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Old 08-02-2017, 06:47 PM
 
Location: Kansas City, MO
348 posts, read 411,012 times
Reputation: 446

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Hey there,

I've crossposted this in a DIY forum as well, and forgot c-d forums probably had a section for this type of thing.
First DIY here, so please go easy on me. I'm broke, too, so I have to work with what I've got.

This is my first house and it appears that the former owners were flippers. The existing master shower has some kind of plastic or fiberglass base pan, and thin plastic molded panels for the walls. There is a metal frame with sliding glass shower doors - you know the kind of frame that collects hair and water and dirt and all sorts of gross things at the bottom. It looks like the flippers just put a super thin layer of white silicone caulk over the existing caulk to cover up the discolouration. Over the past year that I've been here, it's gotten more and more disgusting. Bleach does nothing, so I decided I need to rip out the caulk and redo it properly. I've read a few tutorials about how to prep and clean the surface, so I think I have the actual "how to apply the caulk" part down, for the most part. The issues I have trouble with are thus:

1) There are a couple really stubborn areas where the caulk is like cement. I have been using a triangular hand-held scraping tool to get the caulk out and so far it's been working really well, except for these two spots. Do I have to go buy one of those electric caulk strippers to get that out? What else might I use? I know it's hard to say because we don't know exactly what any of the materials are, so I guess there's not really a solvent to suggest...I really don't have a lot of tools, but I do have a small craft Dremel. Maybe one of the attachments for that will work? Maybe I should get a new utility knife and use that? Maybe a chisel type thing?

2) I started scraping the caulk from around the metal shower track at the bottom, and it started to come loose. There's also an indent at the bottom outside that was FILLED with a very thick strip of caulk. I thought it might have been foam at first, but as I pulled it out, I realized it was just another piece of caulking. Is that normal? Also, is that metal shower track base supposed to be just caulked into place or what? I honestly wish I could just tear out those nasty doors, but I don't have the money to replace them with anything, so I am stuck with them for now. Besides, I think the hubby kind of likes the sliding doors for some reason.

3) The drain in the shower is little more than a disgusting hole in the base pan with a rusted round grill resting over it. It's not even screwed in or snapped in. I was trying to find a replacement, and it looks like it's an odd size. The largest grill I found at Home Depot was way too small and had screws. Am I stuck trying to find something custom if I want to replace it?

Adding some pictures:

Base rail
Stubborn corner
Gross drain part 1
Gross drain part 2
Full shot

Suggestions are very much appreciated. If you need pictures of anything else, let me know.

-T.
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Old 08-02-2017, 07:44 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,717 posts, read 18,763,719 times
Reputation: 11222
I use a Painter Combination Tool. If you need a sharp edge, just sharpen it. It works for a lot of things. Probably one of the most used tools in the home box



If you want to soften up old caulk for removal, take a 1" paint brush and apply straight bleach to it. Let it sit overnight. It'll all but fall off in most cases. The bleach acts like a solvent and works on the fats that are in the caulk.

Looking at the pics, it appears that the wall panels are not installed correctly or the pan itself is wrong. There is FAR too much of a gap at the one wall. If the pan is set level, the gap should be the same all the way around it. Caulk should not have to span anything more than 1/2" and that's stretching a good caulk. Unless you just like doing this every year, I'd strongly suggest using a 100% silicone caulk. It's not the easiest to work with though as it can be sticky and stringy. If you need to finger trowel it, spray your fingers with WD40 first and keep your fingers wet with the WD40. It can be a major pain to get it off of the skin. AVOID the caulks in a squeeze tube called Tub and Tile. If it lasts a year you'll be lucky. Here's what we generally use in a shower enclosure:
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Old 08-02-2017, 08:23 PM
 
Location: Kansas City, MO
348 posts, read 411,012 times
Reputation: 446
Thank you! I saw one of those types of tools and was thinking about getting one. That's a cheap investment. That's doable. I was also thinking that the wall panels weren't cut properly. The edges aren't even straight. It's so shoddy that I wish I could afford to just tear it out. I can't. Somebody suggested putting foam backer rod into the gap and caulk over that. I have heard of that being used in concrete gaps in my research for some exterior work as well. Seems like that might help the gap.
No squeeze tube?? That's exactly what I got. Oh no. It's DAP brand, though:

https://goo.gl/photos/U767uJJmS6QQiXJz9

Thank you for the tips.

-T.
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Old 08-03-2017, 04:15 AM
 
1,528 posts, read 1,575,272 times
Reputation: 2062
I agree with Trapper on the combo tool but i've found that i've used that plus a variety of others - screw driver(s) when you need more leverage. Stanley knife. You may find that a very careful use of a razor blade helps immensely. It can scratch but i've used it to get rid of the hard scale and various nastiness on the bottom of the metal doors. I would only do this in very selected areas of the worst gunk and go slow to make sure you are not ruining the finish. Razors and Stanley knives also work well to cut through silicone, with the latter giving less 'cut' and more leverage. So a variety of tools are often needed and learn as you go.

