I have a Corian shower stall that's 4 years old and needs to be recaulked. What type of tool do I use to remove the old caulk so as not to damage the Corian and what should I do to prepare the surface for new caulk?

Is it silicone caulk that must come out? A plastic putty knife will remove petroleum based caulk but with silicone you need a razor blade and a deft hand. Recaulk with Daps Qwik Seal Plus, it has an anit mildew built in.

I just checked with the original installer and he said the product used is Dupont translucent white semi-transparent silicone caulk. I guess I will be into the razor blade routine.

Retiredguy,

I am not familiar with Daps Qwik Seal Plus, but if it is not 100% silicone I would not use it.

Clean out all of the old material. Then apply the new, with the tip 90 degrees to the wall to push the sealant into the gap. Then DO NOT follow the package directions to finish the sealant with a spoon or other tool while wet. This will pull some of the sealant out and create 2 feathered edges which will later lift and let water under. The water will carry mildew into the joint and eventually rot it, as has happened. Leave the big ugly bead there for 48 hours. You can use the shower after an hour. After 48 hours take a razor knife and slice off the excess across the joint and peel it off the other surface.

This will give you a very thin joint which will not deteriorate over time and will be easy to clean.

I think that the package instructions are set up to cause future failure and sell more silicone.

I hope this helps
Ken

Retiredguy,

I am not familliar with Daps Qwik Seal Plus, but if it is not 100% silicone I would not use it.

Clean out all of the old material. Then apply the new, with the tip 90 degrees to the wall to push the sealant into the gap. Then DO NOT follow the package directions to finish the sealant with a spoon or other tool while wet. This will pull some of the sealant out and create 2 feathered edges which will later lift and let water under. The water will carry mildew into the joint and eventually rot it, as has happened. Leave the big ugly bead there for 48 hours. You can use the shower after an hour. After 48 hours take a razor knife and slice off the excess across the joint and peel it off the other surface.

This will give you a very thin joint which will not deteriorate over time and will be easy to clean.

I think that the package instructions are set up to cause future failure and sell more silicone.

I hope this helps
Ken

Ken,

Working with corian is something new for me. It sounds like a similar procedure to a regular tub caulk job. I have had trouble with those in the past, maybe because I always tried to make it 'look nice' by smoothing it out while wet with a spoon or my wet finger, causing the feathering you mention. I have sometimes had mildew problems around the edges.

I am going to try to locate a tube of Dupont translucent white semi-transparent silicone caulk as recommended by the original installer. If unavailable, I will look for the Daps Quik Seal Plus. I will follow your instructions when applying.

Thanks for the advice. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

Retiredguy