My kitchen counter caulk has cracked all around due to my house settling. I'm unsure if I should just layer new caulk on top or if I need to remove the old caulk first. Any advice?
5 Answers
For the best results, remove the old caulk so the new one can bond properly. It’ll help avoid further issues down the line!
The previous advice is spot on. I had a tough experience with silicone, so now I prefer using water and a sponge. I lay a bead, smooth it with my finger, and use a damp sponge to wipe away any excess. Just keep rotating to find clean parts of the sponge, otherwise it gets messier—trust me, they don’t survive long!
It's best to scrape off the old caulk completely before applying new caulk. Make sure to use silicone when you reapply it. A handy tip is to get some denatured alcohol; it's great for cleaning up caulk and smoothening it without leaving a sticky mess on your fingers. A spray bottle works wonders for applying it!
First, check what material is currently in your corners. Sometimes, builders use grout instead of caulk, which can crack quickly, especially in places like bathtubs. If it’s 100% silicone that's cracked, you need to remove the old caulk and put new down. But if it's some kind of sanded grout or silicone mix, it might be best to just apply new silicone over the existing line without removing the old stuff if it looks okay otherwise.
Definitely take out the old caulk first before putting in new. New caulk won’t stick well to old caulk, particularly silicone, so removing it is essential for a solid bond.
If the old caulk is only a couple of months old from a remodel, do I still need to take it all off? It’s a tile caulk and feels pretty grainy, which is why I think it cracked so fast.