How To Easily Remove Silicone Caulk 

No problem!

Jaknap1 stated it perfectly. Thanks for the good content.

Not at all a good video. Nobody needs direction to remove caulk on a flat surface. What about in corners and around the surround? That's the real problem. Show us that!

Very refreshing 😁

Yes, I like news in brief :)

I disagree with you! you need the back stories and random jabbering to finish the beer.

This is from a video series where he was removing an old glass door from a bathtub. The silicone is old, it's not fresh.

Thanks Elizabeth!

Theres a knife for that too

You’re Welcome 🙂

Little heat 🔥 makes a big difference. Best of luck on the renovations.

Same process, just heat it longer than for a strip of caulk. Be gentle, too much heat and you melt the tub/shower pan. The goal is to heat it all evenly and the caulk is probably fairly thick in the corners. Take your time and it will soften up. Clean up with vinegar and/or alcohol. (Rubbing alcohol, the scotch is your reward when you are done)

Good luck on your project!

make a video bro

@@extorter I’m not trying to discredit Scott in anyway. His methods work. My comment was more directed for him to try next time. I have literally cut out miles of silicone. And I was just telling him how a professional does it. He has more skills than the typical homeowner.Frankly I was surprised heat had any affect since silicone can withstand very high temperatures . But if Scott says it does I believe him.And I should have clarified the comment “ silicone is easy to cut out“ I meant when compared to other sealants like polyurethane,polysulfide,or butyl.

@@genecarden780 we don't want a video because we doubt you or think you are doubting the video here- it's that it's hard to understand your alternative instructions without seeing them done

@@MichaelD796 I understand that. I wish I had the technology to make videos. Take your typical razor blade scraper and press it down on a hard surface . You will see the blade flexes leaving the edge parallel with the surface preventing it from digging into the surface. Now take that and instead of pushing the blade into the narrow end of the sealant, run it horizontally along the long edge of the sealant,in a slicing motion from one side to the other. By running the blade along the long side you are also always running the blade completely within the area covered by the sealant so if you make a mistake it will be covered by the new sealant. With this method until you get the hang of it ,you should probably dull the 2sharp corners of the blade because they can scratch if you slightly tip from side to side while slicing.( the only real reason to cut along the long side of the sealant is because when cutting along the narrow end, the blade covers a lot of area that will be seen and even professionals make mistakes . If you cut along the long edge of the sealant if you do make a mistake you can cover it easily) A slicing motion works far better than pushing the blade straight into the sealant. I actually admire Scott for his videos. And only try to add to not detract from. I happen to have expertise in this area and want to help homeowners because 90% of videos about sealant are totally wrong. ( like using soapy water or window cleaner to tool with. Absolutely stupid idea) I’m sorry I don’t have the technology to make a video( I’m old😜) but if you have specific questions on sealant I am happy to help. ( I have been a professional caulker/waterproofer for over 40 years. And have extensive experience in remedial sealants and waterproofing. So I know a lot about what causes failures. Finally wear safety glasses because flexing the blade too far can cause it to shatter but once you break blade it is easy to not do it again.You don’t have to fox the blade much

​@@genecarden780 I am caulking the outside(facing the bathroom door) of a metal curb that is on my bath tub. It started to leak in a few spots. When I look close enough, in some spots, the old (sealant?) or adhesive that holds the metal curb down, is visible. How do I remove this and prep the area for new sealant?

Here to help 👍

So it is all off now. It was a lot better with heat. Getting a fair bit of heat on the blade helped the most. Thank you

Nice, glad it worked for your project as well!

Argh no you are better CHILLING candle wax with ice cubes, not melting it off floor.

Happy to help!

You're welcome!

Happy to help.

You bet!

You're welcome 😊

You bet!

🤔 I would probably get a more more narrow plastic putty knife to see if it can follow the surface a little better.

@@EverydayHomeRepairs Thanks I just bought one and will try that. I also bought some silicone caulk remover spray that I will try if the heat and thinner putty knife don't work.

There's no substitute for the hard tedious work that it takes to get the surface clean. Using heat, sprays, etc, is mostly about people trying (unsuccessfully) to find a short-cut. The quickest way to do this is to just go straight to the razor blade. This heating and putty knife business is just adding a step and more time to the process. Use the razor blade to get it as clean as you can, and then switch to something like Goo Gone or Goof Off with a scrubbing cloth. Saturate the area with the chemical remover and then scrub like crazy until you get the rest of the residue off. It's a long, slow, tedious process, but it's really the only way to get the area completely clean.

Are you looking to get silicone/caulk off the wall? If so, the heat will help take the caulk off but will also most remove the paint as well during scraping.

It will be harder to remove the caulk in this situation without damaging the crown molding and/or ceiling. You could most likely use a hair dryer like in the video to make the caulk more pliable but using a heat gun could start to damage your paint. I will try in a small area and see if the hair dryer helps to get the caulk out with no or minimal damage. Best of luck!

If you heat the track up does it help to break the glue free?

Hey Igor, good question and on most my videos I try to approach the project as a home owner which is new to DIY. I think the razor scraper is going to be much better in removing all of the caulk but also could cause some damage to the surround if you aren't careful. Assume you prefer to do the whole job with a razor scraper?

@@EverydayHomeRepairs Yes that was the thought

Yikes 😬. I image these are older wood windows opposed to newer vinyl windows? I think people use WD-40 to remove the last of the sticky residue after scraping. Might be worth a try.

corners are tougher but I use the same basic process

Yes, just be careful not to overheat if you are using a heat gun. A little heat will just help make the caulk more pliable. Best of luck on your project!

Just now watched this… and, that’s a cast iron tub. I won’t use this idea on fiberglass. Those “sharps” could scratch or gouge. I’m going to keep looking. Although I am going to try the hair dryer with a plastic spatchula/putty knife.

I would probably start with the same tools in this video.

Best of luck on the project. Adding a little heat should help substantially. Let me know how it goes.

🤔 I don't think much of the code is dedicated to proper caulk removal 🤷‍♂️