GE 100%silicone caulk anyone use this?

[bronco]

i bought a couple of tubes of this stuff due to it being recommended by a home depot worker as superior because it seals flexible and is marked as being made specifically for sealing aluminum metal. it is a grey color and 100% silicone. I saw alot of people on here leaning towards polyurethane. Is this stuff even worth using? I just dont want there to be any issues down the road. Thanks for any help

[green_eyed_diablito]

i use silicone all the time for sealing and for sticking non-porous things together. i have used it on my travel trailer to seal and i used it on the inside of a motorcycle fender to hide some wires. considering the fender was being blasted with road debris and water (i ride in the rain) and never lost its adhesion properties, i'd say it passed the test.

[Miriam C.]

I used sillycone and got it where I didn't want it. It doesn't come up and nothing sticks to it once it is dry. If you use it finish your wood really well first. And be very careful to not get it anywhere you might have to refinish....

[Toytaco2]

I used this same silicone stuff to seal under the aluminum drip cap above my windows since it matched the color of my TD perfectly. I've also used it to seal the treads of screws which must penetrate the exterior surface Of the TD. I think it will work for these purposes really well. However, I used Butyl Rubber Tape to seal under all the large areas such as under my insert molding, window frames, Hurricane Hinge, etc.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[tk]

Check to see if paint will stick if you ever expect to use it. Silconized latex caulk will take paint, I think, but straight silicone won't.

Best,
Tom

[green_eyed_diablito]

:( I used sillycone and got it where I didn't want it. It doesn't come up and nothing sticks to it once it is dry. If you use it finish your wood really well first. And be very careful to not get it anywhere you might have to refinish....

i agree. nothing will stick to it after it dries. i made that mistake when i installed windows in my house (i forgot about that).

[Miriam C.]

:( I used sillycone and got it where I didn't want it. It doesn't come up and nothing sticks to it once it is dry. If you use it finish your wood really well first. And be very careful to not get it anywhere you might have to refinish....

i agree. nothing will stick to it after it dries. i made that mistake when i installed windows in my house (i forgot about that).

Yep, you get the good stuff you really need to be sure that is what you want.

[bronco]

thanks for the replies everyone. It always helps to go into a project with every possible problem thought out ahead of time. It never fails though something finds a way to bite me in the butt no matter how much prep work was done.
I know there will be some squeeze out when i screw the sheets down and i'll have to clean it before it dries. Any recommended cleaning solvents you would all use?
Thanks again for your advice it helps.

[kennyrayandersen]

thanks for the replies everyone. It always helps to go into a project with every possible problem thought out ahead of time. It never fails though something finds a way to bite me in the butt no matter how much prep work was done.
I know there will be some squeeze out when i screw the sheets down and i'll have to clean it before it dries. Any recommended cleaning solvents you would all use?
Thanks again for your advice it helps.

Silicone is a special animal. I’ve only ever used paper towels to carefully remove any that I didn’t want – it resists most solvents (http://www.dynaloy.com/Products/silicone_products.html). As has been noted paint WILL NOT STICK. I wouldn’t use it as an adhesive (I have used it in the past), because there is a fair chance you are going to get it someplace you don’t want. Also, it doesn’t really ‘penetrate’ so if the surface is a porous wood, for instance, you might get moisture that would migrate underneath. Now if you are screwing something down it will likely force silicone into all of the wood pores, at least the ones on the top surface of the outer wood veneer and would be more robust. Still, it can be used, as some have noted, for general sealing and even light adhesive work.

[Miriam C.]

I got it on my roof because I set my fingers down trying to not fall after I over extended my reach. It isn't that you can't use it. Just be aware that if you need to refinish or take up an part it won't readily take a new finish. Not even sure if silicone will stick to it.......

[Geron]

I got a big stick in the corner for anyone who gets within a quarter mile of my RV's with silicone caulk.

I'll use it too

g

JMO YMMV

[Walt M]

Hey Kids, from what I've learned, you can dissolve Silicone while your working with it using Isopropyl Alcohol (is that spelled right?). In my experience silicone does break down a bit under uv ( at least the "clear" type. Whenever I need this type of product I use Geocel it's a trypolimer sealent a bit more money but much more durable. imo Walt

[xrover]

Dish saop is your freind when working with silicone. The key is to smooth and clean up before it sets. I set the bead and then take a cup of warm water with about 1 teaspoon of dish soap in it. Using a finger you feel you are good with. soak your finger in the soapy water, and then run it along the bead to smooth it. Occasionally lift your finger and wipe off excess on a paper towel. Once you have done all of your bead, then take a fresh section of paper towel, wet well with the soapy water and clean up any spills. I've tried the gimmicks. They don't work!

[Geron]

Hey Kids, from what I've learned, you can dissolve Silicone while your working with it using Isopropyl Alcohol (is that spelled right?). In my experience silicone does break down a bit under uv ( at least the "clear" type. Whenever I need this type of product I use Geocel it's a trypolimer sealent a bit more money but much more durable. imo Walt

In making homemade tarp tents/raingear etc. thin the silicone down with denatured alcohol to where you can "paint" it on and use it as a seam sealer. Cheaper and as good or better than commercial.

[Steve_Cox]

I have a love/hate relationship with the stuff. I've seen lots of boats that folks have just smeared it around the widows and hatches thinking they could stop leaks without a removal and rebedding job. Yucky and almost impossible to remove. I use it sparingly and try to keep it away from fiberglass and other finished surfaces. I used some black silicone as fender welt on my TD to keep the dust and grit outta the joint, it worked and looks better than I ever expected. After I bolted the fender on just ran a bead in the joint and used the soapy water on the finger technique to finish.