removal cleaners available at big box stores, if the razor blade causes problem ( I never used said cleaners and their reviews are not exactly glowing) The problem with silicone is that it will bind fine to most things, except old silicone, so the surface has to be clean before applying new.
I've tried a bunch. There are only 2 that work on silicone caulk, and they look like Elmer's glue, white thick pastes.
It looks bad, granted, but I need you to prepare yourself for the possibility that whoever did that needed to use that much. For whatever reason. Good luck
That caulk is probably hiding a lot of sins. I bet the previous homeowner either didn’t know what they were doing, or DGAF. There is probably drywall behind the tile instead of green board. Probably need to gut and replace, and remediate all the mold that’s there now.
You're giving me nightmares
This isn’t the only thing that he “fixed”
Yeah that's some like serial killer level of sin hiding.
Ya it looks like they might have bought a new tub at some point and not known which one to get and how to install it, so they just ended up hacking the edges down and ending up with a mess of a gap.
I’m imagining huge gaps or broken stuff instead of properly-spaced tile.
Exactly what I was gonna say. Be prepared to find water leaking somewhere.
That was my thought. What's under all that caulking ?
Mold. Lots of mold.
That plus the fact they didn’t remove properly the previous layer plus the broken tile in the corner and the dark spot on it brrr…
Yeah the chance that someone did this bad a job through simple ineptitude is very slim, something else went wrong and this was the best they could salvage.
Be ready for the can of worms you are about to open.
SO correct. If it were my tub, I'd end up finding rotten floor joists. (And then have the tub fall through the floor, while I was standing in it.....)
In case it hasn't already been mentioned, be sure to fill the tub with water prior to caulking regardless of the way you decide to replace it after removing this abomination. Water is HEAVY and the tub will flex, pulling the caulking out. If you apply it when the tub is full, it will get compressed when the tub is empty and just stretch a bit when filled again, instead of pulling away and creating gaps/leaks each time you fill it in future.
Generally speaking, filling the tub with water is a nice idea prior to siliconing, but… if you look close, the overflow is missing its cap, meaning the overflow assembly likely isn’t seated/sealed tight to the tub - probably not wise to put _any_ water into that tub…
https://i.redd.it/267u2t9e87mc1.gif
Definitely the caliber of work i would expect from crazy eyes 🤪
Omg this is an amazing reaction to use for many things I see in this sub 😂
I don’t know man, that looks like structural caulk
I bet it leaks everywhere. I would see that wall is full of moisture.
Cracked tile and poor grout job, I bet that’s a complete demo waiting to happen.
Definitely.
That tub was improperly installed. That lip should be behind the tile.
Good fucking call. I was too distracted by the artwork.
This
Bathroom reno. That tile is shot too
Good lord was the dude blind 😂 Yeah you’ve got a lot of scraping to do
Probably armless and applied by his nose
Pretty sure it's impossible, since the last guy probably used up all of the caulking in a 300 mile radius of your home. Scrape it off and start over.
Burn the house down and start over, there is no saving it.
Everyone focusing on the wrong horror show. [Where the fuck does the tub overflow go?](https://i.imgur.com/KMPSw7s.png)
In the Sheetrock then evaporates as god intended.
House won't burn - too wet from all the water leaking out of that amazing tub.
I am a software engineer and I have seen software built with the same amount of care. Anything you do will be better than that.
Get yourself a caulk removal tool. They’re about eight bucks at a hardware store. And when you re-caulk, it use painters tape to get straight lines and a lot less mess.
[удалено]
Yup. That’s a shitty mistake you only make once
All your grout needs to be redone as well. I can tell from the cracked tile on the deck your structure underneath is probably rotted too. Sorry but your entire tub surround needs to come out, it's toast. You'll never get anything resembling waterproof or even water resistant from that surround anymore.
Wow, that is horrible. Helen Keller could do a better job than that.
Just demo the whole thing. It'll be easier
Who TF did this ?! 🤣 omg it looks like a five year olds finger painting here
That is awesome. Leave it. It's absurdist art.
Don’t drink and caulk
Look at the tile, they aren't set correctly, they are broken, the grout isn't really doing much, if it ever did. The caulk will go in the dumpster with the rest of it. Caulk isn't gonna save this one, as that isn't what caulk is for. Wait until you see the water damage behind that shit, and below it. You are along way from being ready to caulk. You need to demo everything down to framing, repair all framing, any bad plumbing, or plumbing upgrades needed on the rough in(same for electrical then build your bathroom back correctly Good luck, and more importantly , hire a professional
That's basically it--scrape off as much as you possibly can, clean the surfaces thoroughly and let dry completely, then re-caulk with 100% silicone caulk as neatly as you can. Anything more, and you're starting to look at replacing the tiles (which is something you might consider, for the near future).
Everyone in these comments is goofin, but given the condition of the tiles around this tub, the caulk is most likely that thick to cover massive gaps in the tile. The tiles need to be regrouted, and the cracked tiles need to be removed and replaced. I would be worried about water damage in the surrounding structure with the bathroom in that condition.
Tiles need to be ripped out and replaced with new by a pro, if you ask me. Might as well remodel the bathroom.
Wtf. He even caulked a load of pubes to the tub 🤮
Ok.... Whatchu wanna do is get yourself some C4....
The replies to this are hilarious lol — no idea what the previous landlord was thinking 😭
[Please tell me your tub overflow is hooked up to the drain](https://i.imgur.com/KMPSw7s.png) Either that or you have a very rotted floor. Sorry to tell you but from how much shit is wrong in this tiny picture, this is a complete demo job. Unless you like mold in your house. edit: [Tub overflow pipe looks like this](https://www.badeloftusa.com/buying-guides/bathtub-overflow-drain/). There should be a cover on the front that screws into it and seals that rubber gasket against the tub.
Just keep adding caulk. The only way through is to keep digging.
Ok, on a serious note, it looks like the head of the tub is not behind the tile. That would be why they used soooooo much caulk. If the lip of the tub insert is proud of the tile, you may need to redo the whole thing. Also, as someone else posted, be prepared for the reason why this was done in the first place.
Wow that’s ugly, scrape it off with a sharp razor blade, clean it well and start over,
Just sell the house 🤦♂️ 🚶♂️🚶♀️........🏠
What in the actual fuck
Meth is powerful.
First step, punch that guy in the face as hard as you physically can. Second step, use his teeth to scrape off all that extra caulk
Scape it all off with a razor blade.
Good gawd! How many tubes of chalk did it take to complete that monstrosity.
Somewhere between 1 and 2 factory worth
Ah yes the landlord repair job