How To Remove Caulk - Ace Hardware
Watch as Ace's Home Expert, Lou Manfredini, shows you how to remove caulk from a tub or shower.
Products Featured:
Utility Knife
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Plastic Flexible Putty Knife
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Goo B Gone
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THIS needs the tons of views I just saw a guide using a noisy multitool for this as THE answer THEN did a big wet soapy wash and said you were now good to caulk not mentioning to LET IT DRY FULLY.
So helpful and concise!!! Thank you!
exactly what i needed. thanks! especially love that i can use a plastic putty knife. perfect.
Thanks Lydia!
This video was just what I needed! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
The good gone worked incredibly well for my shower. Wish I would have started with it!
Excellent info!❤
Thanks for watching!
Best caulk removal demo I,ve seen. T.u.
Thank you for watching!
Thank you this has been so helpful !
For the stubborn caulk inside the gap, a dental scaler with a curved tip works well!!!!!!!!!!
I knew I was keeping that in my toolbox for a reason! I'm redoing the bathroom caulk today. I almost tossed the dental tool I found years ago on the side of the road.
Hi so I had someone use black caulking on my yellow walls and countertop any thing I can do or am I going to have to paint over the walls?? I’m sure I can scrape them off my counter tops.
Hi Alberto, We suggest you use a caulk removal tool and sharp utility knife to remove what you can. If that caulking was 100% silicone it will not accept paint. Remove what you can and then caulk over that with the color you choose. Hope this helps!
A design inspired by Sting perhaps
Any advice about where I can go to get some really great tacos after the job is done? Do you recommend the green sauce or the habanero? Chicken, beef, or fish? Corona or Modelo?
Excellent question KJ! I'm partial to green sauce on chicken. Of your three protein options, I'd say beef. And this is all washed down with a Corona with chips and salsa on the side.
@@AceHardware I prefer a pretty woman on the side, but otherwise I'm with you. Ace is truly the place!
I was able to do it with the help of this video. However, it went must faster once I ditched the utility knife and used a razor blade (the angle is better) and used a metal putty knife instead of the useless plastic one. Just be careful. As it was, it took three hours to remove and replace the caulk!
Thanks for including how long it took you! I was scrolling through the comments to see if anyone addressed that. Now I know how much time to put aside for this job. 🙂
Thanks for what about the dried you caulk that has turned an icky color?
Give up 🤷🏼♂️
Hi There - Funny you should ask, that video just went live! Here it is and good luck! kzhead.info/sun/obKTh66IbnqLnZ8/bejne.html
@@AceHardware yeah I know by the way thanks so much
i wonder if a heat gun would help the brittle stuff
Hi There, Just be careful because if you get too close to the tile or tub you could burn the finish. I’d start with a hair dryer. Hope this helps!
Add heat
Basically, its manual intensive. Theres no easy removal process, but the tools used matters...patience
Let me tell you. as a professional, doing this my whole life it is never been that hard for me to pull out my caulk ever
This was helpful, but I strongly recommend that you skip the masking tape. Application is time-consuming and if you pull the tape off too late, you will have a serious mess on your hands. I just re-caulked my shower and waited too long before removing the tape. Using a wet finger to smooth the new caulk is simple and easy.
I am doing this job but some of the old caulk is holding like iron-- I've got big spaces with no caulk and I've got 3 inch sections with caulk that will not budge.
Take your time you may need a sharp utility knife and stiff bladed putty knife to remove the hard stuff. Thanks for watching!
use wd-40 to loosen the calk first. works like a charm
So….. there is no easy solution.
There’s not supposed to be. Water will go anywhere there’s the tiniest crack. And tiles should be placed close enough that you can’t just pull the caulk off or have a big, ugly line. There is a $4 tool that does pretty well, but it’s not hard to cut out caulk.
That's what I was thinking too. Lol
I've got a messy caulking job the contractors left behind on really nice glass tiles. The caulking sticks to it like super glue and it's impossible to get it off without horribly scuffing up and scratching the tile. I tried the Goo Gone but it's useless. I really wish there was a better chemical solution.
Hello Heckensteiner! I am sorry for this issue. Feel free to reach out to your local Ace store to see what they can recommend. Here's this link to our store locator bit.ly/findace. I am sure that they will do their best to help out with this!
Sounds like silicone caulk was used, try wd-40
So it's better to have new caulk in hole, than caulk over caulk!
LOL.. Thats so easy when the caulk is soft. Many older homes have caulk that is hard as the tile its attached to. That Goo Gone does nothing to help remove it.
Honest Q: Won’t that greasy goo-gone get deep into what the video says new caulk needs to grab onto with no way to reach/remove it (thereby compromising the work)?
Hi There, After you use the cleaning product I would wipe it all down with a damp rag let dry and then apply the new caulking. We'll add that clarification!
@@AceHardware thx - so it’s “taking care not to get any of it INSIDE gap where it can’t be reached to wash off” that should be clarified, then (perhaps by applying without the spray)
@@AceHardwareI am a professional caulker and you don’t have a clue what you are talking about. Spraying goo gone on the grout contaminates it and can not just be cleaned off. It is plain stupid. You should not make videos when you don’t know what you are talking about.
@@privatelyprivate3285don’t believe it the grout is porous and is now contaminated. As a professional caulker if I do this the warranty us void. He has no idea what he is doing
better off using isopropyl alcohol
so basically cut it out
What about that filthy corner???
Just want to confirm, you want to remove it from the corner not clean it. Right?
I use popsicle sticks and elbow grease. Any blades or metal tool is a disaster waiting to happen. Use an angle grinder or sandpaper to put a point on your stick.
My comments were magically deleted. Buyer beware!
That's obviously latex caulking, because silicone will make you throw your tub out the window. Now make a video trying to remove 100% silicone which is what actually belongs in a shower/tub area. Good luck with that.
What are you talking about? I’m a professional caulker and I’ve cutout miles of silicone. It is VERY easy.
I’m currently at the stage of wanting to throw my tub out the window. There was no way to avoid accidentally cutting/scraping my tub. The silicone and the tub didn’t make a straight cut above and below do the trick. Loved the plastic putty knife suggestion.
Good idea to IPA the caulking area after. Goo gone is excellent but likes to leave a grease micro film.
@genecarden780 how do i get the epoxy type stuff off? I did the clear stuff. Big mistake i can see the mold that the white hides. Now im screwed
@@pjchris2160 I had to take a razor blade and cut the silicone out & it’s a bitch, it’s not beautiful like this video or the juicy burger you see in a restaurant commercial. “In real life” it’s tedious A.F and took me 2 1/2hrs to get every bit, plus it was under my shower panels (silicone) as far as whatever you have just cut it out and be patient, then a stiff toothbrush or a weapon cleaning brush nylon (green army ones) and scrub away debris and needle tip shop vac. Goo gone does nothing to silicone “but” it adds lubricant to slide a blade when cleaning.