The stubborn corner to me looks like it might be grout rather than silicone or other caulk. If it's hard and crumbles/cracks when disturbed, then that's likely what it is. If so, cracking and carefully extracting it usually will work. A screwdriver and stanley knife would probably be my tools of choice here. If it's solid but just not filling the crack, you might consider leaving it there and siliconing over/around it, ensuring that it sits back far enough in the gap for the silicone to do its work.

It does look like a gap that too large and i'm not sure what I'd do about that. As a practical and short/medium term solution, you might consider using that 'L' shaped strip sealant stuff. It would hide the uneven or jagged bottom of the plastic panels and provide a fairly neat looking result. I have not used it so I don't know the instructions but I would probably try to seal it in with silicone or at least seal the gaps with silicone first and use this as a covering. It's not a real first class kind of solution (obviously properly cut tiles or panels and a thin layer of sealant is the correct installation) but in this case, it might be the best solution. Whatever you do:

-make 100% sure that there is no leaking and that your seals are watertight. Even a small shower leak can produce a large amount of water over time, causing you much bigger problems. This also goes for the drain. If you are starting to disturb it, make sure you aren't breaking any caulk seals and causing leaks.
-use the best quality silicone and make sure it's mold resistant (even so, mold will be very hard to avoid in that location). Once mold sets into silicone, NOTHING will clean it as it gets embedded right in.
-(agreeing with Trapper) - this job is far beyond squeeze tube territory. you need a caulk gun for this kind of work. You'll have a better selection of 'proper' silicone caulks rather than the few that are most likely tuned for quick/small jobs by less skilled people. Even if they are the same product, you will struggle with tubes for this much distance/volume. You need the proper stuff that the pros would use.
-It's a pain but once you are done, I would enforce a rule that the shower (at least around the sealant) must be toweled dry after each use. This will help immensely to keeping the mold at bay. And always keep the doors open so that the moisture isn't trapped in there.
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Old 08-03-2017, 11:55 AM
 
Location: Kansas City, MO
348 posts, read 411,012 times
Reputation: 446
That gap is bigger than I thought it was.
Banana for scale
Just kidding. It's not really a banana.

That stuff filling the gap looks like it might be caulk, but it's hard to say because I really don't know what I'm looking at. You'd think I'd recognize caulk by now... (har har...oh man, I am 47 years old and making 12 year old jokes)
The L shaped seal is a thought. I'll take a look at the store. I was debating Home Depot vs. Lowes and realized we have a Menard's nearby that I've never been to (and never even heard of until I moved here). I think a fun field trip is in order. I'll pick up a couple scraping tools / knives as suggested, caulk gun, and new caulk. I'll save that tube for quick fix jobs elsewhere.

As for disturbing the drain, it's disturbing ME! But point taken - I'll have to take greater care with dealing with that ugly blackened mouldy rusted hole in the floor. I know for a fact that Home Depot doesn't carry anything at my local store that will cover the drain hole. Maybe I'll have better luck at Menard's.

I have read that drying the inside of the shower is the best way to help keep mould down. I do have a good ceiling vent and always keep the shower doors open, but the floor in there is a little uneven in spots and always seems to pool water in a couple spots. I should probably pick up a shower squeegee as well to encourage its exit.

Well, I just finished my cup of coffee, so I guess it's time to get cleaned up and head to the store. Wish me luck.

-T.
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Old 08-03-2017, 12:51 PM
 
Location: Columbia SC
14,187 posts, read 14,539,139 times
Reputation: 21989
It can be very difficult caulking with those tubes alone. Buy a caulk gun (cheap) and the tubes to fit it.
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Old 08-03-2017, 09:59 PM
 
Location: Kansas City, MO
348 posts, read 411,012 times
Reputation: 446
Yay! Menard's came through for me. I picked up a caulk gun, 2 tubes of silicone caulk, some scraping / chiseling tools (like the one TrapperL suggested) and a utility knife to de-caulk the old stuff...
Also got some stick on caulk tape to help with that large 1/2" gap. I'll caulk behind AND over it. Should be a complete seal once I'm done with it.
Oh, and I found a new grill for the nasty drain hole. I'm excited to get this going!

Thanks all!

-T.
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Old 08-04-2017, 05:30 AM
 
Location: Columbia SC
14,187 posts, read 14,539,139 times
Reputation: 21989
Ten

Were I doing it I would remove the glass doors to be able to clean the track and where the track sits plus allow me more room to work in the enclosure itself. I have done this before.
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Old 08-04-2017, 12:08 PM
 
Location: Kansas City, MO
348 posts, read 411,012 times
Reputation: 446
Hm, not sure I can get those doors out. I'll have to see how the top track is held in place.

-T.
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