silicone caulk

[tpolley]

not sure if this is where this goes...

saturday i spent all afternoon sealing the windows and door on our new used '78 travel trailer. i used DAP silicone caulk. it goes on white and dries clear. not sure of the specific type. if need be i can get more info tonight when i go home. anyway i finished around 3pm saturday. around 3 or 4am sunday it rained pretty hard and washed out most of the caulk. espesially where i put in on pretty thick. what gives? i thought the stuff would be pretty set in a few hours.

 

[benjamming]

I typically use Lexel.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I have found that sometimes the RTV silicone does not harden. If it gets too old, or is exposed to heat and humidity, it goes bad before you even open it. I have seen some that just would not harden for a week. It had to be scraped off and discarded. I buy fresh silicone for every project, and even then sometimes I get some that is half hardened. I have been using urehtane caulk around the house, and I like it, but in your application I would use RTV silicone (I like GE brand) or possibly something like Lexel.

 

[usa#1]

I've had the same problem with the goes on white dries clear stuff. I took the spent tubes back for a refund. If you are not going to paint the caulk, use the real 100% silicone stuff. It cost more but will do a good job. It does come in different colors but paint won't stick to it.

 

[tcianci]

Sounds like you may have used a "siliconized" caulk that is mostly water based caulk. Was it specified as pure silicone? Was it paintable? Most caulks that I have seen that go on white and dry clear are latex types and they need to be really cured before they can take any water.

 

[om-nc]

Don't know what happened to your caulk but I suggest you use Dicor next time. I have installed more than 20 satellite dishes on top of RV's, buses, trucks, etc and have never had one leak using Dicor products. http://www.dicor.com/Product.aspx?ID=12

It is the same stuff that is used by the OEM builders. It also works for sealing windows, doors, etc. It never fully dries, remains flexible after 15+ years exposure. You will need to allow a few hours for it to "skin" before exposing it to water/rain.

Your mileage may vary

 

[IDASHO]

Sounds like you may have used a "siliconized" caulk that is mostly water based caulk. Was it specified as pure silicone? Was it paintable? Most caulks that I have seen that go on white and dry clear are latex types and they need to be really cured before they can take any water.

What he said.

Get some 100% silicone if you want a real seal.