Removing caulk

[wand3rer]

Hi,

We had a tradesperson redo the caulking around our bathtub. The result is terrible! It’s been a few months but it still bothers me every time I’m in the tub 😬

It’s such a small job that it’s been hard to find someone willing to come fix it. I’m considering trying to redo it myself.

What should I use to remove the existing caulk without damaging the surrounding surfaces (bathtub, tiles and vinyl flooring)? 🙏

I should add that I'm not a DIY person 😅

If it's around the bathroom it's probably silicon, not caulk. You can buy silicon remover. Screwfix own brand is fine. Works best if you can cut/pull away thw bulk of the silicon first but if you're worried about scratching then you'll have to do it in stages as it can only penetrate so deep.

When it's off and all clean, find a local "mastic man" to re do it. Ask on Facebook for a recommendation.

If you paid a tradesperson to do the job, why did you pay up and not say anything at the time? or when you realised the job had been botched.
Surely they'd have returned to put the job right if they were professional and wanted to protect their reputation.

white spirit works on sillicon. When you reseal, don't forget to fill the bath before you start. If you don't, when you do put that extra weight in the bath and it lowers slightly, the seal will break

Get most of it out using a Stanley knife, you’re not normally going to scratch anything if you’re careful. I would then use silicone removal liquid on the rest, you have to make sure you thoroughly clean the surfaces afterwards; just follow the instructions.

Masking tape will get you nice clean lines, you can also buy a silicone profiling tool but I’ve managed fine without one.

There’s plenty of vids on YT about this. And yes, it’s silicone not caulk you want to use.

Watch the 'Pouse around the House' videos on YouTube. There's one for removing it, and one for applying it to a bathtub.

That’s not true if the bath edge is sitting on a frame fixed to the wall.
If it’s sitting on 4 spindly legs on a floor that could flex under the weight , I agree with you.

It was definitely worth asking you all! Thank you for some great advice 😊

Do you know if the silicone remover could damage the paint?

You only want to get the removal liquid on the actual silicone. As to whether it will damage the paint, don’t know but just try to be neat it with it. Probably not is my guess, you can always touch up afterwards.

Thanks @Lonelycrab! Feeling like a grown‑up doing grown‑up things 😁