DAP ALEX Ultra 230 elastomeric sealant...Good stuff??

[bbarry]

Rather than hijack Bronco's thread, I'll start another one here. Does anyone have experience with DAP ALEX Ultra 230 sealant? It's a siliconized latex caulk with a 50 year warranty. Here's what the technical bulletin says:

Product Description:
DAP® ALEX ULTRA® 230 is a premium, 230-grade acrylic latex sealant plus silicone formulated for allpurpose
indoor and outdoor applications. It contains silicone for superior flexibility and adhesion,
withstanding up to 50% total joint movement without cracking. Microban® Antimicrobial Product Protection
fights the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew on the sealant. Alex Ultra® 230 is
paintable with latex or oil-based paints and offers easy water clean-up.
Suggested Uses:
Ideal for caulking & sealing:
• Windows & doors • Siding & trim • Molding
• Corner/butt joints • Baseboards • Pipes
• Ducts • Vents
Adheres To:
• Wood • Metal • Brick
• Aluminum • Glass • Concrete
• Vinyl • Masonry • Most plastics
• Plaster & drywall • Stucco • Stone
• Painted surfaces

Sounds like maybe the benefits of silicone, easy clean-up and workability of latex? It's available in aluminum grey and mold shouldn't grow on it.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Brad

[bbarry]

Bump. Anybody?

[kennyrayandersen]

Brad, Sorry, I’ve never even seen that in the store – maybe it’s something a bit newer. Since it’s paintable, maybe it doesn’t have all of the PITA qualities that bug me about straight silicone – might be worth a shot. How does it compare in price to something like the Sikaflex, which we have many good reports both here and on other car forums?

[bbarry]

$4 a tube. I'll give it a go and see what I think.

Brad

[Barefoot]

I'm using it now. It's too soon to know about durability, but even a fraction of the promised fifty years should be plenty. I like that, besides white, it's available in at least two shades of brown. It's a little thin for my taste and doesn't always stick without a nudge from my finger, but it would get that anyway. Water clean-up always meets with my approval, and being able to paint over it with oil or latex is a bonus.

In a couple of places I didn't wipe up quite all of what got on nearby bare plywood before applying the clear polyurethane finish. Now it looks like I'm still not scraping up enough for more poly to reach the wood. In our third full day of rain, the humidity is too high to test that, but I'll let you know. I'll also test finishing first, then caulking.

[Barefoot]

With a bit of spare time, I took a fairly sharp chisel and carefully peeled that set-up Alex (why "Alex"?) caulk off the bare plywood, then gave the area a quick sanding, and the polyurethane stuck and penetrated just fine.

I also applied 230 to a stirring stick with dried polyurethane on it. No dice; I could roll it right off with my fingers. Maybe it would stay stuck after it had set up longer. After all, it stayed stuck on paint and when mounting taillights and windows, both really slick surfaces.

In the meantime, I'll caulk first, clean up thoroughly, and poly last, just to be safe. Happily, 230 also set up firmer than it acted at first but stayed flexible. Works for me.

[bbarry]

Great....thanks for sharing your experience. I plan on using it under the aluminum trim - where it will squish out, so easy cleanup is important. Sounds like this will work well for me.

Brad

[Arne]

I do not know anything about this specific product, but I tend to use 50 year on anything I do, and I do use the water cleanup type.... I figure if it lasts 10 years, I'm in good shape. I can always pull the windows out and redo if necessary....

I used it on the hatch hinge also. Most of that is out of the sun and the seam is very tight with no place for water to collect so am not concerned about that, either.

Caulk is so cheap now, I go for the one that looks the best, i.e., long life, easy cleanup...

And I like the new skeleton type caulking gun I bought. it releases pressure immediately so there is no continuous flow like the old type ratchet caulk gun.
I bought it reluctantly on impulse, but I after using it, I highly recommend it. When you release the handle pressure, the caulk stops coming out.

http://www.toolfetch.com/p-449-6004.shtml