# What to do about silicone adhesive caulking when painting over it?



## Custom Brush Co. (Jan 26, 2011)

I am curious to know how you guys handle the scenario when your painting like say a bathroom or kitchen and the boys installing tiles or granite and use that non-paintable caulking. If your not experienced in finding this before biding you most definitely will loose $ unless you can convince them to pay more (good luck). So know that I've lost on a couple jobs like this I will take care of these issues ahead of time! 

So far I've come up with a seemingly full proof method, but perhaps there is a better trick... I use blue shop cloths folded saturated/not driping in acetone. I carefully wet wipe all silicone making it sticky. Then caulk a thin layer & smooth with wet finger. Then the paint accepts finally. I've only caulked before but I question if the caulk truly adhears over time...

Know any other methods?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Ran into the same scenario a few months ago and used pretty much the same procedure you did. It worked out fine.

My job was in a fairly new kitchen with recently installed granite countertops where the back splash had been caulked around the top edge with clear silicone. I'd like to shoot the guy who did it.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Custom Brush Co. said:


> I am curious to know how you guys handle the scenario when your painting like say a bathroom or kitchen and the boys installing tiles or granite and use that non-paintable caulking. If your not experienced in finding this before biding you most definitely will loose $ unless you can convince them to pay more (good luck). So know that I've lost on a couple jobs like this I will take care of these issues ahead of time!
> 
> So far I've come up with a seemingly full proof method, but perhaps there is a better trick... I use blue shop cloths folded saturated/not driping in acetone. I carefully wet wipe all silicone making it sticky. Then caulk a thin layer & smooth with wet finger. Then the paint accepts finally. I've only caulked before but I question if the caulk truly adhears over time...
> 
> Know any other methods?


I usually spray pigmented shellac on silicone when it rears it's ugly head.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I ran into a ton of it a couple months ago. The HO had no base installed and the carpenter for some reason caulked the entire thing with silicone. When I gave the bid I didn't notice it (who looks for that on base.) I used the acetone method and it was ok. Unpaintable silicone should be outlawed.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

If I can I will just make a sharp line against it and not paint over it.

Sometimes I will cut it out.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

I run into a lot of non-paintable silicone. I have tried a lot of things, but nothing beats digging all it out and re-caulking it. I just include it, and explain it to the HO during the estimate. They understand it’s part of doing a good job.


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## TrueColors (Jul 30, 2010)

I use kills over it... Which is pretty much shellac.. Or I will put a thin layer of paintable caulk over top. Works like a charm.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

TrueColors said:


> I use kills over it... Which is pretty much shellac.. .


KMN

Sent from my Android, which is still better than the iPhone 6


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## 1963 Sovereign (Dec 14, 2011)

NCPaint1 said:


> KMN
> 
> Sent from my Android, which is still better than the iPhone 6


 what does KMN mean?


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

1963 Sovereign said:


> what does KMN mean?


Kill me now 

Sent from my Android, which is still better than the iPhone 6


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

I had an exterior recently that needed alot of carpentry work before painting. I told the home owner that if the carpenter used any silicone whatsoever I would charge her by the hour to remove and replace it.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

TrueColors said:


> I use kills over it... Which is pretty much shellac.. Or I will put a thin layer of paintable caulk over top. Works like a charm.


Wrong and wrong.
KILZ is not shellac- if it is original it is oil base. And in my experience neither oil or shellac adheres to Sillycone. The cut out and/or recaulk is the easiest and most effective that I have seen. 
And I don't know why both the makers of the stuff and the sellers of the stuff don't do more to educate when to not use it.


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## CliffK (Dec 21, 2010)

CApainter said:


> I usually spray pigmented shellac on silicone when it rears it's ugly head.


Agreed...the BIN usually solves the problem


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

BrushJockey said:


> And I don't know why both the makers of the stuff and the sellers of the stuff don't do more to educate when to not use it.


I keep one tube in my store just for that reason. When someone picks it up I can ask what they're doing with it. Then talk them out of it. Very few times you need silicone. Maybe a tub surround that joins to tile.

Sent from my Android, which is still better than the iPhone 6


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

Zackly. That's about it. Or if your building aquariums..


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

We had one exterior re-paint where they had installed new windows all around. Up on the dormers, the window guys apparently didn't have rags, because they reached around to the side of the dormers and wiped their fingers on the claps. There were huge silicone boogers on both sides of every dormer. We had to shave it off with SERBs and apply a film of paintable caulk over what was left.


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## Custom Brush Co. (Jan 26, 2011)

Rbriggs82 said:


> Unpaintable silicone should be outlawed.


I totally agree!


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## Susan (Nov 29, 2011)

Years ago, my folks had 20 windows replaced. I happened to be at the house when the salesman showed up to take the measurements, give the pitch, etc. The real selling point for my folks was the availability of a vinyl interior with a wood grained pattern that would accept both paint and stain/poly to allow for matching to the existing trim coatings for each room. Lucky me--I get to finish all 20. Anyways, the cost for these particular paint/stain friendly wood grained vinyl windows was extra. 

I showed up one day when the installer was doing his thing. I wound up buying lunch for the both of us and having a chat with the guy. He told me he had been doing this for 25 years. Despite my first impression of his Harley cut-off t-shirt in February, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He assured me that the caulking he was using would absolutely take paint. It was 8 bucks a tube or something. 

The caulk was silicone. It took months to get a hold of anyone, but when I did, they immediately came to resolve the issue by cutting out the old and using the caulk that I had bought. No lunch this time.

Why aren't window and door replacement companies in sync with chemical compliance issues regarding coatings after installation?

I tell homeowners who are having countertops installed to specifically instruct the installers not to caulk any areas where the counters touch the walls, and I aim to have only one coat applied to cabinets/walls prior to these types of projects. I tell this story each time and explain the extra costs involved.


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## wills fresh coat (Nov 17, 2011)

Coverstain has always worked for us


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## oz_painter (Aug 18, 2012)

i dont know of any other methods other than digging it out and redoing it or doing what the OP has suggested.

thing that really ticks me off is trying to get masking tape to stick to it, i dont know how tilers go about wet areas in the USA but over here they silicone all the corners where the tiles meet. trying to mask up before spraying when thats been done is just an absolute biaarrch, what makes it worse is they use detergent mixed with water to lay it off so to speak and that **** gets everywhere too and tape doesn't stick to that either pretty well have to detail the joint before i start masking


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## Susan (Nov 29, 2011)

Tear silicone out, and replace it. Charge accordingly. Anything else is a bandaid on a broken elbow.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

TrueColors said:


> I use kills over it... Which is pretty much shellac.. Or I will put a thin layer of paintable caulk over top. Works like a charm.


 
Not gonna work:no:


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Csheils said:


> Using CoverStain doesn't work for me when the 5 acres with a pond and barn that I've maintained my entire life is a necessary expense on my part for a window company's F-up.
> 
> Tear silicone out, and replace it. Charge accordingly. Anything else is a bandaid on a broken elbow.


You read my mail!:thumbsup:


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## johnny949 (Apr 13, 2012)

You can't cut corners on this. The paint will fish eye even with an oil primer and new bead of caulking on top. Cut it out and re caulk


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

I have to defy the common logic this coming week. Restaurant shutting down for two days and extreme color change over laminate bump out that was siliconed to wall. I'm going to tape off leaving 1/8 ” gap, caulk tape edge and over caulk silicone, paint walls, snap blade cut on tape edge, peel tape and resilicone corner. 

I'll post pics on Friday when we get rolling. I don't have the time to dig out 500+ linear feet of silicone. 

For the record, most of the time I'd agree with yall.


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