# Coating the silicone caulking on glass cabinet doors



## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

I seem to always have trouble with these. In certain instances like bathtubs etc i find just putting a bead of normal caulk over the silicone makes it paintable. The beads on the backs these glass cabinet doors are so thick and wide that it seems like the standard caulking is not able to cover it. So i'm wondering is this a job for shellac or just a standard oil based primer or is there a better move here? Thanks!


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Shellac flakes off of silicone. Ask me how I know. It gives the look of success and stops fisheyes after multiple coats, but it will fail. You can try an acetone wipe & oil prime. There's a good chance that could work, but not sure if acetone is something you can wipe your on your surface without damaging the finish. Removing & re-caulking with acrylic is ideal but I completely understand it's not always in the budget. If removing/re-caulking isn't feasible, and acetone is too hot, maybe DNA or Naptha wipe followed by oil prime.


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

Like Troy implies, the only real solution is to cut it out. Nothing truly works, though some things can be tried and maybe fake it just enough...

Is the glass removable per chance? That would be golden. Makes getting rid of the silicone easier.

What color paint? Another option might be to paint first and then use a matching color silicone to cover the old silicone. Probably not workable, but without pics it's hard to say.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Shellac flakes off of silicone. Ask me how I know. It gives the look of success and stops fisheyes after multiple coats, but it will fail. You can try an acetone wipe & oil prime. There's a good chance that could work, but not sure if acetone is something you can wipe your on your surface without damaging the finish. Removing & re-caulking with acrylic is ideal but I completely understand it's not always in the budget. If removing/re-caulking isn't feasible, and acetone is too hot, maybe DNA or Naptha wipe followed by oil prime.


Good to know, shellac would have been my first choice! I may try your idea with the acetone / oil primer, as the cabinets haven't been top coated or even primed yet. I actually had the bright idea while laying in bed last night of masking off the caulking and not even painting it. Not sure why I haven't tried that earlier. I do need to stop thinking about work in bed though..


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Joe67 said:


> Like Troy implies, the only real solution is to cut it out. Nothing truly works, though some things can be tried and maybe fake it just enough...
> 
> Is the glass removable per chance? That would be golden. Makes getting rid of the silicone easier.
> 
> What color paint? Another option might be to paint first and then use a matching color silicone to cover the old silicone. Probably not workable, but without pics it's hard to say.


Paint is white, I think I may try masking off the white caulking and keeping it clean. Matching silicone is a good idea too on case other ideas don't pan out. I might experiment with removing the glass on a different job, bit too much going on in current job I think, you're right though that sounds like the ideal method.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

If its on the back of the door, I'd just leave it alone.


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## Packard (May 2, 2018)

You will have to make tests, but you can compromise the adhesion of silicone adhesive with heat. On a tile/bathtub joint, heat is not an issue. On wood cabinets, you would have to be careful. I would try with a hair dryer first as it is not likely to damage the wood. Heat the glass side of the door and then slip a flexible putty knife between the glass and the wood and see if the joint separates.









Adhesive removal


Understanding appropriate adhesive removal techniques is important, whether to clean up a spill, to disassemble a unit for repair, or simply to know what will cause the bond to fail to avoid bond failure.




www.permabond.com





_There are three basic methods of adhesive removal or de-bonding, and each relates to the others and time:


• Dissolving
• Thermal
• Physical Stress

Even the strongest adhesive bonds can be removed by heating beyond the adhesives thermal capability. A blow torch can be used to heat permanent, high strength, threadlockers enough to chemically change them (to burn the adhesive off). _


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