Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Removing old caulk

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CRHop
07-10-07, 07:55 AM
Hello--

I recently removed a glass shower door and there is some dried caulk still left on the tile. I purchased some "caulk remover" from home depot and used it following the directions. However, this product did not do a very good job removing the dried caulk. I don't want to damage the tile that the caulk is adhere to. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to how to remove the caulk?

Thanks

spackle
07-10-07, 11:15 AM
The product you purchased softens the caulk and may take several applications. The product, along with a soft scouring pad might work. I know the longer you leave the product on, the more effective it will be. Mineral spirits or paint thinner will also break down caulk pretty quickly. However, care should be taken as I'm not certain if it will work without damaging anything.
marksr
07-10-07, 11:19 AM
A lot of times you can very carefully scrape/cut it off with a razor. Sometimes getting part of it to lift allows you to pull a bigger piece of caulk loose. Did I mention - be carefull with the razor to avoid scarring the tile :D

CRHop
07-10-07, 12:34 PM
Thanks for the responses. I've tried carefully scraping with a razor; however, in some spots the caulk has hardened so much that my razor snapped while trying to remove the caulk.

I'll try and reapply (and reapply, and reapply) the caulk remover to see if it can soften these hardened spots. Thanks again.
spackle
07-11-07, 11:22 AM
If you run out of patience, give the mineral spirits a try. Just wet the corner of a rag with the stuff and rub away.
marksr
07-11-07, 07:42 PM
....also using a putty knife wrapped up in a thinner rag [or any lubricrant] can help to remove stubborn caulk. Just make sure the knife doesn't come thru the rag.